Fontaines walks

Fontaines: a village of stone and water, rich in history and talent. Step back in time as you explore this village of Gallo-Roman origin, whose history stretches back over two thousand years, as evidenced by recent archaeological excavations. Discover the old quarries, which were in operation from Gallo-Roman times until the early 1970s. They bear witness to the importance of stone quarrying in the history of Fontaines. Water is omnipresent in Fontaines, with its many springs and watercourses. It has shaped the landscape and contributed to the village’s growth.

Welcome to Fontaines, a village dating back to the Gallo-Roman period: recent discoveries suggest that the area has been inhabited since much earlier times. The “Fontaines Patrimoines” association invites you to take a tour of our village, organised here around the five wash houses.

Imagine a place where nature reveals itself in all its splendour. In the Bois de Nainglet, you’ll discover a Biodiversity Discovery Trail. The Bois de Nainglet is much more than just a forest; it’s a true treasure trove of nature, a place where biodiversity flourishes with rare intensity. As you wander along the paths, glistening forest pools are home to an astonishing array of flora and fauna. ‘Dead’ trees, seemingly lifeless, turn out to be fully-fledged ecosystems in their own right, essential to the life of the forest.

A beautiful walk above the village of Rully in Burgundy, through vineyards, oak and boxwoods.

Discover the Agneux caves, the medieval castle of Rully and the surroundings of Mercurey.

On this hike, let yourself be guided between cliffs and caves, an ancient Neolithic site and beautiful vineyards.

Discover Rully and its surroundings. Beautiful landscapes to explore. Moderator's note added on 07/08/2021: since this page was created, some of the trails seem difficult to follow. See reviews.

Mercurey through the vineyards and woods. This route follows the M1 route shown in the leaflets, though with several variations. 20/07/2023 Moderator’s note: The walk has been amended at point 6 to avoid private property and follow theGR® 7 to the ruins of Montaigu Castle.

Discover Mercurey's surroundings: the vineyards, of course, but also the different viewpoints over the village and the beautiful 12th-century churches.

Coming from Fontaine or Chagny, enter Rully, follow the signs to Agneux, go through the hamlet and up the narrow road to the pass; you're on the site of the caves, park at the pass exit near the lagoon. This is where the hike begins.

Discover the surroundings of Mercurey, between vineyards and woods with superb autumn landscapes. 20/07/2023 Moderator's message: The route is currently being modified because the passage to (8) in the Bois de l'Hallier is private.

On the Mediterranean side of the Atlantic–Mediterranean watershed, the Côte Chalonnaise ZNIEFF reveals its vineyards, stubble fields and forests. Castles, wash houses and fountains add charm to the walk through the villages and hamlets. Panoramic views unfold one after another from the Vaux valley to Mont Brogny, via Mont Avril. A slight detour fromthe GR®® 7 trail allows you to discover a workshop that exports its works of art all over the world and to stop for a bite to eat at a restaurant.

Surrounded by nature yet just a stone’s throw from the town, the Ferme d’Aubigny has long been a favourite spot for the people of Chalon-sur-Saône for their Sunday strolls. The suggested route is well shaded and requires just a little care to ensure you don’t get lost on the many side paths in the area.

This is one of the most beautiful hikes in the Vallée des Vaux, just a stone's throw from Chalon. The Falaises de Château Beau and the Croix de Theu are the highlights of the walk, offering sweeping views from their summits and forming part of the scenery throughout the route.

For this hike, I had fun making this trail around the crosses and other statues in the Vallée des Vaux. Useful for discovering the beauty of the landscape.

A family-friendly, educational route that takes you to superb panoramic views on both sides of the ridge.

A lovely walk with breathtaking views of the hillsides and hamlets amongst the vineyards, including the famous Maranges and other equally prestigious estates. It also takes you through a Neolithic site listed as a historic monument (Le Chasséen).

This route allows you to explore the forest and ponds around Demigny. Blue signposted route in both directions on various supports and directional signs at intersections. Partly in the forest and partly in open countryside. Observation of wildlife around the ponds.

