The Staute - La Vierge des Neiges

The statue is located a few minutes’ walk from the Col des Croix, alongside an information board describing the panoramic view before you. In 1854, a cholera epidemic raged across the region. Fortunately for them, the inhabitants of Château-Lambert were spared. The following year, they decided to erect a statue of Notre Dame des Neiges to thank her for saving them from the disease.  The site was blessed by His Eminence Cardinal Mathieu, Archbishop of Besançon, in 1855. The statue’s name refers to the hilltop on which it stands, which used to be snow-covered for much of the year. Around 1870, a violent storm destroyed it. It was rebuilt as we see it today, towering over the valleys at a height of 2.50 metres. In the past, a castle stood on this site to guard the passes between Lorraine and Franche-Comté. It offers a beautiful panoramic view of the Ognon Valley, Château-Lambert, the Moselle Valley and the Col des Croix. A number of hiking trails pass by the statue of the Virgin.