Better known for its famous yellow wine, laughing cow cheese and as the birthplace of chef, Raymond Blanc and author Victor Hugo, Franche Comte is still a relatively unknown region in eastern France.  But as Katy Dartford found out, bordering with Switzerland, it’s also dense with pine forests, rolling mountains, waterfalls and so many lakes its nicknamed “Little Scotland,” making it the perfect destination for foodies and outdoor types alike, and it’s affordable too.

Part 1: The Jura

"Glimmering pale golden yellow like the limestone rock faces of Baume-les-Messieurs, in the Jura region of south west Franche Comte, I sip a glass of its famous vin jaune or 'yellow wine.’  My expectations are high, as recently an amateur wine group paid a record 48-thousand pounds for a 240 year old bottle, containing grapes harvested during the reign of Louis the sixteenth".

Part II - Haute-Saone / Territoire de Belfort

"I’m not the greatest flyer at the best of times, so strapped into our four-seater plane to begin our flight over the The Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park in Franche-Comte, I could feel my apprehension growing..."