Bourgogne-Franche-Comté pairs two images that don’t always go together: some of the most renowned vineyards in the world on one side, a Jura mountain massif and the granite Morvan forest on the other. A region offering a real contrast between relaxed rides and demanding routes, without needing to travel far between them.
1. Gravel in the Morvan, from Château-Chinon
The most physical route on this list: an isolated granite massif that racks up around 1,100 m of cumulative climbing over 60 km, despite peaking under 900 m. The route passes several reservoir lakes, including Lac de Pannecière, for welcome breaks on a demanding day out.
2. Mountain biking in the Jura, Les Rousses and the Haute Chaîne
The Jura massif offers high-altitude mountain biking over 40 km and 750 m of climbing, through fir forests and alpine pasture, with views reaching as far as Mont Blanc on a clear day from the most open ridgelines.
3. Mont Poupet, a Jura climb from Arbois
A short but genuinely steep ascent: 8 km for 480 m of elevation gain, with sections close to 12-13% that make this climb harder than its length suggests. The summit looks out over the Reculée des Planches-près-Arbois and the Arbois vineyards.
4. The Route des Grands Crus for families
The relaxed counterpoint on this list: a near-flat 40 km greenway between Beaune and Nuits-Saint-Georges, through wine villages whose names appear on some of the world’s most prestigious labels — Pommard, Volnay, Meursault.
Planning the trip
The Jura (Les Rousses, Mont Poupet) forms a coherent hub around Arbois and the Swiss border. The Côte-d’Or (Grands Crus) and Nièvre (Morvan), further west, pair well together for a second leg of the trip, centred more on historic Burgundy.