Circular Five Valleys Route starting from Étourvy

Park in the car park at the junction of the D27 (Rue de Quincerot) and the D82 (Route de Melisey), in front of the Moulin d’Étourvy on the banks of the Landion.

(S/E) Carefully take the D27 to the left, heading north-west. As you pass, you’ll see a beautiful country house on the right, then the chancel of Saint-Georges Church on the left. Turn right onto the Route de Villiers-le-Bois (D82), which climbs gently. After the last house on the left, take the path on the left which winds along the bottom of the valley, skirting a wood on your left. The path climbs up the Val Saint-Georges and eventually joins the D213.

(1) Turn left and follow the D213 carefully towards the top of the plateau. When you reach a small plot of vineyards on the left, turn right onto an unpaved path leading uphill. At the next T-junction, take the right-hand path heading south-west, which joins the D82 opposite a wooded area. From this point, the route follows the^GR®654–^GR® de Pays des Vins et Fromages. Turn right and follow the road carefully, first slightly uphill and then downhill, passing cultivated fields on both sides of the road, until you reach the second track on the left.

(2) At the edge of a woodland, take the left-hand path running along the edge of the woodland on your left, which descends alongside the Val Banone. Just as the slope becomes steeper, take the path on the right which crosses a small wooded area. The path joins Rue de la Cailbaudière. Here you can see a fine example of traditional architecture.
Follow this street to the right, heading west, before turning left onto the second road, the Chemin de la Petite Fontaine. This road leads down to Rue Quincerot (D27). When you reach the crossroads, take a moment to admire the wash house on your right. Turn left onto Rue Quincerot and follow it carefully for about sixty metres to admire the Fontaine Saint-Georges and the pond of the same name on your right. There is also a remarkable cross at this spot.

(3) Continue straight on until you reach the junction between the D27 and the D27a on the right. Turn right onto the D27a. Follow it for about 150 metres to see the pretty washhouse with its two gabled roofs.

(4) Return to the previous junction and take the path on the right heading east, just before the junction. The path passes a pumping station and a water reservoir for the village on your left before skirting the sports grounds on the left-hand side. Immediately, the path climbs steeply along the edge of a wood on your left, then enters the wood just before the top of the hill, Mont Main.

(5) At the top, take the path on the right which runs along the southern edge of the hill before passing the top of Val Buisson and reaching a T-junction. Take the path on the right, which is initially gently sloping but then becomes steep, to descend towards the Prés des Douis area.

(6) At the edge of the woods, the path turns right at a right angle and runs along the edge of the woods on the right-hand side. When you reach Val Buisson on the right, the path branches off to the left at a right angle and quickly joins the D82b.
Turn right and follow this road with care. Shortly afterwards, the road runs alongside the River Landion.

(7) After about 500 m on the D82b, turn left onto a dirt track heading towards Val Binantot. At the first junction, turn right. Head uphill and, after a left-hand bend, head broadly south-west. At the next junction, below La Loge Robin (a farm building), take the track on the left, running along the edge of the woodland on your left. Follow it to a crossroads at the top of the plateau.

(8) Turn right onto the gently descending track heading towards the D213. Cross it _carefully_ to continue straight ahead along the track that descends the Val du Cul Noir, heading north-west.
The path then runs along the edge of the Bois de la Grande Borne on your right and reaches the junction with the^GR®654–^GRP® des Vins et Fromages, which descends the Vallée de la Melonnière to the left.

(9) Turn right onto the path leading uphill through the Bois de la Grande Borne, which joins the D82 at the top of the plateau. Turn left and follow the D82 carefully for about 300 metres before turning right onto the path that crosses the Val Malade, then heads straight down towards the village of Étourvy in the Grande Montée area. As you reach the first houses, the path turns into a tarmac road.

(10) Just before the bridge over the Landion, take the path on the right which runs alongside the river on your left. Follow it until it joins the D82 in front of the town hall. Turn left, cross the Landion and return to the car park on the right in front of the village’s old oil and flour mill (S/E).

