The national forest and the banks of the Cent Fonts in Izeure

As a resident of Izeure, I had to suggest a hike starting from my town, and now I have. This beautiful walk can be done with the family, is not difficult and has many picnic spots along the Cent Fonts (and not without bottom).

Moderator's warning on 07/04/2021: Caution! Private property issue in (12). See reviews.

Details

269918
Creation:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.64 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 14 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 14 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 208 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 191 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Izeure (21110)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.176408° / E 5.130848°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3123O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the small car park near the Izeure football pitch on the D116e.

(S/E) Take the white path that leaves from the car park and leads into the fields. At the end, turn left and when you reach the D25, turn right towards Longecourt-en-Plaine. When the road curves slightly, follow the path on the left that leads to the forest.

(1) Enter the woods and follow this path, which becomes grassy, straight ahead, pass the barrier and continue until you reach the edge of the woods. You will then see Saulon-la-Chapelle.

(2) At the edge of the woods, turn left, cross the Grand Fossé via the iron footbridge and turn right to follow the stream. At the end and at the first intersection of paths, turn left. Go straight ahead and then follow the power line on your right, which will take you to the entrance to Saulon-la-Chapelle.

(3) Turn left onto Rue de la Fontaine to join the D109f.

(4) Cross the Cent Fonts bridge and turn left along the river (picnic area on the right).

(5) Cross the Arvaux bridge (picnic area below) and follow the river behind the houses of Noiron-sous-Gevrey to reach a small road.

(6) Cross to the opposite bank and follow the signs for Abbaye de Cîteaux. Cross the D109d, pass behind the go-kart track and continue along the left bank of the Cent Fonts. After about 1 km, enter the Forêt Domaniale d'Izeure.

(7) Cross the D25, arrive at the Forêt du Millénaire (picnic area) and continue along the Cent Fonts.

(8) At the Pont de Pierre forest road, turn left (white path) for about 500 metres.

(9) Turn left onto the forest path until you reach a white cut, then turn right and continue along the edge for 100 metres.

(10) Enter the woods again via the path in front of you. At the exit, follow the hedge on your left; you will soon see a path ahead of you, follow it to the D116.

(11) After the barrier, take the D116 on the left, which will take you to the entrance to Izeure.

(12) Moderator's suggestion on 07/04/2021: Please note! Private property issue: Go straight ahead over the bridge, then turn left towards "Stade" to rejoin the original route between (13) and (14).

Turn left without crossing the bridge. Continue along the Varaude for about 500 metres.

(13) Leave the banks of the Varaude and walk along the woods to reach a white path on your right, which will take you to Izeure. Cross the Varaude bridge and turn left.

At the Varaude bridge, go straight on Rue aux Sœurs until you reach the D116e.

(14) Turn left onto the D116e (Rue de Tarsul), which will take you back to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 194 m - Car park near the Izeure football pitch on the D1
  2. 1 : km 1.67 - alt. 197 m - Enter the woods
  3. 2 : km 4.1 - alt. 202 m - Exit from the forest
  4. 3 : km 6.16 - alt. 203 m - Rue de la Fontaine
  5. 4 : km 6.44 - alt. 207 m - Cent Fonts
  6. 5 : km 7.68 - alt. 202 m - Pont des Arvaux
  7. 6 : km 8.63 - alt. 206 m - Direction of Cîteaux Abbey
  8. 7 : km 11.4 - alt. 205 m - Millennium Forest
  9. 8 : km 13.17 - alt. 204 m - Pont de Pierre Forest Road
  10. 9 : km 13.87 - alt. 199 m - Forest path on the left
  11. 10 : km 14.61 - alt. 201 m - Entrance to the woods
  12. 11 : km 16.73 - alt. 192 m - D116
  13. 12 : km 17.29 - alt. 192 m - Varaude
  14. 13 : km 17.73 - alt. 192 m - Edge of a wood
  15. 14 : km 18.35 - alt. 194 m - D116e
  16. S/E : km 18.64 - alt. 194 m - Car park near the Izeure football pitch on the D1

Notes

Refreshments are available in Noiron-sous-Gevrey.
Bring sunscreen and insect repellent (unfortunately, due to the rainfall this year, you may find a few mosquitoes buzzing around your ears).
Picnic areas (Saulon-la-Chapelle (4), Noiron-sous-Gevrey (5), Forêt du Millénaire (7))
Between (9) and (10), the path turns into a small marsh after heavy rain, but this difficulty can be avoided by walking parallel to it in the forest.

