La Bove and La Cona

The starting point is the town hall square in the village of Bourmont.
Follow the green and yellow signposts to the left of the town hall.

(S/E) From the car park, turn right onto the street leading to Boulevard des États-Unis and follow it as far as the wayside cross.

(1) At the wayside cross, take the path leading uphill to the left, until you reach the entrance to the Parc des Roches.

(2) Enter Parc des Roches and stroll through these historic gardens along the various winding paths; you might even be lucky enough to spot a few rock climbers.

(3) On leaving the park, follow the white path to the right until you reach a fork.

(4) Be careful not to miss the turn-off to the left a few metres further on, after passing a gate that probably leads to the gardens. Follow the signposts through the Bois de la Belle Fontaine until you come down onto another white track.

(5) Continue to the left until you rejoin the D16.

(6) Cross the road to the left, taking care, then rejoin the path through the Bois des Usages on the right, almost directly opposite. A lovely walk through the forest awaits you until you reach another path.

(7) Cross to the left, then follow the path on the right. This north-westerly path turns north-east, then back north-west to reach the entrance to the canyon.

(8) Follow this path through the Gonaincourt “canyon” (caution: may be slippery in wet weather).
On leaving the woods, take the path that leads down to the village of Gonaincourt.

(9) Walk past the church (which is open to visitors), cross the railway line and then, at the end of the street, turn left. You will then pass the wash house, which has been beautifully restored.

(10) Carry on straight ahead where a small wooden sign points towards Bourmont.
Walk alongside the railway line, go under the bridge, then keep to the right. Continue straight on along this road, which will take you back to the village where you started.

(11) Take Rue des Anciens Fossés, where you can see the old ramparts surrounding the village.

(12) Be careful not to miss the signpost, which turns left and leads you up a flight of small steps back to the starting point (S/E).

During this walk, you can wander through the Parc des Roches and explore the various trails.

Do take a stroll through this village and climb up to the old abbey, where you’ll be treated to a lovely view of the surrounding plain.

In the neighbouring village of Illoud, at the “divine cheese dairy”, you can visit the workshop where a famous oval-shaped cheese is made.