- GR 59
Infobox Hiking trail
Name=GR59
Photo=Château-Chalon - site.jpg
Caption=The village ofChâteau-Chalon
Location=France
Designation=GR footpath
Length=
Start/End Points=Ballon d'Alsace ,Izieu
Use=Hiking
ElevChange=
HighPoint=Ballon d'Alsace, 1247m
LowPoint=
Difficulty=Easy
Season=
Months=May to October
Sights=
Hazards=The GR 59
Grande Randonnée long-distance footpath inFrance connects two mountain ranges across relatively low-lying terrain. In the north, it begins atBallon d'Alsace in theVosges at a height of over 1000m. It loses height rapidly, and runs south-south-west through thedépartement of theHaute-Saône toBesançon on theRiver Doubs , in the département of the same name. It then follows a circuitous route, partly along theRiver Loue (a tributary of the Doubs) toLons-le-Saunier in the département of Jura. At St-Amour just south of Lons, theGR 9 splits from the GR 59 and takes a more easterly route, near the Swiss border, while the GR59 continues into the regions ofBugey andRevermont in the département ofAin , finally rejoining the GR 9 nearYenne on the banks of theRhône ; the GR 9 then continues to the Mediterranean atSt-Tropez .Towns and villages that the path passes through, with approximate heights and distances from the northern end of the path, include::
Ronchamp , 340m, 34Km:Saulnot , 370m, 52Km:Abbenans , 325m, 80Km:Hyèvre-Paroisse , 285m, 104Km:Baume-les-Dames , 291m, 112Km (plus 1Km off the path):Roulans , 327m, 130Km:Besançon , 247m, 155Km (plus 3.5Km off the path):Quingey , 265m, 181Km:Salins-les-Bains , 331m, 226Km:Arbois , 306m, 242Km:Poligny , 332m, 270Km:Passenans , 320m, 286.5Km:Château-Chalon , 450m, 296.5Km:Baume-les-Messieurs , 305m, 319Km:Perigny , 350m, 333Km:Lons-le-Saunier , 250m, 356Km:St-Amour:St-Laurent-la-Roche :Treffort :Ambérieu-en-Bugey :Yenne Detailed guides to the path (in French) are available from the
Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre in two sections: No. 510, "Des Vosges au Jura", and No. 901, "Tours et traversées dans l'Ain".External links
* [http://www.ffrandonnee.fr Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre]
* [http://www.gr-infos.com/gr59.htm Online guide to the GR59] (in French)
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