Festival Photo De Maîche avec la Nature
Large-format nature photography at the Château du Désert in Haut-Doubs
2026
About Photo Maîche Nature
Photo Maîche Nature — edition 2026
The 4th edition of the "De Maîche avec la Nature" Photo Festival takes place from Friday, September 4th to Sunday, September 6th, 2026, in Maîche. The official brochure features 100 exhibitors and 40 nature photography exhibitions spread across 8 indoor venues and the grounds of the Château du Désert. The program includes 12 lectures at the Salle Foucault, a market with over 40 artisans and producers, and an environmental forum. Guest of honor: wildlife photographer Neil Villard, who will present "Puma, the Ghost of the Rockies" at the Maîche church. Free admission.
4th edition, September 4th–6th, 2026
The 4th "De Maîche avec la Nature" Photo Festival will be held from Friday, September 4th to Sunday, September 6th, 2026, in the park and at the Château du Désert in Maîche. Exhibitions will also occupy the Maîche church and the Union, Jeanne d'Arc, Ducreux, and Décrind halls, while lectures will take place in the Salle Foucault. All sites are within walking distance of the château. Admission is free: Friday from 1:30 PM to 6:30 PM, Saturday from 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM, and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
Neil Villard, Guest of Honor
A professional tracker and wildlife photographer from Switzerland, Neil Villard has been following the trails of large predators for over fifteen years. He will be exhibiting his work on the Canadian Rockies puma at the Maîche church, featuring images from his book "Puma, le fantôme des Rocheuses" and 180 days of field immersion. He will also deliver his lecture, "The Puma of the Rockies," on Sunday at 12:30 PM in the Salle Foucault.
100 exhibitors, 40 exhibitions
The 2026 brochure features 40 exhibitions across 8 indoor venues, plus large-format prints displayed throughout the park. Subjects range from Jura wildlife to Kenyan big cats, and from the hamsters of the Alsace plains to mountain landscapes, featuring not only photographers but also nature painters and illustrators. Most works are available for purchase on-site, including art prints, frames, photography books, paintings, and handcrafted items.
Market, environmental forum, and activities
The large local market brings together over 40 artisans and producers in the park and along the château paths, starting at 9:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday, offering woodwork, stone and iron crafts, local produce, and gourmet treats. The environmental forum will host nature and wildlife conservation associations in the main park alley on Saturday and Sunday. For children: treasure hunts, play areas, and wooden games on Saturday. The event also features demonstrations, wood carving, film screenings, workshops, and a grand raffle. Refreshments and dining are available via three food trucks.
2026 Photo Contest
The results of the 2026 photo contest were announced on July 31st. Four winners were selected by a jury chaired by Teddy and Didier Bracard: Hugo Faivre (Wildlife), Sylvain Clapot (Landscapes), Marc Laboutique (Macro/Close-up), and Jean Lecerf (Flora). The winning photos are printed in large 120×80 cm format and displayed in the château park during the festival.
Highlights Photo Maîche Nature 2026
- 4th edition from Friday, September 4th to Sunday, September 6th, 2026, at the Château du Désert park in Maîche
- Guest of honor Neil Villard: "Puma, the Ghost of the Rockies" exhibition at the Maîche church
- 40 exhibitions and 100 exhibitors across 8 indoor venues and the park
- 12 lectures at the Salle Foucault, from Friday 2:30 PM to Sunday 3:30 PM
- Market with over 40 artisans and producers, Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM
- Environmental forum, children's activities, three food trucks
- Free admission
Programme Photo Maîche Nature 2026
Program based on the official 2026 brochure and the lecture schedule published on August 16th, 2026. Opening hours: Friday 1:30 PM–6:30 PM, Saturday 9:30 AM–7:30 PM, Sunday 9:30 AM–6:00 PM. Free admission to all sites.