The car park is situated at the junction of the D27 (Rue de Quincerot) and the D82 (Route de Melisey), in front of the Moulin d’Étourvy on the banks of the Landion. The Town Hall is located along the D82 just after the bridge over the Landion.
Access: from Troyes, take the D444 southwards. Pass through Chaource, then take the D34 to Villiers-le-Bois. Turn right onto the D82 heading west and continue to Étourvy.

This walk across varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

This walk does not present any real difficulty in terms of navigation as it is signposted in white and yellow (Promenade et Randonnée^PR® and a section of^{the GR®654}–^GRP® des Vins et Fromages) and is based on the route described in leaflet no. 4, ‘Circuit des cinq Vallées’, published by the Othe-Armance Tourist Office. In addition, it is advisable to follow the instructions in the description and on the map, whilst paying close attention to the landscape. The waypoints (with their GPS coordinates and the distance from the starting point) serve as aids for walkers exploring the route for the first time.

The signposting allows the route to be walked in either direction.

Alternatives:
You can choose to do
- the North-East circular loop on its own. The route is then approximately 5 km long.
- the south-west circular loop on its own. The route is then approximately 10 km.
In both cases, you must take the Route de Quincerot (D27) to complete the circular loops (between the starting point (S/E) and the point (3))

Étourvy
On the border between the Yonne and Côte-d’Or departments, the village of Étourvy welcomes you to the nearby Burgundy region, nestled between the vineyards of Champagne and Chablis. The variety of landscapes – valleys, plateaus, plains, woods and forests – makes it a naturally ideal spot for walking.
A picturesque village
Set in a former château, the Domaine Saint-Georges, converted into a rural lodge, welcomes groups all year round. The shaded grounds surrounding it, the pond running alongside it, the waterwheel of an oil and flour mill, the wash houses, the dovecote and the ‘magic fountain’ all combine to make it a picturesque spot where it is a pleasure to stop for a while. On the edge of the pond, the cross at the Fontaine Saint-Georges dates from the Renaissance and has been listed as a historic monument since 1942.

Saint-Georges Church
Before the Revolution, the parish church of Saint-Georges in Étourvy belonged to the diocese of Langres. It is a composite building of Romanesque origin, remodelled in the 16th century, as were most contemporary churches in Champagne during the economic recovery following the Hundred Years’ War; it was further remodelled and restored in the 17th century.
The building comprises a Romanesque nave with a timber-framed roof, a projecting transept erected in the 1540s, and a five-sided chancel in the Renaissance style.
For further information:
Source: website of the Foundation for the Preservation of French Art

The Church of Saint Georges in Etourvy has two distinctive features: firstly, part of the roof structure resembles an upturned boat. Secondly, it features a ‘litre’ (fresco) which is in poor condition both inside and out (barely visible). According to one historian, this ‘litre’ may have been commissioned by the local lord, suggesting that he also held temporal or spiritual authority – a rather rare occurrence.
Source: Spectable website

Old mill
The mill, built in 1815, is situated in the centre of Étourvy. It is supplied with water by a pond which serves as its leat; this pond is itself fed by the River Landion and the Saint-Georges Spring. It remained in operation until 1957. The mill is a dual-purpose mill: on one side, two crossed millstones were used to produce oil (walnut, rapeseed, poppy seed); on the other side, two superimposed millstones were used to produce flour (wheat, barley, oats and rye). Today, part of the building is occupied by the nursery school.
The mill is open to visitors from April to the end of November. Visits by appointment only.
Source and further information:

Washing houses
The washhouse by the small fountain is fed by springs flowing down from the hillsides, but it runs dry in summer. To find this washhouse: It is situated opposite the pond.
The second washhouse is unique in that it has two gabled roofs. To find this washhouse: It is situated in the car park of the Domaine Saint Georges.

Saint-Georges Fountain Cross (16th century), listed by decree of 14 April 1942
Source: Wikipedia (excerpts)