Worth a visit

Cîteaux Abbey.

La Cent Fonts comes from the contraction of cent fontaines (one hundred fountains). Its source is located in the commune of Domois and is the outlet for the groundwater of southern Dijon. Its original course was diverted in the 13th century by the monks of Citeaux to provide them with a regular supply of water. The 11 km long canal has a constant gradient of 1 metre per kilometre and was built between the wash house at Saulon-la-Chapelle and the abbey between 1212 and 1221. It has recently been restored.

The Izeure National Forest, which is larger than the Cîteaux National Forest (12 km² compared to 4 km²), stretches from the south of Longecourt-en-Plaine to the north of Cîteaux Abbey and is renowned for its abundance of game.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
User 778372

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A long and pleasant walk across the plain, passing through beautiful forests and fields; not tiring as there’s no significant elevation gain. Thanks to the author for guiding us along the Cent Fonts; the description is very reliable. A few details I’ve noted: after point 5, as you follow the Cent Fonts, the path has sections through nettles – watch out for bare legs! Before point 7, just as you enter the Izeure forest, the path disappears; you have to cross a bramble patch and a small ditch to find the path along the river. At point 9, the forest track is completely rutted by timber hauling, but it remains passable nonetheless.

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Philippe BARRIER
Philippe BARRIER

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

After starting out on flat ground surrounded by fields, the route immediately becomes more interesting as it enters the Izeure forest via the Sommière du Sertongey (landmark 1). The other enjoyable part of the route is the path along the La Sansfond river, which runs mainly through forest and is far from any traffic, making it perfectly peaceful. This is an easy route with no elevation gain, mostly in the forest and therefore in the shade.

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TOURIGNY Jean-Luc
TOURIGNY Jean-Luc

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Route to be taken in high season, very muddy in the Izeure forest.
I was turned back (12) "turn left without crossing the bridge. Continue along the Varaude for about 500m" private road!!

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BOICHE-LOURENCO
BOICHE-LOURENCO

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An interesting and varied route. There are quite a few long straights in direct sunlight, so you need to protect yourself.
It's a great idea to have put up kilometre markers so you can regularly check that you haven't got lost.
A few minor changes to note since its publication:
-1- The first sign indicating the direction of Citeaux Abbey is at 8.920 km
-2- The Pont de Pierre forest road is at 13.7 km
-3- At point 8, you have to go almost 750 metres to find the path. In short, once you're on it, take the first path on the left.
-4- Points 12, 13 and 14 are inaccessible. The path before the bridge is now private property and the owners are not very welcoming. We crossed the town and followed the signs for the "stadium".

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cello29
cello29
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Easy but really interesting hike

MD

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framboise883
framboise883

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I chose this route reluctantly because tendonitis is currently preventing me from walking on uneven terrain, but I was pleasantly surprised. The hike is very nice and the path along the Cent Fonds is magnificent.
I tried to take the path marked 12, but I was quickly stopped by a rather unfriendly lady who pointed out a "private property" sign. No regrets when I read the comments.
Thank you for allowing me to discover this area.

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byouetfab
byouetfab

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant hike with friends and children
The second part is very pleasant.
The only downside is at point 13, where the path before the bridge ends (overgrown) and we had to turn back to go through the village.
No major difficulties, perfect for families.

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CCPF
CCPF

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Perfect! Let's do it again in spring or summer, with a little picnic halfway through!

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CCPF
CCPF

Date of hike: Sunday, 25 February 2018
Reliability of the description: Very reliable
Reliability of the route on the map: Very good
Interest of the route: Good

A fairly easy hike, completed at a brisk pace in 3 hours. Could also be done by mountain bike!
Thank you for introducing us to this circular route starting from our town!

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ponsot
ponsot

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 22, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Beautiful route, but given the flat terrain, it would be more accurate to classify this hike as easy rather than moderate. At this time of year, there is no path along the edge of the woods between 12 and 13, but rather a wasteland. We therefore turned back and took the D116 to return to Izeure.

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