Lods, Franche-Comté

The small village of Lods is situated in the département of Doubs in Franche-Comté. Listed as one of France’s most beautiful villages, the enviable site of Lods has inspired many painters and photographers.

The name of the village derives from Latin “laus” meaning “honour”. It is pronounced “lo”. The first written mention of the village dates back to 1189 but it is believed the site was occupied by humans in the 5th century. Located on the hillside of the Jura mountains, the medieval village specialised in two activities: wine production and iron forges.

The village is crossed by the Loue River which adds character and charm to the site. Here, the river flows swiftly through the Jura mountains through small waterfalls particular splendid at high water. The best place to admire the site of the village is from the bridge spanning the Loue River (D32 road). There can be seen an old moss-covered bridge in ruins.

It features a few monuments such as the Notre-Dame des Forges oratory created in 1787 and the St. Theodule church from the 18th century. Lods’ parish church is topped by a pointed bell tower and has a lovely sculpted pulpit inside.

The streets of the village centre are bordered with a few wine-growers’ houses. With their brown roofs, they date from the 16th and 17th centuries. One of them hosts the wine museum which recalls the vinery past of Lods. Before the phylloxera crisis in 1885, the vineyard covered an area of 130 hectares in the Loue Valley.

The Lods Castle, a strong house from the 14th century, once guarded the salt route. It has been listed as a historic monument by the French State since 2003.

A visit to Lods can be complemented by the discovery of the Loue Valley and the old village of Ornans.

Featured image: © Jean-Pol GRANDMONT – licence [CC BY-SA 3.0] from Wikimedia Commons