Winter's good deals

en Pays Horloger

With over 150 km of cross-country ski trails, 5 downhill skiing sites, over 120 km of snowshoe trails, a good number of restaurants, etc. We thought you'd like to see things more clearly, and that our winter tips would be very useful! So we've put together a small selection with the ideal place to enjoy with the family, the ideal slopes for beginners in downhill skiing, etc. Lots of useful little bits of information to help you make the most of your vacation or outing. Beginners, families, gourmets... follow the guide!

1. The ideal place to enjoy the snow with children

The Combe Saint-Pierre

This small, family-friendly and welcoming resort has all the advantages of a large one; you'll find everything you need, even restaurants. Numerous activities are possible on this site, making it the perfect place for the whole family. Ski slopes cross-country skiing, tracks of Alpine skiing with in particular a snow wire designed especially for little ones who are just starting out, a rink, a site of sledge, routes snowshoes...everything is concentrated on the same site, it's very practical. You can spend the day there without worry, and everyone finds something to suit them by practicing their favorite activities... or drinking a hot chocolate while others, tireless, continue to hurtle down the slopes.

 The little extra:

♦ The on-site rental to find the equipment you need (downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, skates, sled, snowshoes).

♦ The sale of royalties on site.

The Combe Saint-Pierre

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children's sled, snow bob winter

2. The ideal place to start cross-country skiing

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Gardot

It must be said that when you're starting out on skis, you like to start off easy, on the flat! Just so you don't end up flat on your backside right from the start... This is one of the reasons why the Gardot site is the ideal place to start cross-country skiing.

The initiation track is made for that. 1 km of accessible loop, without elevation gain, it's ideal for beginners.
Once you have gained confidence and are enjoying the slide, you can tackle a small loop of 3,5 km, like those of Essarts or Meix Lagor. These loops allow you to move on to the next stage, that of tackling the climbs... and therefore logically the descents. In reality, nothing is inaccessible.
Located right next to the chalet, theplay area is the ideal playground for the youngest. Tireless children who pass and repass under the hoops and between the cones. Nothing better to learn balance and sliding while having fun.

The little extra:

♦ You can rent skis on site, at the Culture Vélo chalet

♦ You can eat in by bringing your picnic. There are tables outside, very pleasant with beautiful sunshine, and tables inside in the picnic room.

♦ You can eat on site, with a selection of delicious, hot, homemade sweet and savory dishes and hot drinks.

♦ You can swap skis for a sled, if you still have some energy left... there is a bobsled track planned and marked.

New in : slides in snowtubing (buoy), €7 per person

♦ You can take your on-site royalties (per day: €5 for under 25s and €7 for adults, reduced rate on Wednesdays, €5 for everyone)

Getting started in cross-country skiing

3. The secret spot… for unusual skiing

An outing under the stars, or even better, under the full moon! An incredible experience… but not always easy to achieve. Night skiing isn't always permitted on the slopes, and clear night conditions aren't always guaranteed, so head to Gardot for Nordic skiing and Goule for alpine skiing.

Gardot

On Thursday evening (weather permitting), bring your headlamp for lighting. The atmosphere is festive.

➡️ Nightlife in Gardot

Ghoul

Downhill skiing is also possible! On the Goule slope, only on certain evenings, but with mulled wine! An unusual outing where conviviality is guaranteed!

➡️ Goule Trail Info

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4. The ideal slopes for beginners in downhill skiing

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To get off to a good start in downhill skiing, you need slopes that aren't too steep, wide slopes... and a ski lift that won't make you relive the scenes from "Les Bronzés font du ski"... "Lâche la perche"!!

Le Meix Musy

Head to Meix Musy to find all these great conditions. With wide slopes, including an introductory slope and a green slope, ideal for beginners (green being awarded to the easiest slopes). As for the ski lifts, there is a snow rope, dedicated to the little ones, with a small play area (archs, cones, etc.) and a "baby" ski lift, ideal for beginners. You can then tackle the blue slope with another ski lift and request slow speed.

