Publy sits on the first plateau of the Jura at about 530 metres, in a rural landscape of village lanes, wooded slopes and open ground. Its hamlet of Binans is part of the same commune, and the local people are known as Publicains. The most compelling visit links three layers of the place: a medieval ridge with two castle ruins, a village church with a long documentary record, and paths that follow the old railway corridor and the Côte de l’Heute.
Population and the scale of the commune
INSEE’s 2023 reference population for the entire municipality is 277 residents in the municipal count, 14 people counted separately and 291 in total. These figures became legally effective on 1 January 2026 and refer to the 2023 census, not a live headcount. ECLA lists the commune’s area as 15.1 square kilometres, so the settlement and its wooded uplands belong to a fairly broad rural territory rather than a compact village-only boundary.
Two castles above the salt routes
Publy’s own historical page dates written mentions of Publy and Binans to papal bulls of 1153 and 1154, which refer to the strongholds of Binans and Beauregard. The Jura departmental heritage service explains why the ridge mattered: its castles looked over routes linking Salins-les-Bains with Orgelet and the Bresse with Geneva, helping control the movement of salt. That service attributes Beauregard’s origins to the lords of Coligny in the tenth century; the early twelfth-century references are the dated documentary evidence available here. Both fortresses were finally dismantled in 1668 on the orders of Louis XIV. At Beauregard, surviving masonry still gives a sense of the defensive height; the second ruin stands above the hamlet of Binans. Treat the remains as fragile heritage, not as a maintained visitor attraction, and check current access before approaching.
Saint-Nicolas and the village’s older layers
The municipal account says a chapel dedicated to Saint Nicolas was already documented in 1133 as property of Baume Abbey. The current church is thought to date from the fifteenth century. Later additions record local devotion and patronage: a chapel to Saint Barbara was authorized in 1593, and a northern chapel for Saint Renobert was founded in 1695 for the lords of Publy. The building’s stone roof and the tree-shaded esplanade make it a quiet landmark above the settlement. The municipality also records that Binans was administratively attached to Publy in 1824. These are documented milestones; suggested origins for the place-name are hypotheses, not settled history.
A working rural economy and practical services
The local economy is small and mixed. INSEE’s end-of-2024 count includes six employer establishments in its defined field: two in agriculture, forestry or fishing, one in industry, two in commerce, transport or services, and one in public administration, education, health or social action. That is a narrow employer-based measure, not a count of every independent worker. A current Jura Tourism listing adds a practical visitor option: Ferme en Vallière, described as an organic horticultural micro-farm with six places for tents and camper vans. Seasonal availability must be checked directly. INSEE’s 2025 local-equipment inventory records no grocery, bakery, fuel station, doctor or pharmacy in Publy; plan supplies and health needs in the Lons-le-Saunier living area. The municipal site publishes its contact details, but confirm office hours before travelling.
Walks, cycling and nearby places
Jura Tourisme & Attractivité lists a moderate 11.8-kilometre walk to Château de Beauregard, taking about three and a half hours with 352 metres of ascent. It starts at the former Verges station, reaches Beauregard and Binans, and returns by the old PLM corridor. A separate red-marked mountain-bike loop, Les Châteaux de l’Heute 16R, is listed at 17.3 kilometres and 469 metres of ascent. Both use shared paths; the route authority warns of private land, forestry work and possible hunting closures. Check the current track, weather and local notices, keep to marked paths and turn back if a section is closed. Lons-le-Saunier is the commune’s official living-area centre; Verges and the Binans hamlet are practical reference points for these outings.
