Saut du Doubs

Above the fall the Doubs widens into the Bassins du Doubs, a stretch of still green water hemmed by limestone cliffs that looks like a fjord and marks the border with Switzerland, and boats run through it from Villers-le-Lac to a landing near the drop. The Saut itself is about twenty-seven metres, at its most impressive during spring snowmelt when the whole river goes over the lip; in dry summers it can shrink dramatically, and in hard winters it has frozen into a wall of ice, which happened memorably in 2012 and 2017. Viewpoints are on both banks, so the fall can be seen from France or Switzerland.

What you actually see

• The fall - a twenty-seven metre drop, heaviest during spring melt.
• The Bassins du Doubs - a cliff-lined stretch of still water above it.
• The boat run - a cruise from Villers-le-Lac to the landing stage.
• The two-country viewpoints - platforms on the French and Swiss banks.

When to go

April to June for meltwater volume, and autumn after rain. Late summer often reduces it to a thin curtain. Boats run roughly spring to autumn and stop in winter.

Honest expectations

Flow varies enormously and a dry August visit is a let-down. The walk from the boat landing to the viewpoints is uphill on rough ground. Bring a passport if crossing to the Swiss side.

Nearby

Besancon lies west; the Comte dairies are southwest.