Vallée de Delémont

Delémont is a rail hub: the Basel to Biel line stops here, and the trains to Porrentruy and to Glovelier start from the same platforms. By car, the A16 Transjurane runs along the valley, and the Basel road follows the Birse through Laufon. CarPostal buses serve Bassecourt, Vicques and the side villages from the station.

Good to know: from Delémont you reach the Franches-Montagnes in an hour via Glovelier and Ajoie in half an hour. It is the spot in the canton from which the rest of the Jura is easiest to reach without a car.

Delémont's centre is pedestrian and flat, but cobbled in places, so bring a pushchair with reasonably wide wheels. The fountains in the old town keep children busy between stops. The piscine de la Blancherie has wide shaded lawns and quieter corners away from the main basin, which helps with a baby. The climb to the Vorbourg, on the other hand, calls for a baby carrier rather than a pushchair. Allow an hour for a loop of the centre, hardly more than that with small children.

The Musée jurassien d'art et d'histoire moves through short, varied rooms, a good format when attention spans do not last a full hour. The valley floor often stays clear while the ridges sit in cloud, and the reverse happens in winter when fog settles in: in that case, taking the train up to the Franches-Montagnes from Glovelier is usually enough to find the sun.