On the banks of the Doubs, Saunières brings together a marked circular trail and many-layered traces of the village’s history. To decide whether the place suits your travel interests, consider two different perspectives: an easy 9.8-kilometre route and a historic village centre with church architecture and links to the Roman road. The river landscape and fishing offer another activity for visitors.
The “Entre Saône et Doubs” Circular Trail
The circular trail is designated as an easy, marked route for hikers, touring cyclists and mountain bikers. It starts and ends at the Esplanade Daniel Galuzet in Saunières. Its length, difficulty, permitted uses and named start and end point give you concrete information for planning. Check the route details again before setting out.
Along the way, the route passes close to Île du Château, a protected, sensitive natural area with rich wildlife and numerous birds. It also leads to the site where remains of a 17th-century boat mill were found. Nature watching and a reference to an earlier use of the river thus meet on the same circular route. The mill itself is mentioned here as a discovery site: this means the place where its remains were found.
Church and Building History
A notable cultural landmark in Saunières is the parish church of the Assumption. Its irregular floor plan and varied structures point to several building phases; one dates back to the late 15th or early 16th century. The stepped layout includes a square bell tower above the nave, two lower side chapels, a stair tower, a taller choir and a small sacristy set off the central axis.
These different structures make the church’s development across multiple phases easy to see. The statue of the Virgin and Child housed there also points to its own period: it dates from the 17th century. The building history and statue therefore represent different historical periods at one site. Those interested in architecture will find more here than a single date: the floor plan, varying heights and extensions together create the church’s distinctive appearance.
Roman Road, Hamlets and River Port
A branch of the Roman road from Besançon crossed Saunières from north to south and continued from there to Verdun. The hamlet of Le Chaussis, south of the village centre, preserves the memory of this road. La Barre lies at a branch of the Roman road by the Doubs and is thought to have developed from a land and river toll station. This interpretation is explicitly a hypothesis, unlike the specific information about the road’s course.
There is also evidence of earlier settlement near the Doubs: two Gallo-Roman settlement sites have been identified on elevated ground above flood levels. Saunières also had an old port, which Coutépée still mentioned in the 18th century. Together, these clues point to several historical themes—transport routes, settlement and river navigation. They describe different aspects of the village’s history, not individual stops on a designated route.
River Landscape and Suggested Themes
The Doubs forms the eastern boundary of the municipality of Saunières. There are levees along the river and in the northern part of the municipal area. The river is therefore not only part of the circular trail’s name, but also an important geographical reference point for the village. Fishing is another activity for visitors to Saunières.
The points of interest can be clearly distinguished as you plan your trip: the circular trail offers a named route with a set length and stated difficulty; the church and Roman road provide a cultural and historical perspective; and the Doubs, Île du Château and fishing add nature and river themes. Which of these aspects you focus on depends on whether you would rather spend your time on a marked outdoor route, exploring the building’s history or learning about the village’s historical connections.
Discover more destinations: Coublanc, Plottes, Oyé, Mervans, Melay, Lux, Beaubery, Martailly-Lès-Brancion.
For the broader travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.
