The Lezan Rock

Reptiles are best observed during a hot spring or summer’s day, preferably under cover of clouds. Among such reptiles is the green lizard, an original creature in the High-Jura. A southern species, it is mainly present in the south and the west of France and the High-Jura is one of the most northern limits of its natural range. Perched on a low branch, a dry-stone wall or on the edge of a path, the green lizard has atypical measurements and colours: measuring up to 40 cm in length, tail included, and with a turquoise blue throat for the male and a bright green body with black spots, the green lizard shouldn’t go unnoticed during its time in the sun, and yet it is often the sound of it scurrying away that alerts passers-by to its presence. 

Thin and nutrient-poor soil, sun exposure, low water-retention capacities: these are the main characteristics of dry grasslands, open environments that are also called “orchid lawns”. Mountain germander, Breckland thyme and laserwort are just some of the flower species that live alongside the early-purple orchid and the pyramidal orchid in this environment that attracts many butterflies. They are of unique ecological interest as over a quarter of protected species in France live in dry grasslands. 

Despite their major significance in terms of ecology and landscape, dry grasslands are currently disappearing across a large part of Europe. Threatened by the pressures of urban life and agricultural production (fertilisation, overgrazing, etc.), they are often abandoned. As a result, they close up, naturally returning to bush stages (junipers, boxwood) and later to forest stages. Along this trail, you will notice flocks of sheep grazing, under the protection of dogs. Their purpose is to maintain these open environments, prevent them from becoming overgrown and thus to preserve their remarkable biodiversity.

The slow growth, long lifespan (up to 600 years) and the evergreen leaves of boxwood made it the symbol of immortality during ancient times. This very hard, yellow and small-grained wood is particularly sought after to manufacture musical instruments, for engravings and for wood turning! 

As they don’t produce any nectar, orchids such as the fly orchid have developed new ways of attracting pollinating insects. They have become masters in the art of imitation: the flowers of this fly orchid resemble the insect of the same name. When they bloom, male flies are already out and are actively looking to mate. They don’t find any females as these only come out a little later and are therefore easily lured by this flower “in disguise” and attempt to mate with it. As they move, they agitate the stamens and become sprinkled with pollen. They then move from flower to flower with their load of pollen, and become unsuspecting participants in the pollination of fly orchids.

The eye is drawn to the valley of Bienne and the village of Molinges far below, and to the cliffs of the Surmontant ridge opposite. At the foot of the hill, on the ground to the left, you will notice three marks in the rock: the “pas de l’Âne” (donkey’s footstep), an ancestral name and the source of many legends. These marks remind hikers of the steepness of the trail that dives down towards Molinges, into the dip in the Bienne valley.