GR 59

GR59
The village of Château-Chalon
Location	France
Designation	GR footpath
Trailheads	Ballon d'Alsace, Izieu
Use	Hiking
Elevation
Highest point	Ballon d'Alsace, 1,247 m (4,091 ft)
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	Easy
Months	May to October

The GR 59 Grande Randonnée long-distance footpath in France connects two mountain ranges across relatively low-lying terrain. In the north, it begins at Ballon d'Alsace in the Vosges at a height of over 1000m. It loses height rapidly, and runs south-south-west through the département of the Haute-Saône to Besançon on the River Doubs, in the département of the same name. It then follows a circuitous route, partly along the River Loue (a tributary of the Doubs) to Lons-le-Saunier in the département of Jura. At St-Amour just south of Lons, the GR 9 splits from the GR 59 and takes a more easterly route, near the Swiss border, while the GR59 continues into the regions of Bugey and Revermont in the département of Ain, finally rejoining the GR 9 near Yenne on the banks of the Rhône; the GR 9 then continues to the Mediterranean at St-Tropez.

Towns and villages that the path passes through, with approximate heights and distances from the northern end of the path, include:

Detailed guides to the path (in French) are available from the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre in two sections: No. 510, "Des Vosges au Jura", and No. 901, "Tours et traversées dans l'Ain".