Jura: Vin Jaune, Comte Cheese, and Pasteur's Birthplace
Jura shares the name of the mountain range that forms France's border with Switzerland. The department is known for its distinctive wines (vin jaune, aged under a veil of yeast like sherry, and vin de paille, made from dried grapes) and its Comte cheese, produced in cooperative fruitieres across the region. Lons-le-Saunier, the prefecture, was the birthplace of Rouget de Lisle, who composed La Marseillaise in 1792.
The department has about 258,000 residents. Dole, the largest town, was the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. The Jura plateaux, waterfalls (the Cascades du Herisson are the most visited), and forests make the department a quiet alternative to the Alps for outdoor activities. Cross-country skiing is more common here than downhill. Arbois, a small town surrounded by vineyards, is the centre of Jura winemaking.
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Jura shares the name of the mountain range that forms France's border with Switzerland. The department is known for its distinctive wines (vin jaune, aged under a veil of yeast like sherry, and vin de paille, made from dried grapes) and its Comte cheese, produced in cooperative fruitieres across the region. Lons-le-Saunier, the prefecture, was the birthplace of Rouget de Lisle, who composed La Marseillaise in 1792.
The department has about 258,000 residents. Dole, the largest town, was the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. The Jura plateaux, waterfalls (the Cascades du Herisson are the most visited), and forests make the department a quiet alternative to the Alps for outdoor activities. Cross-country skiing is more common here than downhill. Arbois, a small town surrounded by vineyards, is the centre of Jura winemaking.
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