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On the Route des Vins du Jura, the attractive medieval town of POLIGNY , at the southern end of the Culee de Vaux valley, is noteworthy for its well-preserved, early Romanesque buildings, including the church of St-Hippolyte , which features the characteristic, bell-like tower seen all over Franche-Comte. But the town's principal attraction is the hallowed Maison du Comte (July & Aug daily 1hr guided tours at 10am, 11am, 2pm, 3.30pm & 4.30pm; tel 03.84.37.23.51; 12F/?1.83) on avenue de la Resistance, which leads south from the central place des Deportes, an old fromagerie that now forms the headquarters of the Comite Interprofessional du Gruyere du Comte. Displays show the process of cheese-making, from extracting milk to producing the finished article, alongside audiovisual presentations exalting the industry. Gruyere officers, an institution of tax collectors founded by Charlemagne, once collected the 60-centimetre-wide meules of cheese as payment - each the product of 500 litres of milk; now, with over 800 years' experience of production, Comte cheese has earned the distinguished Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) label more commonly reserved for vintage wines. The attractive medieval houses and other sites of interest in Poligny are indicated on the blue Walking Through the Old Town leaflet available from the friendly tourist office in rue Victor-Hugo (July & Aug Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 1.30-6.30pm, Sat 9am-12.30pm & 2-6pm, Sun 9am-12.30pm; Sept-June Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 2-6pm, Sat 9am-noon & 2-5pm; tel 03.84.37.24.21). There's no mistaking that ARBOIS , 10km to the north, is the capital of this region's viticulture. Glittering wine emporia line the central place de la Liberte, entreating you to sample the unusual local wines, of which the sweet vin de paille is rarest - so called because its grapes are dried on beds of straw, giving the wine a strong aftertaste equal to that of the better-known Chateau Chalon. Chocolatier M. Hirsinger has developed chocolates to eat with wines, especially the Jura's own vin jaune , a wine flavoured with walnuts. A visit to the Hirsinger chocolate shop on place de la Liberte is a must: try the delicious ice cream. Louis Pasteur lived in Arbois after his family moved from Dole, and his boyhood home, the Maison de Louis Pasteur on avenue Pasteur, is open to the public (hourly guided visits daily: April, May & Oct 2.15am-5.15pm; June-Sept 9.45am-11.45am & every 30min 2.15-6.15pm; 32F/?4.88). The tourist office is at 10 rue de l'Hotel de Ville (July & Aug Mon-Sat 9am-12.30pm & 2-6.30pm, Sun 10am-noon & 2-5pm; Sept-June Mon 3-6pm, Tues-Sat 9am-noon & 2-6pm; tel 03.84.37.47.37); in the basement of the same building is the Musee de la Vigne et du Vin (July & Aug daily 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm; March-June, Sept & Oct daily except Tues 10am-noon & 2-6pm; Nov-Feb daily except Tues 2-6pm; 21F/?3.20), which details the development and production of wine in the Jura. If you're staying overnight in town, try the cheap and friendly Hotel Mephisto , 33 place Faramand, just over the river from the main part of town (tel 03.84.66.06.49; under 160F/?24), or the more luxurious Les Messageries (tel 03.84.66.15.45, fax 03.84.37.41.09; 160-400F/?24-61), up from the Maison Pasteur. There's a campsite , Camping Les Vignes , on avenue General-Leclerc (tel 03.84.66.14.12, fax 03.84.66.25.50; April-Sept), 1km east of the centre. For a meal , try the Restaurant La Cuisance , with lunchtime menus at 40F/?6.10 and evening menus from 75F/?11.43 to 110F/?16.77; or Au Jardin Venitien , a good pizzeria at 1 rue Merciere (tel 03.84.37.49.22; pizzas from 35F/?5.34).
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