Route de Saint-Aubin-des-Chaumes

Start at the church of Saint-Aubin-des-Chaumes (GPS – 47°22'49.2"N 3°45'19.4"E)

(S/E) Take the dirt track that runs alongside the cemetery wall. At the junction with the road, turn right, then turn left onto the first track bordering the Bois de la Brosse. At the crossroads, turn right and continue to the D212 road.

(1) Once on the road, turn right. At the three-way junction, carry on straight ahead. Head down into the hamlet of Charancy, following the main road, until you reach the ‘give way’ sign.

(2) Then turn right and follow the small stream. At the fork after the wash house, take the left-hand fork until you reach the village boundary.

(3) Take the dirt track that climbs to the left and continue straight on for about 1 km. After passing the first track on the left, turn left at the junction.

(4) When you reach the road, turn right into the hamlet of Chalvron. At the first junction, turn left, then, at the next one, turn left again. Follow this road for 750 m.

(5) At the bend towards the farm, take the path leading uphill to the right. Carry on straight ahead, past the chapel. In the woods, continue straight on until you reach the junction with the road.

(6) From there, head straight on to climb up to the church (S/E).

Blue signposting

Church of Saint-Aubin-des-Chaumes: the presence of Gallo-Roman remains, discovered on Mont Saint-Aubin, demonstrates the site’s importance. The church was built in the early^16th century, then remodelled in the^19th century. A modest sanctuary dedicated to Saint Aubin, it is beautifully
situated on a hill in the Morvan, from where one can see Bazoches Castle 3 km away and the hill of Vézelay 10 km away.

The hamlet of Charancy: this is the largest hamlet in the parish. Winegrowers’ houses, with their raised living quarters and cellars beneath the stairs, bear witness to its wine-growing past, which all but disappeared following the phylloxera epidemic. Next to the town hall and the old school lies a pond that was originally built for soaking hemp.

Bazoches Castle: this feudal fortress was built in the^12th century. Famous kings stayed here: Philip Augustus, Richard the Lionheart, Frederick Barbarossa… Owned by Marshal Vauban in 1675, he carried out numerous alterations and transformed it into a military garrison. It was here that Vauban drew up the plans for the 300 fortifications for Louis XIV. To visit the castle: 03 86 22 10 22

Saint-Roch Chapel: dating from^{the 16th} and^17th centuries, the chapel was probably built by monks from La Cure Abbey. Its original roof was covered with slate slabs. In days gone by, a procession used to take place every 16 August to invoke the saint’s protection over livestock and crops.