Saint-Ursanne

Saint-Ursanne lies in a loop of the Doubs where the river has cut through the Jura limestone, and the town is small enough to see whole from the old stone bridge: a collegiate church, three gates, a few streets of pale houses and the cliffs above. The church is Romanesque and Gothic together, with a carved doorway and a cloister that opens off the north side. Behind it, a long flight of steps climbs the rock face to a hermitage chapel associated with the town's founding legend. Below the walls, the Doubs runs slow and green, with a swimming spot and canoes in summer.

What you actually see

• The collegiate church - Romanesque and Gothic work with a carved portal and crypt.
• The cloister - the quiet arcaded courtyard beside the church.
• The hermitage steps - the long stone stairway up the cliff to the chapel in the rock.
• The old bridge - the stone river crossing with a statue standing on it.

When to go

Late spring to autumn, when the river is warm enough for swimming and canoeing and the Jura walking routes along the Doubs are dry. High summer weekends bring day visitors and fill the small car parks. The medieval festival in summer takes over the whole town for a weekend and changes the character of a visit entirely.

Honest expectations

It is genuinely tiny: two hours covers the church, the cloister and the streets. The station sits high above the town, so arriving by train means a steep walk down and a harder climb back. The hermitage steps are long and slippery after rain. Outside the summer season several places to eat simply close.

Nearby

The Doubs valley has river paths and canoe routes, and the Jura ridges rise on both sides.