Nièvre walks

Magnificent walk around Lac des Settons with an almost constant view of the lake. Well-marked trail with plenty of shade along the way. Very little tarmac and guaranteed peace and quiet!

With a surface area of 140ha, Lac de Saint-Agnan is a popular spot for fishing and family picnics. The tour of the lake is an easy stroll that offers a variety of views over the lake. It also offers the chance to discover a peat bog on a specially prepared path.

The Gouloux waterfall is a famous tourist site in the Morvan. This walk offers a challenging approach to the site, with a mostly forested route including a few changes in altitude.

A walk through forests and along the Yonne channel. A magnificent view of the Yonne valley from the aqueduct.

The commune of Dun-les-Places owes its name to the existence, in Celtic times, of an oppidum, a sort of stronghold built into the natural landscape and protected by two lines of defence. This hike takes in the site of this oppidum. Along the way, you'll pass through a typical Morvan landscape of meadows, ponds and deciduous and coniferous woods.

Of the 7 large lakes in the Morvan, all of which flow into the Yonne River via various tributaries, this one, fed by the Chalaux, feeds the Crescent Reservoir. The water collected along the way is added to the Cure. This system helps to regulate the Yonne, the 'enfant terrible' of the Seine, as the people of Icaunais like to call it.

A walk that first follows the Yonne river for several kilometres, then follows the descent of the 16 Collancelle locks.

A getaway to a natural environment, with superb gardens planted in this vegetal and mineral setting. The rocks are there, the islands are in name only, but at times it seems as if we're a long way from the urbanised world.

In Montigny-en-Morvan, there are several hikes. We did a combination of two hikes: Les rives du Petit Lac (12km) and Les Rives de Pannecière (8km).

A predominantly forested route that starts along the charming river Le Vignan and quickly reaches the Dolmen Chevresse. The route then leads into the Forêt de Breuil-Chenue, where firs and beeches are more common than the oaks that once gave the uplands their name.

Ah, the Morvan! Some people call the mountains of the Morvan uplands "molehills", and while they're not very tall on this route, they do know how to tire the calves.Hiking through forests of Douglas fir, beech and other hardwoods on sandy or granite paths, with or without plant cover, but with prevalent animal and plant life, offering some very fine views from these hills with their unique horizons.

A lovely hike in the footsteps of the Maquis, alternating between hedged farmland and forest, with beautiful panoramic views, especially of Lac de Pannecière.

A short, easy loop to discover the Guétin Canal Bridge over the Allier and the Bec d'Allier (confluence of the Loire and Allier rivers), starting from the village of Gimouille.

A very varied loop north of Bona, towards the highest point of the Monts du Nivernais (445m).

Marked hike N°61. Born in Fougères in Brittany, where there is a museum dedicated to his work, the painter Emmanuel de la Villéon lived on a semi-permanent basis from 1900 to 1935 in the manor house in the hamlet of Bitry. An admirer of Monet, he adopted the approach of the Impressionists. This trail has the added attraction of panels composed of reproductions and commentaries. They allow the viewer to recognize some of the places painted by the artist, with their hedge-enclosed farmlands typical of the Puisaye.

Waymarked walk N° 38 In the land of the potters, there is first and foremost the clay that serves as the raw material for the craftsmen, then the water that gushes out of the clay-silica or clay-limestone soils, depending on the geology of the subsoil in this area. But there's also the beauty of nature, with its landscapes, paths framed and even marked by these hedges and their sometimes mysterious, sometimes mischievous tadpoles. They are the source of some of the legends that live in the area.

This loop hike takes you from the forested areas west of Brassy to the more open countryside around Gâcogne and Vauclaix, with open views towards Lormes and Corbigeois. No refreshments en route, unless you make a diversion via the market town of Gâcogne - check by telephone beforehand that the inn is open. Can also be done from Lavault or Vauclaix. The climbs are shadier in the recommended direction.

A rather short bucolic walk. Le Tacot path passes nearby the ochre and clay quarries where a protected species of toad "Le sonneur à ventre jaune", the yellow bellied toad hides away. Easily identified thanks to its yellow and black striped belly, and its heart-shaped pupils, no doubt, remnants of its prince charming days..... Its bright yellow colour, signifying toxicity is a means of protection against its predators.