From the Hauts du Suzon to the crocodiles of the Ouche

Start from the Europe tram station, on the line between Dijon-Ville station and Valmy. See an alternative starting point for motorists in the practical information section.

(S) Head west. Cross Avenue de Langres if arriving from the city centre. Cross Avenue de la Concorde, then, opposite a bank branch, turn left onto a gravel path. Continue straight ahead (yellow markings) to the Raymond Sachot roundabout. Go round the roundabout on the left and, after crossing Boulevard Albert Einstein, you will come out onto Promenade du Suzon.

(1) Follow the Promenade du Suzon to the left. Turn left and walk along the river. Pass under two road bridges in succession (if the Suzon has burst its banks, go over them).

(2) After a sharp left-hand bend along the river, turn left to walk around the Japanese garden and return to the same point.

(2) Continue along the Promenade du Suzon. You will reach Rue de Bruges; follow it to the right and cross the Suzon (sign for the Dijon exit). At the roundabout, cross the Route d’Aubigny and follow it to the right for a few metres.

(3) Walk up a path that runs alongside the buildings. When you reach Rue du Stade, turn left and cross the road to take the first right, Rue des Paules. At the roundabout, turn left onto Rue Christian Renfer de Bretenières. At the next roundabout, continue along this street, which curves to the left.

(4) In a wide right-hand bend, turn right onto Cours Paul Morelon and follow it straight on between the houses. Cross Rue Guy Rochefort and continue straight on along the avenue. At the end (view of Ahuy), turn left first onto a street and then onto a small path blocked by a stone. When you reach Rue des Côtes d’Ahuy, cross over to reach a stone cross.

(5) Turn left and follow a path that starts running parallel to Rue des Côtes d'Ahuy. Then leave the street and follow the yellow markings that appear. Reach an open area with benches and head almost opposite, slightly to the right. The path runs alongside the cemetery then climbs towards the church in the woods. Walk past the Basilica of Fontaine-les-Dijon and turn left.

(6) Leave Rue Saint-Bernard and head for the porch of the church of the same name. With your back to the porch, follow the path leading straight ahead downhill. At the bottom, continue along Route de Daix and follow this road straight on until you reach a small square with a bus stop. Then turn left onto Rue du Peuplier.

(7) Cross Rue d’Hauteville (also known as Route de Daix) at the “Talant” sign. Follow Rue des Montoillots for a few metres, then turn right onto a small path marked in yellow (towards the Stade des Quetins). Walk uphill past houses and a field.

(8) At the top, climb a few steps on the right to reach a clearing where, on the right, there is a viewpoint with sturdy deckchairs and markings on the ground indicating various peaks that may be visible under certain conditions. Go back down the steps.

(8) Turn right and follow the marked path known as the Hauts Prouards. Cross Boulevard de Troyes and head towards the war memorial. Take the cul-de-sac alongside the war memorial. Cross a square with a fountain. Follow Rue des Pépinières for a few metres and take the path immediately on the left. You’ll come to a leafy square, then Rue des Quetins; follow this to the right. At the junction, turn left.

(9) At the next junction, turn left into Allée des Corviottes. Before a square on the right, take a path on the right. Go uphill, reach the fairly busy Rue du Grand Puits and follow it uphill to the left. Before a junction, take the green path on the left, going downhill. Follow it until it comes out onto a pedestrian street. Then go right, uphill.

(10) Cross Rue de Bellevue and turn right onto Rue de la Vieille Montée. At the top of the path, turn left onto Chemin des Glacis. At a junction, turn right towards the town hall and along the ramparts.

(11) At a right-hand bend in the street, continue straight on along Promenade Eudes III to a viewpoint. Turn back.

(11) Go down the wide staircase on the right and, at the fork, take the staircase on the right. At the bottom, cross Rue de la Libération and follow it to the right. At a left-hand bend, leave the street and take a path on the right (signpost), the Chemin du Clos Murosses. Go downhill and, at the end, turn right. At the next junction, follow the GR® (red and white markings) to the left.

After about a hundred metres, leave the^GR® and take a path on the right leading to the Parc de la Fontaine aux Fées. Follow the shell-marked path. Further on, a small path on the left allows you to make a round trip to see a quarry. Continue downhill. At the bottom, go under the railway bridge and then cross the avenue to reach the lakeside.

