Fontainebrux can be explored through two specific themes: its ponds and their bird and plant life, and local history, including the former hamlet of Les Charbonnières and the memorial to the Resistance. The ponds each have a distinct character, from bird migration at Étang de Chevigny to reed beds, wet woodland and rare aquatic plants at Étang Romette. If nature and local history are among your travel interests, these places offer specific points of interest.

Ponds and Nature

The ZNIEFF Étang de Chevigny covers 27 hectares at an altitude of 204 to 205 metres and includes Fontainebrux. Observations up to the 2000s rank Étang de Chevigny among the most interesting areas for birds in the Bresse pond network and highlight its importance for breeding and stopovers during migration. They identify it as the only site in the Bresse comtoise where Gadwall and Garganey bred. The ecological inventory data were updated in 2013. Étang de Chevigny is associated with a sporting leisure activity in Fontainebrux.

The ZNIEFF Étang Romette covers 10.32 hectares and lies in Fontainebrux, Courlans, Courlaoux and Larnaud. The pond lies entirely within the Bois des Foulletons. At its far end is a well-developed reed bed; wet alder woods extend from there to grazed meadows. A botanical assessment from June 2025 highlights the rare aquatic flora, including Grass-leaved Pondweed, which is regionally protected, and Nitella confervacea. Romette is the only known site for Nitella confervacea in the Bresse.

The differences are clear when choosing nature sites: Chevigny draws attention to birdlife, Romette to wetland habitats and rare aquatic flora, and Étang des Tartres to its botanical diversity. Fontainebrux can therefore be explored according to your interest in birdlife, habitats or plant life.

Étang des Tartres and its mill also lie within the municipal boundaries of Larnaud and Fontainebrux. In an assessment of its conservation value, Étang des Tartres is considered the most botanically diverse pond in the Bresse; such assessments may vary depending on the scope and timing of surveys.

Local History and Memorial

Fontainebrux originated in the 15th century as a hamlet called Les Charbonnières. After 1660, the settlement developed further when 400 journaux of land were granted in exchange for a low ground rent. Fontainebrux became a municipality in 1907. Its municipal status therefore came much later than its origins as a hamlet; the two dates mark different stages in the area’s history.

At the northern entrance to the village, a memorial at the « aire de la Résistance » recounts the history of the FTP camp « Francis ». The camp later became « Camp Gambetta » and then the « Pierre Semard » battalion. This gives the area’s history a specific connection to the Resistance, alongside the story of its settlement and municipal development.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Gevry, Champrougier, Tancua, Chapelle-Voland, Bletterans, Longchaumois, Le Larderet, Rahon.

For the broader travel guide: Jura.