Notre-Dame-d'Igny Abbey through the woods of Vézilly

This short walk will take you through the woods to the Abbey of Notre-Dame d'Igny. If you linger at the abbey, allow half a day.

Details

1310755
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.40 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 125 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 122 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 247 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 170 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Vézilly (02130)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.180908° / E 3.691446°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2712O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

The walk starts at the small car park to the left of Vézilly church.

(S/E) With your back to the church, take Grande Rue to the right towards Arcis le Ponsart.

(1) Turn left onto Rue d'Igny. When you reach the hamlet of Vieux Vendôme, turn right.

(2) At the last house, take the path that leads into the woods on the left. Continue without changing direction. At every crossroads, go straight ahead towards Abbaye d'Igny.

(3) When you reach a small pond, take the second path on the left, signposted Abbaye d'Igny. You will come to a path that is difficult to walk on, but you can pass on the right at the edge of the pasture, following the edge of the woods.

(4) When you see the Abbey, take the path on the right through the fields. Pass by the farm and you will reach the Abbey (where you can stop for a break).

(5) Turn back and walk back up to the point where you left the woods.

(4) Take the path that veers slightly to the right, towards Coulonges.

(6) At the crossroads, bear slightly left, then immediately right.

(7) At the next real crossroads, turn left towards Vézilly. The path goes through the woods, then along pastures. You are still in the shade under the tall trees.

(8) At the corner of the woods, go straight ahead. Pass by a house and continue straight ahead. The path turns left after 300 metres. When you reach Rue d'Igny, turn right until you reach Grand Rue.

(1) Turn right onto the road that leads back to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 173 m - Car park to the left of Vézilly church.
  2. 1 : km 0.28 - alt. 176 m - Turn left.
  3. 2 : km 1.03 - alt. 228 m - Turn left and enter the woods.
  4. 3 : km 2.66 - alt. 223 m - Pond, 2nd path on the left
  5. 4 : km 3.06 - alt. 217 m - View of the abbey
  6. 5 : km 3.75 - alt. 184 m - Abbaye Notre-Dame d'Igny
  7. 6 : km 5.03 - alt. 242 m - Turn left then right.
  8. 7 : km 5.49 - alt. 243 m - Turn left.
  9. 8 : km 6.95 - alt. 238 m - Go opposite
  10. S/E : km 8.4 - alt. 172 m - Car park

Notes

Shop at the abbey. Toilet right next door. Nice picnic area near the abbey.

This is a walk you can do when it's hot, as you walk a lot under the trees.

Worth a visit

Pretty wash house in Vézilly, behind the town hall.

Good restaurant in Coulonges Cohan, a few kilometres away.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
FabLab
FabLab

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

At point no. 6, it's nicer to take the small path straight ahead than the large stony path (they run parallel), especially in yesterday's heatwave.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for this review. I can confirm that the area is damp, even in summer, and even when it hasn't rained. But when walking through the woods, it should be possible to avoid the puddles.

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Francis BUREAU
Francis BUREAU

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk.
I did it after several days of beautiful sunny weather. And yet in many places there was water or mud that was more or less easy to cross.
Indeed, at point 2, the sign is misleading.

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

we are having an exceptionally wet year.

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nuzillard
nuzillard

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in the woods on a Sunday afternoon.
A pleasant stop at the abbey shop.
At the beginning of March, the paths were very damp, even wet.

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virgule
virgule

The nuns' chocolate shop is open, despite the crisis. Do not hesitate to drop by, they are delicious.

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ddom51
ddom51

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with no particular difficulties
Be careful at WP2 not to walk alongside the woods but to enter them, as the "Abbaye d'Igny" sign misled us

Done on a weekday, didn't see any dogs near the farm before the abbey

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virgule
virgule
keuf51
keuf51

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A peaceful stroll through the forest and pastures, with the sublime Igny Abbey and its Monastic shop (not to mention the abbey's chocolates).
One big downside: before you reach the abbey, you have to pass in front of a farm where two large Mastiffs (big, dangerous dogs) are waiting to attack you. We had the misfortune of encountering them and had to summon up our courage to face them by shouting louder than they were barking! The nun telephoned the owners, who somewhat denied the facts... but otherwise, it was very nice and not difficult.

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Bauthadam
Bauthadam

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike and picnic near the Abbey.
We will gladly do it again.

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denysferrier
denysferrier

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant ride with no difficulties other than occasionally missing a turn. Few tarmac roads, few electricity pylons, few towns to cross and charming views for lovers of landscape photography. We enjoyed doing it twice.

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virgule
virgule

Thank you for your kind comment.

I have been to Vézilly many times, but I didn't know about this pretty wash house. We stumbled upon it quite by chance.

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frog51
frog51

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely, pleasant hike when the weather is warm.
I did this gentle route starting from Igny Abbey, and it really is easy.
I had a slight doubt at WP 7 because logging had damaged the landscape...the GPS track was useful.
We discovered the pretty wash house in Vézilly, which we would not have found without the route description.
Thank you
Frog

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virgule
virgule

An ideal walk when it's hot

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