The Haut-Jura is the part of France that tourists tend to overlook, and that suits the people who live here very well. The roads run along high plateaus and wooded ridges north-west of Geneva, with long views across the green rolling hills toward the distant white line of the Alps. On a clear day, the Mont Blanc massif appears above the haze like a mirage, and the road seems to be a balcony from which to watch it. It is a gentle landscape, with dairy farms, tall spruce forests, and a quiet that is easy to enjoy.
The area is famous for its cheese. Comté, the hard, nutty cheese aged in mountain cellars, comes from the cows that graze these pastures, and Morbier, with its dark line through the middle, and Bleu de Gex are made nearby. The craft of the region is also worth noting: Morez, a nearby town, has long been the centre of French spectacle-making, and its workshops once supplied much of the country's eyewear. In winter the area turns to cross-country skiing, with hundreds of kilometres of trails, and the small town of Les Rousses is a hub for it.
The roads are a delight for a rider who likes flow rather than drama. The bends are open, the gradients gentle, and the surface is usually good. Traffic is light outside the summer holidays, and the villages are quiet. The weather can change fast, with fog and low cloud on the plateau, and in winter snow and ice are common from late autumn to spring. Mornings in early summer, when the meadows are full of flowers and the air smells of cut grass, are the best time.
Les Rousses, about six kilometres away, has fuel, cafes, and a lake, and Morez, nine kilometres off, is the bigger town with supermarkets and more services. Longchaumois is a smaller village with a good bakery or two. Pick up some Comté from a local dairy as a souvenir, and take time to taste it with a glass of Jura wine, which can be pale, nutty, and unexpected. It is a place that rewards a slow pace, and the best views come when you stop and look back.