Friday, September 4th, 2026
- 1:30 PM — Opening of exhibitions, venues, and the Château du Désert park
- 2:30 PM — Lecture: "Our Friends the Black Grouse," Pascal Lumbroso · Salle Foucault
- 4:00 PM — Lecture: "Photographing Seas of Clouds," Aurélien Midey · Salle Foucault
- 6:30 PM — Closing
Saturday, September 5th, 2026
- 9:30 AM — Opening of exhibitions, the local market, and the environmental forum
- 10:30 AM — Lecture: "Drosera: The Art of the Plant Trap," Karine Bernardoux · Salle Foucault
- 12:00 PM — Lecture: "Agricultural Landscapes and Biodiversity," Marc Ollivier · Salle Foucault
- 2:00 PM — Lecture: "Wildlife of the Jura," Julien Arbez · Salle Foucault
- 3:30 PM — Lecture: "Birds of the Jura Mountains: Presentation and Current Trends," Dominique Michelat · Salle Foucault
- 5:00 PM — Lecture: "The Peregrine Falcon: A Prince in Courbet's Sky," Christian Bulle · Salle Foucault
- All day — Wooden games in the park
- 7:30 PM — Closing
Sunday, September 6th, 2026
- 9:30 AM — Opening of exhibitions, the local market, and the environmental forum
- 9:45 AM — Lecture: "Astronomy and Light Pollution," Thierry Kissel · Salle Foucault
- 11:00 AM — Lecture: "Storms and Lightning: Understanding, Photographing, and Prevention," Lauriane Galtier · Salle Foucault
- 12:30 PM — Lecture: "The Puma of the Rockies," Neil Villard, Guest of Honor · Salle Foucault
- 2:00 PM — Lecture: "Fragile Earth: Our Planet Tomorrow," Patrick Forget · Salle Foucault
- 3:30 PM — Lecture: "Intimate Landscapes," Gilles Buffet · Salle Foucault
- 6:00 PM — Festival closing
Lectures are held in the Salle Foucault, with the entrance located under the porch when leaving the château park toward the church.
Exhibitions by venue (all three days)
Photographers and artists listed by location on the official website. The 2026 brochure features 40 exhibitions in 8 indoor venues.
Maîche Church
- Neil Villard — Guest of honor, "Puma, the Ghost of the Rockies"
- Philippe Isabey
- Jessica Sansiquet — Painter
- Gilles Buffet
- Lauriane Galtier
- Nicolas Groffal
- Michel Andrieux
- Christian Mariavelle
Salle de l'Union
- Florian Milan
- Yoann Thionnet
- Adeline Lacagne
- Michel Villequey
- Baptistin Legeay
- Mattaliano Cyril
- Thibault Le Fur
- Julien Arbez
- Emilie Tournier
- Karine Bernardoux — "Artistic Rossolis" series on the sundew carnivorous plant
- Pascal Lumbroso
- Aurélien Midey
Salle Jeanne d'Arc
- Philippe Hoch
- Patrick Forget
- Christian Bulle
- Beauverger Laëtitia
- Cécile Terrasse
- Manon Artem
- Mickaël Dole
- Andrea Sanchini
- Marc Ollivier
Salle Ducreux
- Michaël Fonder
- Pierre Bottex
- Maëva Vignal
- Thibault Andrieux
- Anne Oppliger
Château Rooms
- Maëlle Hello
- Roland Mehl
- Daniel Machavoine
- Suzanne Mourlevat
- Christophe Cieslar
Château Park — 2026 Contest Winners
120×80 cm prints displayed in the park.
- Wildlife Winner: Hugo Faivre
- Landscape Winner: Sylvain Clapot
- Macro/Close-up Winner: Marc Laboutique
- Flora Winner: Jean Lecerf
- Jury Presidents' Choice (Teddy and Didier Bracard): Guillaume Nioncel
- City of Maîche Choice: Josiane Glaudon
- IPLN Choices: Arghya Adhikary and Benoit Rondelet
- Public Choice (Landscapes): Laetitia Guichard
- Public Choice (Macro/Close-up): Josiane Glaudon
- Public Choice (Flora): Valérie Caro
- Public Choice (Wildlife): Muriel Florkiewicz
Continuous activities throughout the three days
- Grand Local Market — Over 40 artisans and producers in the park and along the château paths: woodwork, stone and iron crafts, cheese, leather, honey, jewelry, cosmetics, pottery, local produce, and gourmet treats. Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM.
