Parc de la Source

The Parc de la Source at Baume-les-Messieurs is a short walk from the village centre, and it leads to the head of the little river that runs through the valley, which makes it a natural complement to the abbey and the cave. The village sits at the closed end of a reculée, a deep, steep-sided valley typical of the Jura, whose limestone walls rise to some two hundred metres on three sides, so that the valley seems to end in a great amphitheatre of rock. The water that falls on the plateau above disappears into the limestone and flows underground, then emerges again at the foot of the cliff in springs, and it is the spring that gives the park its name. According to local descriptions, the river that issues from here is the Seille, which flows out of the valley toward the plain of Bresse, and some old descriptions that give other names for the stream are mistaken.

The park is a pleasant, shaded space with paths along the stream, small bridges, meadows and the sound of running water. The water is cold, clear and rich in dissolved limestone, and where it flows over moss and plants, it deposits the mineral as a porous rock called tufa, which builds up into ledges and curtains over which the stream falls in small cascades. The tufa waterfalls are one of the highlights of the valley, with a lacy, green and white look, and they change slowly over time as the deposits grow. A walk around the spring and cascade takes only a short time, but it is a place to linger on a hot day when the air is cool and moist.

The village above has a long monastic history. The abbey of Baume-les-Messieurs grew from a community of monks founded in the early Middle Ages, and the buildings that remain, including the church dedicated to Saint Peter, date largely from the Romanesque and later periods. In the tenth century, Bernon, a monk of Baume, founded Cluny, and the village is one of the most beautiful in France, with old stone houses with roofs of flat tiles. The Grotte de Baume-les-Messieurs, a cave with an underground river, can be visited on a guided tour, and walking trails lead onto the plateau for views down into the valley. The Vallée de l'Ain lies a short distance away.

The region is famous for Comté cheese and for the wines of the Jura, and the nearby village of Château-Chalon is known for vin jaune.

The park is free and suits walkers, families and nature lovers. After heavy rain, the paths may be wet and slippery, so wear good shoes.