Good to know when you start out : Ask the pole vaulter (in Pays Horloger, there are only ski lifts or “tow-lifts” and no chairlifts) to put the slow speed to approach the ascent with more serenity, especially at the start…

Unfortunately, at the moment, there are no alpine ski lessons offered in the area of Pays Horloger.

The little extra:

♦ Ski rental, helmets, snowshoes, etc. on site at Meix Musy rental chalet.

♦ A groomed pedestrian trail for those who prefer walking to sliding.

♦ And 2 tracks snowshoes marked (“Bellevue” and “Ronde des Sommettes”) from Meix Musy.

Small practical information:

➡️ Directions to Meix Musy

➡️ Alpine ski slopes

5. Our favorite snowshoe trails

Where to start, which route to choose from the 25 marked ones? That's just our opinion, but here are our favorites! You'll have the choice of trying out some great hiking trails, ideally spread out across the Pays Horloger !

Snowshoe walks

Top 4 snowshoeing walks in winter pays horloger

6. Places to visit in winter

To take shelter on a gloomy day, to rest your legs after intense sporting efforts, to discover a little more about the Pays Horloger, or spend quality time with family… Here is a small selection of places to visit during your winter vacation.

7. The best mountain restaurants

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A warm atmosphere, an unusual location, a beautiful view of the mountains... and above all, delicious local dishes! Here's our selection of mountain restaurants.

Mountain restaurants

8. Recipes to try

A good hot chocolate with a cake... or châpés! That's the dream 4 hours, we sometimes can't wait for winter just for that! So why not give it a try? For the cake, you have the joker option at the bakery, just in case... For the châpés, however, there's only one way to eat them, make them... or get invited!

Yes, but what are we eating tonight? Fondue! What a question.

➡️ The recipe for the cleaning cake

➡️ The recipe for apple crêpes

➡️ The recipe for comté fondue

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9. Practical information to have on hand

The snow report

Which slopes are open? Is downhill skiing available, and is cross-country skiing open? What about snowshoeing? Are the trails marked? Find the answers to all these questions, and more, in the snow reports:

➡️ Snow report for the Val de Morteau (Meix Musy, Les Combes, Gardot, La Bonade, Le Chauffaud…)

➡️ Snow report for the Maîche area (Combe Saint-Pierre, La Montée, La Goule, Fournet-Blancheroche, etc.)

➡️ Snow report for the Russey sector (La Bosse, etc.)

Webcam

Apparently it's snowing up there! Or maybe you're in the fog and looking for a ray of sunshine?! Take a look at the webcams to see what's going on!

The webcams

winter snow webcam gardot pays horloger

Equipment rental

Where to rent ski equipment? Here are the addresses to save time.

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Where to buy your package

Whether for cross-country skiing or downhill skiing, you must pay a fee.

♦ For downhill skiing, you can buy your ski pass at the foot of the slopes.

♦ For snowshoes, you do not need a fee in our sector.

♦ For cross-country skiing, there are several packages and several ways to buy them. To see more clearly, follow the guide here!

Where to buy your cross-country ski pass?

How to travel around

No “Uber” and no “ski-in ski-out”… You need your vehicle to enjoy the different ski areas.

In the Alps, the different resorts are not connected to each other, but with the Val de Morteau, you can ski at Meix Musy, Bonade, Chauffaud.

For cross-country skiing, there are many starting points, and some sites have cross-country ski connections (for experienced skiers). There is also the GTJ cross-country ski trail which connects Meix Musy to Charopey (in Pays Horloger) or even as far as Giron (in Ain) for those who want to do the GTJ in its entirety.


Good to know:

Following the Mountain Law, you must be equipped to drive on our roads. This means that your vehicle must:
– either have removable anti-skid devices (metal or textile snow chains) in the trunk to equip at least two drive wheels,
– or be equipped with four winter tires.

winter snowplow

It makes you want !

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