2,000 years of history around Ouroux-en-Morvan

Start from the town hall in Ouroux-en-Morvan.

(S/E) With your back to the town hall, turn left towards Lormes. Pass Saint-Germain Church on your left, then the cemetery on your right, and head towards Lac de Pannecière; just after the glass recycling centre, turn left onto the Roman road. This is the best-preserved Roman road in the commune of Ouroux-en-Morvan.

(1) Follow this road and continue straight on along the A-road, then turn right towards the Croix de Guérin.

(2) Keep to the right and continue straight on to Razou station. You’ll reach a viewpoint overlooking Corbigny and the memorial to a plane crash that took place in that village.

(3) Continue along the path until you reach a Fork in the road.

(4) Take the path on the left until you reach a road.

(5) Leave the Roman road and take the road on the right. On the left is Razou station. Cross the D977bis with care to reach the Tacot line after passing the “Razou station” sign.

(6) Turn right to rejoin the Tacot track. Cross the road carefully and rejoin the Tacot track directly opposite to reach Pont Tourneau. This was the site of clashes between the Maquis and the Germans. At the end of the Second World War, a member of the Maquis Bernard was killed here.

(7) Continue along the railway line to reach the turn-off.

(8) Take the bypass to the left and follow the road towards Ouroux (D17), keeping to the left-hand side of the road. Continue to the end of the bypass.

(9) Turn right, then left, and rejoin the old Tacot railway line. Continue straight ahead to the Moulin de Chamerelle.

(10) Take a path on the left and follow it uphill. Two footbridges allow you to cross over the Pargon. Begin a climb until you reach a bend.

(11) Turn right towards Chamerelle, then right again when you reach the hamlet and continue straight on until you reach the Stop sign.

(12) Turn right onto the road (D301) towards Ouroux-en-Morvan and, after the fire station on the right, turn left towards the old station.

(13) Continue straight on until you reach the junction. Turn right towards the town hall, taking Avenue Michel Baroin (S/E).

There is a public car park right next to the town hall.
As for the walk, standard walking gear should suffice.

If you are using only a smartphone, we recommend downloading the map before setting off. This is because certain parts of the route are not covered by mobile phone signal. Please wear walking shoes, and above all, bear in mind that outside the summer months, some sections of the route may have puddles and therefore mud.

Along the route, you will find posts displaying a QR code. By scanning it with your smartphone, you will be redirected to the association’s website, which provides location-specific information.

Discover the Tacot: this picturesque train that criss-crossed the Morvan from 1901 to 1939.

(S/E) At the end of the Second World War, the town hall in Ouroux served as the prefecture of the Nièvre for a few weeks following the liberation.

Before setting off on this walk, take the time to read the information provided about the Maquis Bernard, which was active during the Second World War. Indeed, in the summer of 1944, Ouroux-en-Morvan became the clandestine prefecture of Nièvre. Robert Jacquin served there as the new prefect appointed by the Provisional Government of the Republic. On 8 August 1944, the ‘Ouroux-en-Morvan Agreements’ were also signed, unifying the entire Nièvre Resistance (French Forces of the Interior and French Free Shooters and Partisans). On the wall of the town hall, a plaque affixed on 30 August 1965 is dedicated to the first prefect of liberated Nièvre, Robert Jacquin.

As for St Germain’s Church, it was destroyed in the fire of 1870. The new church was built between 1875 and 1878 in the Romanesque style with three naves. Like the old church, it is placed under the protection of Saint Germain, Bishop of Auxerre, and the high altar is dedicated to the Sacred Heart. It is adorned with beautiful statues of the Blessed Virgin and Saint Joseph, the patron saints of the two side chapels. It also houses the Virgin and Child, probably dating from^{the 15th century}.
Regarding the Virgin and Child (^{15th century}, polychrome wood, listed as a Historic Monument): This high relief depicts the Virgin dressed in a wide gown with a fitted bodice and a long veil. She is seated on a bench and holds the child standing on her left knee. Her posture likens her to the Virgin as Educator.

Also in Ouroux, in front of the village hall, you will find the Oasis mast. The concept of the Mast can be defined as follows: in 1990, Antoine de Bary was in Mali at the time of the country’s democratisation. He decided to bring together local artists in a joint initiative to send a strong signal to revive cultural life and creativity in the country. At the time, he worked with the man who would become, and who remains, the President of the Republic of Mali.
Thus was born his symbolic concept of the Mast at the centre of a cultural “oasis” in Africa (in Bamako). This initiative gained supporters and attracted the interest of others. He was asked to install one in North America (Canada, in Saint-Hilaire-de-Dorset) in 1991, in Spain (in Molinos) in 1994, and then in Germany (in Bremen) in 1998. As a Frenchman, he wished to involve his country in this now internationally recognised initiative. The Ministry of Culture suggested he contact the local council, already known for its high-quality cultural events. Thus, in 1999, the council became the first and only local authority in France to adopt this innovative artistic and cultural concept.