The Bois de Saint-Léger-Vauban and the Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire

This forest walk takes you around the woods of the village of Saint-Léger-Vauban in the Yonne. You’ll pass by the Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire for a well-deserved break. Saint-Léger-Vauban, as its name suggests, is the birthplace of Marshal Vauban, the famous French military engineer. There is a small museum on the square. The first section (up to the abbey) follows the yellow and red markings of the GRP® Tour du Morvan.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.60 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 778 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 781 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,765 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,316 ft

Description of the walk

Car park at Place de Saint-Léger.

(S/E) From the car park, head east along Rue du Montoir, ignore a turning on the left and continue to a junction where you join the GRP® Tour du Morvan.

(1) Take a grassy path to the right (signposted ‘abbaye’), go round the Étang du Roi and join a small road near another pond.

(2) Continue along the small road, pass the hamlet of Le Bouchot and arrive at a junction.

(3) When two houses come into view on the right, turn left at the second house, then take the path leading uphill to the right towards the woods. Follow it south-east to a river.

(4) Turn left before two large fir trees. Follow the “Chemin pèlerin” signs. 300 m further on, turn right after passing the large pine tree (larger than the previous ones) and head towards the abbey.

(5) After the abbey, leave the GRP® markings and walk alongside the buildings, taking the road uphill to the next hamlet.

(6) When the farm (belonging to the abbey) comes into view, take the first path on the right. Walk along the edge of the woods to go round a field. The path may not be clearly visible. Continue until you reach a road.

(7) Turn left, cross La Provenchère and continue for 1.8 km through the Forêt de Saint-Léger on a road called Traversée du Morvan.

(8) Before a junction, take the path on the right going downhill. There are paths not marked on the maps. Keep heading north-northeast and cross the small stream. Pass near the Étang des Genièvres and arrive at the hamlet of the same name.

(9) At the hamlet, turn left and walk along the edge of the pond. Continue along the path which turns right after the pond and joins a forest track.

(10) Follow it to the right and reach a crossroads near the hamlet of La Come (signpost).

(11) Turn right then left, cross the small road, keep to the left of the hamlet’s only building and continue along a path that leads to a road near a cross.

(12) Turn left and follow it straight on to the Place de Saint-Léger-Vauban (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,506 ft - Car park at Place de Saint-Léger
  2. 1 : mi 0.37 - alt. 1,447 ft - GRP® Tour du Morvan junction
  3. 2 : mi 1.31 - alt. 1,355 ft - Road junction
  4. 3 : mi 1.5 - alt. 1,430 ft - Junction after the hamlet of Le Bouchot
  5. 4 : mi 2.74 - alt. 1,450 ft - Le Trinquelin stream - Le Cousin (rivière)
  6. 5 : mi 3.04 - alt. 1,552 ft - Abbaye de la Pierre-qui-Vire
  7. 6 : mi 3.7 - alt. 1,686 ft - Ferme de l'Huis Saint-Benoît
  8. 7 : mi 4.46 - alt. 1,680 ft - La Provenchère hamlet
  9. 8 : mi 5.55 - alt. 1,598 ft - Junction
  10. 9 : mi 6.57 - alt. 1,388 ft - Les Genièvres hamlet
  11. 10 : mi 7.14 - alt. 1,401 ft - Forest road
  12. 11 : mi 7.67 - alt. 1,329 ft - Crossroads in the hamlet of La Come
  13. 12 : mi 7.87 - alt. 1,391 ft - La Bécasse hamlet
  14. S/E : mi 8.6 - alt. 1,506 ft - Car park at Place de Saint-Léger

Worth a visit

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