Villages & Cités de Caractère

Ruffey-sur-Seille

Ruffey-sur-Seille, Ruffiacum in Escoens, has been inhabited since Neolithic times. During the Middle Ages, its territory was divided between 3 large landowners, so prized were the riches of its soil. On the right bank of the Seille, the land belonged to the abbey of Saint-Marcel les Chalon, of which today's Saint-Christophe priory is a vibrant, beautifully restored example. The heart of the village, hemmed in by ramparts destroyed several times by the kings of France, belonged to the De Vienne family; a fortified castle with a keep asserted their power from the top of its mound. After the old 18th-century bridge, heading south, the terms, together with the former Oysenens district, belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Claude.

Take time to discover Ruffey-sur-Seille in the Jura, a village with a rich historical heritage and crossed by the Seille River, through a guided tour, an outdoor escape game or a family outing.

Between Bresse & Vineyards

A variety of landscapes mark the geographical transition between the vineyards and the Bresse region:

  • Vineyards on the hill of Montausson
  • Cereals on the great plain at the mouth of the Seille river
  • A more humid zone, favourable yesterday to dairy cattle breeding and six hectares of forest to the south.
  • Several gîtes and guest houses welcome visitors, who can play boules on the Seille esplanade or discover the sparrow's steps during a more historical stroll.

A VILLAGE STEEPED IN HISTORY

Regular and secular powers coexisted. But the many conflicts between the kingdom of France and the Holy German Empire ruined the village... until 1678, when Franche-Comté was attached to the central power in Paris.

At the end of the 18th century, Claude-Jacques Lecourbe, an illustrious general (the longest street in Paris is named after him) enhanced the village with his military prowess, both during the Revolutionary period and under the Empire, despite strong tensions with Napoleon.

His grandmother's home, the château he built in 1810-1811 on the site of the former château-fort (now the site of the town hall and school), the church and its statuary, in which he is buried, are all well worth a visit.

Today, Ruffey-sur-Seille, with a population of 750, is a village where farms and numerous businesses still exist, just a short distance from Bletterans or Lons-le-Saunier in the Jura.

Church of Saint-Aignan

Listed as a historic monument since 2006, this church dates back to the 15th century. Its tufa bell tower can be spotted from afar!
A visit to the interior of the church will reveal its wealth of treasures, including the painting of the Serpent d'Airain. General Lecourbe is buried in the de Vienne vault (now inaccessible) beneath the church sacristy.

Saint-Christophe Priory

Founded in the mid-8th century, the priory served as a parish church until the construction of Saint-Aignan church. In the 16th century, it was demolished, and not rebuilt until the 15th century. In 1663, it was named a rural priory of the Cluny Order. Sold as national property during the French Revolution, it then became a farm. In 1970, its current owners bought it and restored it to its former glory.

GUIDED TOUR & ESCAPE GAME

Guided tour

Follow your guide through the streets of the village, and he'll tell you about the lives of the inhabitants through the ages, and take you in the footsteps of Claude Jacques Lecourbe, a general under Napoleon. This is followed by a tour of the Prieuré Saint-Christophe by its owners. Information and reservations at the JurAbsolu Tourist Office.

DISCOVER

Outdoor Escape Game

Napoleon is about to abdicate! General Lecourbe, a native of Ruffey, must hold the position at Belfort against the Austrians. Unfortunately, he forgot his military tactics during his last visit to Ruffey. You have 1h30 to find the author of the tactic and send it to General Lecourbe, otherwise the Austrians will enter Belfort... and France will be taken! Numerous riddles await you throughout the village.

It's up to you!

A game book to share with family and friends.

DISCOVER