Lons-le-Saunier, Prefecture in eastern Jura, France
Lons-le-Saunier is a prefecture town in the eastern Jura department, set between vineyards at the foot of the mountain range. The streets in the center feature arcades from different centuries, beneath which shops and cafés line up.
The salt springs attracted people already in prehistoric times and gave the settlement its name. In the 19th century, thermal baths opened and drew visitors for the salty water.
The suffix „Saunier
The train station connects the town to Lyon and Strasbourg through direct lines. The A39 motorway runs north toward Dijon and south into the Swiss Alps.
A museum presents the story of processed cheese and stands on the grounds of the 1921 factory where the Laughing Cow brand was invented. Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle, who composed the French national anthem, was born here and another museum recalls his work.
Location: arrondissement of Lons-le-Saunier
Location: canton of Lons-le-Saunier-Nord
Location: canton of Lons-le-Saunier-Sud
Location: Jura
Elevation above the sea: 287 m
Shares border with: Villeneuve-sous-Pymont, Macornay, Chille, Courbouzon, Montaigu, Montmorot, Pannessières, Perrigny
Address: Lons-le-Saunier, France
Phone: +33384472916
Email: contact@lonslesaunier.fr
Website: http://lonslesaunier.fr
GPS coordinates: 46.67444,5.55389
Latest update: December 4, 2025 23:05
The Jura department features varied landscapes with mountain ranges, limestone plateaus, and forested valleys. The terrain has shaped notable geological sites: the Hérisson waterfalls stretch over nearly 4 kilometers with 31 waterfalls, the Baume-les-Messieurs Reculée forms a closed valley with 200-meter-high walls, and the Langouette Gorges show a canyon carved by the Saine between vertical cliffs. Historic towns reflect the past of the region: Dole preserves its collegiate church and 16th- and 17th-century houses with arcades, Arbois hosts the Louis Pasteur house and wine cellars, while Salins-les-Bains displays its old salt production facilities listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Jura vineyards produce specific wines, including the yellow wine made in Château-Chalon, a village perched on a rocky spur overlooking the vineyards. The Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park offers hiking trails and cross-country skiing routes. The ski resorts of Les Rousses and Métabief welcome winter visitors at over 1100 meters altitude. Glacial lakes such as Chalain allow swimming and water activities during the summer.
Maison de la Vache qui rit
330 m
Thermes Lédonia
561 m
Cordeliers church
150 m
Saline de Montmorot
1.2 km
Théâtre de Lons-le-Saunier
110 m
Hôtel-Dieu de Lons-le-Saunier
275 m
Saint-Désiré church
374 m
Prefecture hotel of Jura
350 m
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lons-le-Saunier
182 m
Tour de l'Horloge
112 m
Rue du Commerce
47 m
Église Saint-Blaise de Montaigu
1.9 km
Médiathèque de Lons-le-Saunier
164 m
Monument funéraire du sculpteur Bourgeois
659 m
Statue de Rouget de Lisle
281 m
Monument funéraire du chasseur Marin Gousset
690 m
Maison, 51 rue du Commerce (Lons-le-Saunier)
28 m
Statue du général Lecourbe
162 m
Hôtel de Balay
106 m
Maison, 44 rue du Commerce
52 m
Maison, 42 rue du Commerce
52 m
Maison, 41 rue du Commerce
52 m
Maison, 29 rue du Commerce (Lons-le-Saunier)
91 m
Palais de justice de Lons-le-Saunier
225 m
Maison, 39 rue du Commerce
60 m
Maison, 35 rue du Commerce
76 m
Maison, 32 rue du Commerce, 7 rue Tamisier
71 m
Maison, 26 rue du Commerce
92 mReviews
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