Parc de la Gare

Ornans is a small town on the River Loue in the Doubs, in the Franche-Comté part of eastern France, and its character is defined by water, limestone and painting. The town is the birthplace of Gustave Courbet, the Realist painter, who was born here in 1819 and returned again and again to paint its streets, cliffs and river. A small green space such as the Parc de la Gare near the former station is a modest part of this picture, a simple public park that gives a local pause rather than a major sight.

What gives the town its fame is the setting. The Loue runs through the centre between rows of tall old houses whose foundations rise straight out of the water, and the reflections have earned Ornans the nickname of the Little Venice of the Comté. Behind the houses, limestone cliffs close in on both sides of the valley, and the whole landscape is a quiet, green and rocky one that Courbet painted obsessively. The Vallon de la Loue upstream and downstream offers walks and views that explain why the valley became a subject for art.

The Musée Courbet, installed in the painter's family house on the river, presents works and documents from his life and links the artist to the places he painted. His large canvas A Burial at Ornans, which caused scandal at the Paris Salon in 1850 because it treated an ordinary village funeral on the scale of a history painting, depicted local residents, and it is now in the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Seeing the town after seeing the painting makes it easier to understand the painter's world. The town's Hôtel de Ville, the old town hall with its arcades and a stone building known as the Hôtel de Grospain, also repays a look.

The park itself is a place to pause. Benches, trees and open ground offer a short rest between sights, and families with children may find it useful. It is not a destination to plan a trip around, but it fits a town where much of the pleasure lies in small, quiet places and in the surrounding countryside. Opening arrangements and facilities in small municipal parks are limited, so expect a simple green space.

The area is also known for its food. Comté cheese, matured in the nearby mountain cellars, is the great product of the region, and cancoillotte, a runny local cheese spread, and smoked sausages are common on menus. Combine a walk in the park with the Musée Courbet, the riverside and a meal in town. The visit suits art lovers, walkers and families, and it is easy to include on a drive through the Jura foothills and the Loue valley.