Fanny’s Diary: Meet the People Behind Our Jura Walking Trail

"Today we head to Jura.

A land I hadn’t set foot in for 20 years.
It was time. Time to go back, and to rediscover this region of waterfalls, gorges, and almost fairytale landscapes.

We leave Villefranche early, and my body is still half asleep when we arrive in the small village of Arbois.

First stop: Le Domaine de Berthe, with its owner Carole. A new accommodation we’ve started working with for our second season, after some New Zealand clients asked for a place with a pool in this village.

Once you step through the door, the sound of the main road fades away and gives way to a true haven of peace.

An old stone house, a garden wrapped in the quietest kind of stillness on this March morning, independent apartments giving everyone their privacy while still offering a shared main space where guests can gather in the evenings or for breakfast.

Carole tells us the magical story of her house.

She spent childhood holidays here with her cousins, as the property once belonged to her great-grandmother. The house later left the family, only to reappear on her path years later at a moment of life change—alongside a project she had quietly been nurturing for some time: a place of reconnection, where people could come for retreats and creative workshops.

She found the house again like an obvious return to her roots, something placed on her path as if it had always been meant to be.

The place feels good. It soothes you. You could stay here for weeks, far away from the rush of everyday life.

A poster on the wall catches my eye:
“Jura où tu iras” (Jura where you go) — a playful reference to Céline Dion’s “J’irai où tu iras” (I’ll go where you go).

My love for this place only grows stronger.

Carole is the perfect host. She makes us want to set aside the hikes we came to test, just to sit in her garden instead, talking about life over a small beer or a glass of Jura wine.

To slow down. To enjoy the place. The moment.

And I realise this is the perfect starting point for our Jura Wine Trail journey, setting the tone of the whole experience: slowing down and truly appreciating places and moments.

Carole is our first encounter with Jura, but she is far from the last.

We also meet Nathalie and her husband Ludwig in Poligny. In their beautifully restored former townhouse, Les Jardins sur Glantine, Nathalie welcomes us with golden advice and divine breakfasts, while Ludwig shares his own produced wine.

Then there are Frédéric and Maryline in Château-Chalon, with their tavern FraTern'Elle, overlooking breathtaking views that made me feel like I was back home in my father’s village, sharing an apéritif with an aunt and uncle.

And finally Marine, and her bike rentals at A Tour de Roues, whom I randomly reconnect with in Arbois—after crossing paths multiple times eight years ago in New Zealand, on the other side of the world.

Each encounter adds another layer to the journey, much like the rhythm of the trail itself.

With hikes ranging from 9 to 20km, the itinerary invites you to set your own pace.

Arriving at each accommodation in the mid-afternoon, there’s time to wander through yet another Jura village as the day gently unfolds."

You can find more details on our Jura Wine Trail walking holiday here. If this glimpse of the Jura has sparked something in you, we’d love to help you turn it into your own walking journey—get in touch with our team.