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Origin and history

Le Saut du Doubs is a 27-metre-high, spectacular waterfall on the French-Swiss border between Villers-le-Lac (France, Doubs department) and Le Locle (Switzerland). It marks the end of Lac des Brenets (known as Lac de Chaillexon in France), a frontier lake formed by a natural dam created about 12,000 years ago. This dam is the result of a massive collapse of the slopes of the valley, possibly triggered by an earthquake, obstructing the course of the Doubs and forming a 15 km long paleo-lake, whose current lake is the vestige.

The collapse, composed of permeable limestone fragments, allowed the gradual formation of the fall. When the level of the lake rose sufficiently, the Doubs bypassed the obstacle by creating a cascade where the river reached its former bed below. This geological phenomenon also explains the significant variations in lake level due to water infiltration (3 m3/s) through rocks. In 2001, closure work was carried out to limit these losses and preserve the seaworthiness of the lake.

On the French side, the site has been protected since 1912, with an expanded ranking in 2001 covering 438 hectares, including the Doubs natural basins, the waterfall and the downstream artificial basin (created by the Châtelot dam). Integrated into the Doubs Regional Natural Park, Le Saut du Doubs attracts tourists for its viewpoints, hikes (GR5, Grande Traversée du Jura) and boat-mouche excursions. The fall, which is considered impassable by kayak except in exceptional floods, was first taken down in 2019 by kayakers enjoying a flow of 70 m3/s.

The site also symbolizes cross-border cooperation, with pedestrian access on both sides of the border (parkings of the Vions in France and the Pargots in Switzerland). A bridge connects the two banks, offering stunning views of the waterfall and the Doubs gorges downstream. Its geological history and landscapes make it an emblematic place of the Jura and Franche-Comté mountains.

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