This route will take you to the top of the Givry hill, the forest planted with Austrian pines, cedars and deciduous trees, and the limestone grassland classified as a Natura 2000 site. Along the way, you will discover the charming hamlet of Russilly, nestled in a valley overlooking the vineyards. This walk offers multiple views of the Côte Chalonnaise and the Saône plain.

A stroll along old stones, vineyards and footpaths. The journey is much like a pilgrimage in this part of the Saône-et-Loire region, with many religious ornaments.

Saint-Mard-de-Vaux: A picturesque village whose houses are terraced on the eastern slope of the Vallée des Vaux, 9 km from Givry. Saint-Mard-de-Vaux is dominated by Montabon, a hill wooded with chestnut trees, oaks, hornbeams and black locusts (a variety of acacia).

Tucked away at the top of a “mountainous” slope of the Canal du Centre, the Crête de Nantoux is the highlight of a short ride that feels like a long one, offering, along the way, some superb views of the Mont de Sène and its Dôme des Trois Croix.

Montabon overlooks the Vallée des Vaux – famous, at least to the people of Chalon – and, much to the delight of walkers, is accessible only on foot. This route, which mainly follows forest tracks, remains pleasant in fine weather. The walk is peaceful throughout. Please note there is a steep climb of around 800 m to reach Montabon, but the rest of the route presents no difficulty.

A beautiful circular through the woods, well shaded in summer. Pass near Saint-Denis de Vaux, at the top of the cliffs. Beautiful views over the Chalon-sur-Saône plain, then over the Vaux valley. Return near the stubble fields in the woods. Possible extension to Russilly.

This is a whole end-to-end 8-day dog-friendly 80 Km trip along the Route des Grands Crus (RDGC) from Santenay up to the edge of Dijon. On the way, you walk through great countryside, vineyards, and villages, covering the whole of the Côte d’Or which consists of two halves, the Côte de Beaune in the South end and the Côte de Nuits at the north end. We've divided the route into eight comfortable walks designed to provide a linear end-to-end route, each starting and finishing in accessible towns or villages. The wines and associated villages and vineyards are some of the most famous in the world with an unprecedented number of Grand Cru and Premier Cru marques, such as Chassagne-Montrachet in the south and Gevrey-Chambertin in the North (even the names of the villages sound enticing!). You will see that some of the vineyards are tiny - hence the exclusivity! - and indeed often divided up historically between many owners.

This is stage 1 Santenay to Meursault of the Route des Grands Crus. This walk runs from Santenay through villages of Chassagne Montrachet and St Aubin to the charming small town of Meursault; moderate difficulty with a bit of climbing, dog friendly via countryside and vineyards. End to end, a train service enables return to start.

A partly shaded route, taking in the forest and ponds, offering a panoramic view of the village and the Côte de Beaune with its prestigious vineyards. Purple signposting

This is a hilly hike offering some clear views from one side of the Orbize to the other in the heart of the Châtel-Moron forest. The route sometimes climbs a little to vary the landscape, but it is not particularly difficult and remains sufficiently shaded to be enjoyable in the summer months.

Continuing to discover the Saône-et-Loire region through this wine-growing village and its many small wash-houses. The trail ends at Mont Avril, with its panoramic view over the whole valley. I advise you to do this trail in autumn to get the most out of it.

Discover the Trois Croix (paragliding launch site) with its breathtaking view of the two valleys. The route takes you between mountains and forests, ending at the Château de la Rochepot.

Discover the Monts de Sene, Mont Rème and Rome Château through the vineyards with magnificent scenery.

Discover some of the famous vineyards between Santenay, La Rochepot, Saint Aubin and Chassagne Montrachet, then return to Santenay. Magnificent views over the various valleys you cross and the vineyards, which are very much in evidence.

Between mountains and vineyards, come and discover this village and its beautiful panoramic views from Mont Sene.

A peaceful crossing of the Plateau de Saint-Désert in the vicinity of Mont Avril and Mont Brogny. In the distance, the perched hamlet of Cruchaud stands guard to the South, before the route offers an escape to the Plaine de Saône.

Botanical trail in the Mailleroye forest for young and old alike, to discover the flora and fauna. A pleasant route for the whole family.