Source de l'Ain (Conte, près de Nozeroy)

Conte

The Ain gushes out in a narrow, wooded valley, between the Jura villages of Conte and La Favière, near the boundary with Nozeroy. Wikipedia speaks of a karstic exsurgence at 681 metres above sea level (Jura Tourisme gives 700 m). According to the tourist office, the spring, hidden under the trees, sometimes reveals its ‘enigmatic entrails’, which interest experienced cavers. After two years of works, the site was developed to receive the public: an additional car park of 30 spaces, waymarked paths, two footbridges, one of them of the ‘Himalayan’ type above the Ain, and a viewpoint overlooking the spring; the circuit also links the Moulinet waterfall, the saut des Maillys and the Moulin du Saut. The Ain runs for 189.9 kilometres to the Rhône, at Anthon (Isère), and gave its name to the département. Local people say ‘la rivière d'Ain’. No legend or ancient cult linked to this spring was found in the pages consulted.

Getting there: Between Conte and Nozeroy, in the Haut-Jura; car park near the Moulin du Saut. Coordinates: OpenStreetMap marker, consistent with Wikidata (46.7494 N, 6.0231 E). The exact route within the site was not verified on the ground.

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

Ambient sound