St. Ursanne is besides Delémont (in German: Delsberg) and Porrentruy the third historic town in Canton Jura. It has an exceptionally picturesque old town with three beautiful town gates. The historic centre has not changed a great deal throughout the centuries and is dominated by 14th to 16th century bourgeois houses. A highlight is the former Benedictine monastery with 12th to 14th century Romanesque basilica and early Gothic cloister dating from the 14th century. The southern gateway of the church (built around 1200) in the Burgundian Romanesque style is one the most important buildings in this style in Switzerland.

The small Doubs River has carved its way deeply through the Jura mountain chains and turns abruptly 180 degrees to the west at St. Ursanne. The four-arched stone bridge over the river, built in 1728, awards a particularly splendid view of the picturesque town. A sandstone statue made in 1729 of St. John of Nepomuk, a protector against floods, stands on the bridge. Many anglers are attracted to the fish-rich waters of the Doubs, which is said to have the best river trout. The lush green river landscape of the Doubs is also popular with canoeists and kayak riders.

Legend has it that Saint Ursicinus – an Irish monk – gave this remote town its name. His hermitage within a cave can be reached by climbing 180 steep steps. St. Ursanne didn’t emerge from isolation until 1877, when a railway line with several tunnels running from Delémont to Porrentruy and continuing to France was built. Enclosed by a narrow bend of the Doubs River is a mainly forested and isolated, almost uninhabited hill, the Clos du Doubs. The panoramic view from the hilltop encompasses Belfort, the Vosges Mountains and the Franches Montagnes. Hiking trails and a mountain bike trail (suitable for beginners) lead through the unspoilt nature of the Clos du Doubs.