(12) Then turn left and walk along the lake. Go to the end (car park).

(13) Take the first bridge over the Ouche on the right. Then cross the square on the left, going uphill and passing behind the playground. At the top of the embankment, take the footpath and cycle path on the right. As you approach a road, turn sharply left towards the Fontaine d’Ouche. Immediately turn right again to cross the canal via a footbridge with grey railings. Then head right towards the crocodiles.

(14) Continue along Allée de Ribeauvillé to the end. Note the progression in the artwork, from the crocodile just emerging to the one that has caught its prey and on to the one about to dive. Retrace your steps.

(14) Turn right onto Allée de Thann and walk along the canal. Continue along Quai des Carrières Blanches, past a church and a small square (trees of life). At the end of the quay, go under the bridge and immediately turn right onto Allée de Chambéry. Then continue straight on along Allée de la Source. At the end, head onto the grassy area and read the sign opposite about the Fontaine d’Ouche stream.

(15) Turn left and follow the stream along its right bank to the end (pass under a bridge).

(16) At the end, turn right onto Rue Lucien Juy towards Château de Larrey. Take the second right, Rue Alfred Lacroix. At the end of this, turn left onto Rue Paul Bur. At the far end, enter the grounds of Château de Larrey and walk around them. Then retrace your steps.

(16) Continue straight on along Rue Lucien Juy. After about fifty metres, turn right onto Quai des Carrières Blanches. Turn right and go under the high bridge. At the roundabout, turn left and cross the canal. As you come off the bridge, turn left then right to reach the Ouche. Cross the bridge, then turn right and follow the river on your right. Follow the path.

(17) At a junction, leave the riverbank and head left towards the town centre. Cross Avenue de l’Ouche and turn right into Rue du Faubourg Reine. Cross the street and the tram tracks, then go under the railway bridge. At the crossroads, turn right into Rue de la Manutention and follow it to the end.

At the crossroads, first turn left then right to cross Rue du Transval and head between the coloured buildings opposite, onto Rue Chaplin. Cross Place Jacques Prévert (notable statue) and continue straight ahead into a small street. You will emerge onto Rue Daubenton; follow it to the right. Cross Rue du Petit Citeaux and go under the railway tracks again. Continue straight on along Rue du Pont des Tanneries. Cross Rue de l’Hôpital and turn left to reach the^1er Mai tram stop (E).

Bring a Divia card or credit card to take the tram.

For motorists, there is a car park on Rue des Grandes Varennes in the Ahuy industrial estate opposite the Géant Casino, just a few metres past a bakery on the corner of the roundabout leading to the Géant Casino, before a right-hand bend, in front of a dairy and cheese shop and next to an optician’s. Then walk left, continuing until you reach a large garage on the left. Please note: always walk on the pavement, as there are sections where the pavement is missing in places. Cross the road as soon as there is no pavement on the crossing. At the end of the street, opposite the garage, the Promenade du Suzon begins (signposted).

There is a fairly steep descent between Talant and Lake Kir: walking poles may be useful.

Public toilets on the beach at Lac Kir.

No hunting issues.

The walk along the Suzon (historical signs) leads to the Japanese garden. You also pass the Basilica of Saint Bernard in Fontaine-les-Dijon, the birthplace of this saint, son of the lord of Fontaine-les-Dijon and Aleth de Montbard. The church right next door is usually open. Two viewing points in Talant: the one with sun loungers offering views of the three villages – Daix, Talant and Fontaine-les-Dijon – and the one at the end of the Eudes III promenade with views of Lake Kir. At Fontaine d’Ouche, various picturesque outdoor artworks, including crocodiles, trees of life and street art, can be found under the bridge before the Allée de Chambéry. At the end of the walk along the Fontaine d’Ouche stream—a very pleasant and refreshing change of scenery—is the small park of Larrey Castle with its rock garden, well worth a visit.
At the end of the route, at Place Jacques Prévert, stands the rather monumental yet paradoxically light-hearted sculpture *La Femme au vent* by Denis Mondineu, winner of the Prix de Rome.