The signature Goumois loop, in my own words “a great double climb”: up from the Doubs at the border to Saignelégier, across to Le Noirmont, down to La Goule for a coffee, straight back up, and back down the first climb to the river. 49km and 1,204m.
This is the ride I'd send anyone who asked what riding at Goumois is like. My note from the day describes it better than I can now: "This is a great double climb from the base of the french/swiss border in Goumois by the river up the climb to Seignelegier then across the Noirmont and then down the mountain to LaGoule. There is a restaurant there for a coffee. Then straight back up the climb and then back down the first climb to the beginning."
And a tip for the brave: "In LaGoule you can go into France and climb up the other side and back across to Goumois through France. However that climb is short at 3 kms, but it is really steep at around 20% plus for the whole of the 3 kms." (I did that one in 2025; see Le Noirmont and the France loop.)
Saignelégier And The Franches-Montagnes
The top of the first climb is Saignelégier, at 978m the capital of the Franches-Montagnes district of the canton of Jura: a high, open plateau of wooded pastures above the Doubs gorge. It's horse country. The Franches-Montagnes, or Freiberger, horse comes from here, bred from the local Jura horse, crossed in the 1800s, and used by the Swiss army as a pack and artillery horse; the breed's studbook closed in 1997. Every year since 1897 Saignelégier has held the Marché-Concours, a horse show and fair on the second Sunday of August that now draws around 40,000 people, many times the town's population, for racing, show jumping and Roman chariot races.
The day I rode this, in June 2019, the canton itself was celebrating. The Jura only became Switzerland's 26th canton on 1 January 1979, split from Bern, and the square by the Marché-Concours hall had "40 ans, 1979–2019" painted on the tarmac in the Jura's red-and-white colours.
The RideGoumois, Saignelégier, La Goule And BackSunday 23 June 2019
How The Day Went
11.9km571m → 1,041m+471m4% average
12.5km−423m
8.7km618m → 1,046m+428m4.9% average
11 min
15.2km−525m55.8km/h top speed
Up To Saignelégier
I started from the river at Goumois at 09:12, on a cool morning, 16°C. The first climb is the long one: 11.9km and 471m up out of the Doubs valley through the forest and onto the plateau at Saignelégier, at about 4%. I stopped at the top at 10:02 for a photo of the painted square.
Down To La Goule, And Straight Back Up
Then across the plateau to Le Noirmont and down the narrow road to La Goule, on the Doubs, at 10:33. That's where the restaurant is, and where the river is held back by the little dam of the La Goule power station. Then the second climb, straight back up to Le Noirmont: 8.7km and 428m at nearly 5%, the steeper of the two.
Back To The River
After a short stop in Le Noirmont at 11:18, it was home the fast way: across through Muriaux and back down the first climb to Goumois, 15km and 525m of descent, at up to 55.8km/h. I was back by the river at 12:16. 49.1km, 1,204m, two climbs, and the Doubs at both ends.
