Source du Doubs (Mouthe)

Mouthe

The Doubs gushes out at Mouthe, at the foot of Mont Risoux and the Noirmont forest, from a cavity in Portlandian limestone. Wikipedia gives an altitude of 945.5 metres, water at 5–6 °C and a mean flow of 1.76 m³/s. Divers have explored upstream a series of sumps, of which the third descends to more than 50 metres. On site, a specialist sheet describes a source that is not spectacular, but of a remarkable blue. The history of the village is linked to this source: in 1077, according to Wikipedia, Simon of Vexin (Simon de Crépy), a former count, withdrew near Saint-Claude and decided, in order to inflict more severe mortifications on himself, to go up to the sources of the Doubs with a few companions and found a hermitage there. He stayed only a year; in the 12th century the hermitage became a small Benedictine priory. Mouthe, which comes from “motte”, takes its name from the mound where the first huts were built. The commune also holds the official cold record of metropolitan France, −36.7 °C on 13 January 1968 (Météo-France, according to Wikipedia). The Doubs is 453 kilometres long.

Getting there: Route de la Source, at Mouthe, at the foot of the Noirmont forest, about 5 km from the Swiss border. Free access at no charge according to showcaves.com (not verified on site). Coordinates: OpenStreetMap marker, consistent with showcaves.com.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound