Saint-Claude

Saint-Claude is a city in Franche-Comté of France. There are several farms and ranches surrounding the town that produce many world famous brands of dairy (Comte cheese), beef (Charolaise), and poultry (Bresse Gauloise).

Get in

The Ligne des Hirondelles is one of the most scenic railway lines in France and runs from the town of Dole to Saint-Claude. The stretch from Morbier to Saint-Claude via Morez in particular is very beautiful with its series of viaducts traversing deep mountain valleys. Guided tours from Dole are available around twice a week during summer (https://www.doletourisme.fr/medias/ligne-des-hirondelles/CdP-La-Ligne-des-Hirondelles-reprend-du-service-au-depart-de-plusieurs-villes---ete-2021vuAline22juinOKpourdiffusion.pdf%5Bdead+link%5D), although regular tickets can also be purchased as normal from the OUIGO website. For the sake of convenience, it is also possible to access the Ligne des Hirondelles from Besançon by changing at Andelot station, the stretch from Dole to Andelot is nice but not unmissable.

See

• 1 Musée de la Pipe et du Diamant (Museum of diamonds, gemstones and pipes), 1, place Jacques Faizant, ☏ +33 3 84 45 17 00, musee-pipe-diamant@wanadoo.fr. May-Sep: daily 09:30-12:00 and 14:00-18:30; Dec 20-Apr 30 and Oct 1-Nov 15: M-Sa 14:00-18:00, except on Bank holidays. Non-guided visits but the hostesses are at your disposal for further explanations - video on the craft of pipemakers, diamond and lapidary and their history (25 minutes). Game-mystery: free for the 7-13 years. Visit time: an hour air conditioned rooms. Disabled access full rate €5, reduced rate (groups of disabled and students) €4, child fare and school group €3. Pass - Museum of the Abbaye and Exposition Pipes and Diamond: full rate €8, child rate €3.50, free for the accompanying organizer and driver. Exceptional opening on mornings on appointments for groups of more than 20 people. €3-5. 
• 2 Musée de l'Abbaye / donations Guy Bardone - René Genis (Abbey museum / Guy Bardone - Rene Genis donations), 3, place de l’Abbaye, ☏ +33 3 84 38 12 60, contact@museedelabbaye.fr. 10:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00. July-Aug: daily except Tu; Sep-Jun: W-Su. Art works of the 20th century and the archaeological remains of the abbey of Saint-Claude. Closed: January 1, May 1, November 1 and December 25. Reduced price: €2.70 (groups from 10 persons, students, individual of 7 to 18 years of age, cultural associations, people with disabilities and their accompanying persons, unemployed persons, members of the COS). Family: €5 per adult and first child free of charge. Free: children under 7 years, groups of school, out of school time and students of educational institutions of the Jura, students of art history, art schools, the artists who subscribed to the house of the artists, group leaders and drivers of cars, free entrance on the first Sunday of each month. Pass juramusées €4. Pass museum of the pipe + Abbey museum: adult €8, child €3.50. Discovery: €1.50 per person in excess of the entry ticket. Guided tour (free of charge) on the first Sunday of each month. Visits, workshops in the direction of the school and the out-of-school time (off-Jura), workshops holiday: €2 per child. Free to €5.50. 

Go next

• 3 Chapeau de Gendarme (The Hat of the Constable) (from Saint Claude to Septmoncel, by the Septmoncel laces (CD 436) to Geneva). Anticlinal, a geological curiosity.