Discover the vineyards of Dijon

(S/E) From the car park in front of the Bergerie centre, turn left heading north, following the road that passes in front of the Chapelle de la Bergerie, then go under the power lines. At the foot of the last pylon, a small path on the left leads to the Route de Corcelles (D108g), which you should cross with caution.

(1) On the other side of the road, take the wide path opposite. Shortly afterwards, at the fork to the right leading to the Giron farm, continue straight ahead until you reach another path. Turn left to pass under the power lines again. After this, the path turns right towards the edge of the woods, which also marks the entrance to the Combe à la Serpent Nature Reserve.

(2) The path follows the bottom of a small wooded valley until it reaches a fork. Continue to the right, skirting a meadow that is first on your left and then on your right, until you reach the path at the bottom of the Combe à la Serpent. Soon on your left, you will see a valley with a sign for the Rucher (apiary) at its entrance. Continue a few dozen metres further to the right and, in the bend, you will find a small path.

(3) Leave the main path at the bottom of the valley and take the small, fairly steep path on the left, then keep to the left. It follows the Coteau Bessey halfway up the slope. The path is stony but leads gently to the Rucher, giving you the feeling that you are already far away from everything. Before arriving at the apiary, take the time to admire a beautifully restored cadole (see photo). Just above is the remarkable, completely renovated apiary (see photo). Modern beehives have been installed nearby, allowing the bees to continue their work.

(4) The path climbs to the right, takes a staircase and continues with a steep climb, at the top of which you will find a good path. Turn right to reach the edge of the woods, which you must now follow to go around Parc En Bessey. The path, still along the edge of the woods, takes you past the first vineyards, then turns sharply left towards the west until it reaches a wide path.

(5) Turn right onto this field path, then when you reach a new path, continue to the right and descend slightly towards the east, on the right, towards the power lines and new vineyards. Pass under the power lines and descend to a small meadow on the edge of the woods.

(6) Keep slightly to the right to take a small path lost among the bushes. This path is faintly marked in yellow and soon turns left to reach the bottom of Combe Bessey. Taking it to the right, you will reach the main path of Combe à la Serpent. Turn left. On the left, you will find a pile of stone gathered from fields that follows the bottom of the valley for a while. Further on, it widens and you will come to the sports fields.

(7) Just before the meadows, you will find a fairly well-marked path that climbs to the right to tackle the hillside. After climbing about 50 metres, you will arrive at a flat area at the foot of some old abandoned quarries.

(8) Take the highest path on the left and continue eastwards. After the fork, keep right to reach the Domaine de Chatenay.

(9) Go around the property on the right, following the boundary wall, which then turns left before joining a small street. This leads to Chemin du Fort de la Motte Giron. Follow this street up to a gate that only pedestrians can pass through. A beautiful tree-lined avenue will take you to the entrance of the fort. It is not open to the public.

(10) Take the path on the right to go around the fort (you can also take the path on the left to go around the fort to the south, arriving at the back of the fort to rejoin the route). After the fort, return to the left, following a few acres of vineyards, then take the lane that descends towards the fields. Again, veer slightly to the left and walk along the newly planted vineyards until you reach a crossroads.

(11) Turn left after the vineyards, then very quickly right towards the south-east to reach Chemin des Grands Crus.

(12) Follow the marked path, turning left to join a large path coming from the right. Continue straight ahead after the crossroads to find a small path on the left that descends towards the bottom of Combe Persil. Follow it to the end. This is a very pleasant spot where you can discover the "Jardin des Poètes" (Poets' Garden). You will come to a crossroads shortly after the Jardin des Poètes.

(13) Turn right onto this path, which climbs up the hillside to the start of Impasse Georges Castellane, which climbs gently towards Rue de l'Abbaye de Fontenay. Turn left here to rejoin Route de Corcelles. Cross this street (watch out for traffic) and take another street opposite, slightly to the left. Follow this street to the bottom, where you will find a cul-de-sac on the right.

(14) Go into this cul-de-sac and, at the end on the left, follow a small, slightly steep passageway that leads to the start of Chemin de la Combe Saint-Joseph. Turn right to go up the street, which will soon give way to a path. Discover the valley and its facilities (picnic tables and kiosks). Continue until you reach the Sentier Félix Bâtier (marked in yellow). Located on the left, it climbs back up to the plateau, but you should stay at the bottom of the valley until the next crossroads.

(15) Turn left at the bottom of Combe Saint-Joseph, leaving the Sentier Bâtier trail on your right. Follow this path, which climbs gently at first, then more steeply after the boulders, to reach a good path on the edge of the Chenôve plateau.

(16) Turn right and return to the starting point (S/E).

The starting point is located in front of the La Bergerie accommodation and activity centre. There is a large car park for easy parking. It is also possible to reach this route by city bus, in which case you would simply need to change the starting point, for example by starting from Boulevard Eiffel or Combe à la Serpent.

The paths can be tricky, especially in wet weather, so it is important to wear proper hiking boots. A pair of walking poles can be useful for navigating certain descents comfortably.

Finally, it is important to follow the route carefully, as it is not always signposted and includes small paths that can be difficult to find.

The Combe à la Serpent Nature Park, which you only cross, and the Fort de la Motte Giron, which you cannot visit and only partially skirt around.

La Combe Persil is worth taking the time to explore, as is the Combe Saint-Joseph ecological park.

To the north, there is also the Cras plateau, where there are also vineyards.

To the south, you can reach the Chenôve plateau and, on the hillsides above Chenôve, even more vineyards.