Vignory Castle

The tour starts from the car park at Vignory Town Hall.

(S/E) At the car park, turn left to continue through the village towards the church until you reach the wash house, then go round it on the right via the narrow street, Rue de la Fontaine.

(1) Take the steps and follow the path leading to the castle. You will arrive at the upper courtyard. On your right you will see the keep and on your left the Tour du Puits, both of which have been restored.

(2) Opposite, take the path that descends along the restored ramparts to the medieval garden.

(3) Turn right and follow the Route du Val-Noise uphill until you come to a fork on the left.

(4) Take the path on the left to climb up to the plateau, following the path through the fields. On the plateau, turn left to stay on the path that leads back down towards the Combe de Ribévaux.

(5) Once you reach the village, turn right onto the Route du Val-Noise, then opposite onto Rue du Général Leclerc and finally right towards the church. Walk round the church on the right, making sure to admire it from the small pond at the end of the chancel. From this pond, turn right to follow the path running behind the village; here you can compare the current view of the village with that from 1669, shown on a panoramic display. Continue along the county road under the chestnut trees for about 300 metres.

(6) Turn right onto the path at the first house – formerly the Chapel of Saint Joachim – and follow it uphill towards the Forest of Boué. This path shares its route with the^GR® de Pays Marie Calvès. At the top of the climb, take the path on the left leading to one of the last remaining lime kilns, then take the first path on the left and then on the right to emerge onto the local road on the plateau, with the village of Cerisières in the background.

(7) Turn left, following the local road, and pass the junction with the road leading to Cerisières until you reach the district road.

(8) Cross the departmental road and follow the path. At the end, turn left onto the path that descends towards the Notre-Dame du Val Chapel.

(9) Leave the^{GRP® trail.} Turn left and follow the Chemin du Vieux Val, which descends to the departmental road.

(10) Turn right onto the departmental road, taking care to head back towards the village of Vignory

(6) Opposite Saint-Joachim, take the path on the right, then turn left to return to the starting point (S/E).

This walk follows the blue-and-yellow markings of the short^PR® walk no. 109, which are signposted throughout the route.

Places to visit:
- Saint-Étienne Church, built in the 11th century in the pre-Romanesque architectural style of eastern France and first mentioned as early as 1034;
- the restored remains of the feudal castle, built between the 11th and 15th centuries, notably its keep with its fine timber framework, the Well Tower with its partially reconstructed stone vault, and the ramparts. The first written records of the castle date back to 1050.
- the 17th-century house and the museum

You can contact the Vignory Tourist Office (03 25 03 80 80) for information on guided tours available all year round, by booking in advance for groups of at least 10 people, organised by the Histoire Association.

On your way back via Saint-Joachim, you can head up the Blaise valley; you might stop off at the Château de Cirey-sur-Blaise, just as Voltaire did in his day at the invitation of Madame du Châtelet, or carry on to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, the final resting place and memorial to General de Gaulle.

If you head in the opposite direction towards Chaumont, you can stop off at Vouécourt, a pretty village on the banks of the Marne and the canal between Champagne and Burgundy.