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.
| GR59 | |
|---|---|
 The village of Château-Chalon | |
| Location | France |
| Designation | GR footpath |
| Trailheads | Ballon d'Alsace, Izieu |
| Use | Hiking |
| Highest point | Ballon d'Alsace, 1,247 m (4,091 ft) |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Months | May to October |
Towns and villages that the path passes through, with approximate heights and distances from the northern end of the path, include:
- Ronchamp, 340m, 34Km
- Saulnot, 370m, 52Km
- Abbenans, 325m, 80Km
- Hyèvre-Paroisse, 285m, 104Km
- Baume-les-Dames, 291m, 112Km (plus 1Km off the path)
- Roulans, 327m, 130Km
- Besançon, 247m, 155Km (plus 3.5Km off the path)
- Quingey, 265m, 181Km
- Salins-les-Bains, 331m, 226Km
- Arbois, 306m, 242Km
- Poligny, 332m, 270Km
- Passenans, 320m, 286.5Km
- Château-Chalon, 450m, 296.5Km
- Baume-les-Messieurs, 305m, 319Km
- Perrigny, 350m, 333Km
- Lons-le-Saunier, 250m, 356Km
- St-Amour
- Saint-Laurent-la-Roche
- Treffort
- Ambérieu-en-Bugey
- Yenne
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".