- Environmental Forum — Associations dedicated to nature and wildlife conservation, main park alley. Saturday and Sunday.
- Photo and Video Gear, Salle Décrind — Cameras, video equipment, drones, and blinds, with special festival discounts and expert advice from IPLN (Images Photo Lyon Numérique). Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- On-site Sales — Art prints, frames, photography books, paintings, and handcrafted items. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- Nature Activities — Treasure hunt and play areas for children, demonstrations, wood carving, film screenings, and workshops in the park. Grand raffle on-site. Detailed activity programs are available at the entrances.
- Refreshments and Dining — Three food trucks on-site.
Prices Photo Maîche Nature 2026
Practical information — Photo Maîche Nature
Practical Information
Locations
Parc et château du Désert, chemin de la Canissière in Maîche (25120). Exhibitions are also held at the Maîche church and the Union, Jeanne d'Arc, and Ducreux halls; the Décrind hall hosts the photo and video equipment. Conferences take place in the Foucault hall, with the entrance located under the porch when walking from the castle park towards the church. All venues are within walking distance of the castle.
Opening Hours
Friday from 1:30 PM to 6:30 PM, Saturday from 9:30 AM to 7:30 PM, Sunday from 9:30 AM to 6:00 PM.
Admission
Free admission to all venues.
On-site
Refreshments and food available from three food trucks. Most of the exhibited works are for sale, including art prints, frames, photography books, paintings, and handcrafted items.
Contact
Association Focus Nature Haut-Doubs. Email: [email protected]. Official website: festivalphotomaiche.fr. Social media: Facebook and Instagram "De Maîche avec la Nature" (@festivalphotomaiche).
Nature enhanced by photography
Each early September, the Parc du Château du Désert in Maîche transforms into an open-air gallery dedicated to nature and wildlife photography. The Festival Photo De Maîche avec la Nature, created in 2022, has quickly become a must-attend event for nature photography enthusiasts in the Haut-Doubs region and beyond.
A heritage setting for photography
The festival's setting is an invitation to contemplation in itself. The Château du Désert, a historic residence surrounded by a vast wooded park on the outskirts of Maîche, offers an ideal backdrop for the large-format exhibitions that line the park's pathways. The monumental prints, hung from trees and placed along the paths, create a striking dialogue between photographic art and the surrounding nature.
Over 40 photographers to discover
Since the 2024 edition, the festival has hosted over 40 photographers and artists, each offering their artistic sensibility and unique perspective on nature. The exhibitions are displayed in the castle park as well as in complementary locations such as the church and the Salle Jeanne d'Arc in Maîche. Visitors can discover works covering a wide variety of subjects: local wildlife of the Doubs, birds, mammals, insects, wild landscapes, flora, as well as distant photographic reports such as the Arctic foxes of Iceland presented by the 2024 guest of honor, Ananda Joinet.
Meet-and-greets, contests, and activities
Beyond the exhibitions, the festival offers a rich program of activities: meet-and-greets with photographers, conferences on nature and biodiversity, a photo contest open to amateurs, guided nature outings, and educational workshops. The festival is also an opportunity to raise public awareness about biodiversity conservation in the Haut-Doubs, a region rich in remarkable fauna and flora between forests, valleys, peat bogs, and rivers.
A growing festival
After two successful initial editions, the festival took on a new dimension in 2024 with the expansion of exhibition spaces and the hosting of 40 photographers. The 3rd edition in September 2025 and the 4th edition planned for 2026 confirm the event's anchoring in the cultural landscape of the Pays de Maîche and the Haut-Doubs.
Where does it take place — Photo Maîche Nature
Photo Maîche Nature in brief
Other festivals near Maîche
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