The lodgings of Ilay are located in one of the most beautiful sites of the Jura, the
area of the lakes, in the Regional Natural reserve of the High-Jura. From the Pic de L’aigle which
overhangs them one can admire the most splendid panorama of the area.
Excursion around the lakes
While leaving the lodgings, opposite you, the lake of Ilay : cross the road (D 75). Find on
the level of the bridge which spans the outfall of the lake, the GR. 559, the way skirting the south
of the Lac d’Ilay, also called Lac de la Motte. Wet spot which surrounds you
is rich on fauna and considerable flora diversity. You will be able to admire there plants like water
clover, the paludous potentille, the linaigrette or the orchis incarnat. The grey wagtail, the
dipper and the troglodyte are common in this sector. Foulque the macroule is present there all the year.
The alders of the mountains and glutinous border the lake.
The small channel, like all four lake, is rich in crayfish. Don't let you tempt by the desire of poaching,
at two hundred meters from there, Mister and Mrs Morizot, owners of the lodgings and l’Auberge
du Hérisson tasty specialities with crayfish been useful during all the tourist season will
propose to you.
Perhaps in spring, 100 m further length d’une hêtraie, you will hear tambouriner green woodpeckers
or black. A little further made a hook to discover the peat bog separating the Lac d’Ilay
and the Grand Maclu. You will see the lake's island. Archaeological excavations updated vestiges
of a priory about Saint-Benoît, dating from the High Middle Ages. This island sheltered formerly
one of older monasteries of Frank-Comté, the Prieuré Saint-Vincent. It affirmed
since the years 850 like cultural hearth and developed the area of the four lakes. Perhaps you will discover
in the peat bog : will drosera, a small carnivorous plant. Do not touch it, it is protected! In
the brook, you will be perhaps surprised to discover the anodonte : large moulds fresh water. While returning
on the path, you will join soon the Grand Maclu. After the crossing of a plantation of spruces,
you are vis-a-vis with imposing cliffs. You will not be astonished to see enthusiasts of the coasting
flight springing top of the Pic de l'Aigle which overhangs. Perhaps you will admire the flight
of the peregrine falcon or more frequently the large corbel or the Milan.
In edge of forest take guard to the yellow flowers which one should not confuse with the yellow gentian :
the aconite wolf's bane and the veratrum, two large plants with frightening toxicity.
Further, on your left Petit Maclu where the nymphea share their watery space with the yellow
water lilies. There, the crested grèbe niche regularly. On the slope of right-hand side, the cranberry
is present until the section of the road and higher, on the coast, the chamois are rather frequent. On
the other hand you will have much chance if you see there the lynx which can prowl about trimmings.
At the end of Petit Maclu, old morainic sand extractions where the tritons abound.
Further you find D 75 which you will cross to engage you in a fir plantation. Follow the way, north-western
course, in direction of the Lac Narlay. Then turn right and circumvent the lake in direction
reverses d’une switches of watch, while remaining on the principal way. In the north of the d’eau
plan push the queen of the meadows, the yellow iris and the lysimaque one. Royal Milan and the
ashy héron often fly over this place. The Lac Narlay is deepest of the area. It probes up to
-40 meters. Like the other lakes, it is populated of pikes, corégones, poles and tenches.
Cross the village of Narlay. Then at Le Frasnois, two possibilities:
– return to the lodgings by placing the lake of Ilay by D 75 until to find the lodgings of Ilay ;
– or, opposite the pottery, to take again the GR. 959A on which you will make thousand more discovered,
until the cheese dairy and from there begin again on the left, direction east, a way which will bring
back for you to the lodgings.
Four lakes
The plate of Le Frasnois is mainly made up of limestone of the Jurassic superior. Its karstic
basement supports the circulation of subsoil waters and is thus not very favorable to the formation of
lakes. Those owe their existence with the deposits of marly glacial alluviums and some morainic deposits
which allowed the reserve of water. The lakes are fed by many emergences of modest flow. They communicate
between them, except with the Lac Narlay, and feed, in the south, the Cascades du Hérisson
in the form of resurgence on the level of the Saut Girard. As for the Lac Narlay, it is lost with on
west in a fault and arises 7 km lower, with the Lac de Chalain.
While leaving the lodgings, opposite you, the lake of Ilay : cross the road (D 75). Find on
the level of the bridge which spans the outfall of the lake, the GR. 559, the way skirting the south
of the Lac d’Ilay, also called Lac de la Motte. Wet spot which surrounds you
is rich on fauna and considerable flora diversity. You will be able to admire there plants like water
clover, the paludous potentille, the linaigrette or the orchis incarnat. The grey wagtail, the
dipper and the troglodyte are common in this sector. Foulque the macroule is present there all the year.
The alders of the mountains and glutinous border the lake.
While returning
on the path, you will join soon the Grand Maclu. After the crossing of a plantation of spruces,
you are vis-a-vis with imposing cliffs. You will not be astonished to see enthusiasts of the coasting
flight springing top of the Pic de l'Aigle which overhangs. Perhaps you will admire the flight
of the peregrine falcon or more frequently the large corbel or the Milan.
The plate of Le Frasnois is mainly made up of limestone of the Jurassic superior. Its karstic
basement supports the circulation of subsoil waters and is thus not very favorable to the formation of
lakes. Those owe their existence with the deposits of marly glacial alluviums and some morainic deposits
which allowed the reserve of water. The lakes are fed by many emergences of modest flow. They communicate
between them, except with the Lac Narlay, and feed, in the south, the Cascades du Hérisson
in the form of resurgence on the level of the Saut Girard. As for the Lac Narlay, it is lost with on
west in a fault and arises 7 km lower, with the Lac de Chalain.
