36 Hours In The Jura Slideshow

Similar to Gruyère, Comté is a type of raw cow's milk cheese with a sweet, nutty flavor. One wheel of Comté weighs roughly 80 pounds and takes about 530 liters of milk to create. To achieve its texture and shape, Comté is aged for a period of 10 to 14 months.

Baumes les Messieurs is a village of verdant valleys in Jura. The area offers walking trails, cliffs to explore, and camping sites.

Château-Chalon is the designated origin for wines made in Jura. These wines are created using only one grape variety, the savagnin grape. The savagnin grapes in vin jaune are aged in oak barrels for a period of six to 10 years.

Located in Poligny, the La Maison du Comté offers guests an inside look into the origins of Comté cheese and how it's made. The tour costs around €4 and ends with a savory Comté tasting.

Auberge la Petite Échelle is quaint inn in Jura that was once a nunnery and is now frequented by shepherds and snowshoers. The "inn" is eco-friendly and includes a compost toilet, giant yurts, and a homemade bowling alley. The cost of a one night stay is €16.

Auberge la Petite Échelle offers a variety of authentic French eats. Diners can feast on dishes such as a bubbling pot of herb- and pink peppercorn-flecked Comté fondue, and traditional Swiss rösti topped with rounds of that rustic Morteau sausage,

Norbert Bournez is the owner of Auberge la Petite Échelle, a mountain farm that was taken over by the Bournez family in 1987. For six months out of the year, Norbert and his family live in the hostel.

In addition to cheese plates, the restaurant at the Hostellerie St.-Germaine also serves up Morteau sausage, lamb, fois gras, river fish, and other seafood. Other features of the hotel include selections of Jura wines and a shady terrace to eat outside in the summer.

Domaine Macle is a great place within Château-Chalon to taste the signature flavor of vin jaune wine. The average price for a bottle of Domaine Macle is $41.

Fort St. Antoine is a former military fort that was converted in the 1960s into a cheese-aging warehouse. Cheese within the warehouse is left to age for 13 to 18 months in order to achieve its rich flavor profiles.

Le Grand Jardin is a hotel and restaurant located in the region of Baume Les Messieurs. The menu offers up delights such as fresh lake trout and wild hazelnut salad and Morteau sausage in a sauce of Comté cheese and savagnin wine.

Jura is home to a picturesque landscape that is perfect for summertime activities, such as sailing, hiking, and camping. The valleys are also sprinkled with lakes and waterfalls for swimming and fishing.

Salin Les Bains is a region of Jura home to a legendary 18th-century salt mine that is now a historical museum on the craft of salt mining. Other activities within the area include hiking the 853-meter high Mont Poupet, paragliding, and indulging at the spa.