The Water Trail in Gurgy

Situated on the banks of the Yonne, Gurgy has been home to Saint-André Church since the 10th century. The fish ladder, the river stop and its ponds make this village a place centred around its river and nature. Follow the water trail and don’t miss the heritage orchard, the black poplars and the Puits d’Enfer. Whether on foot, by bike or with a fishing rod, enjoy the activity that suits you best!

Details

9495753
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.01 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 5 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 5 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 95 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 86 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Gurgy (89250)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.866083° / E 3.556867°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2620SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from Place de la Rivière.

(S/E) Head to the banks of the Yonne, turn right and follow the river on your left.

(1) Shortly afterwards, take the bridge on the left over the diversion canal. Follow the path along the Yonne, which winds its way, until you reach the D348.

(2) Follow the road to the right and cross the canal via the Pont des Chaumes. When the road turns right, continue straight on alongside a pond. At the far end of the pond, continue straight on to the hamlet of Les Chaumes.

(3) Turn right onto the path just before the level crossing. The path initially runs alongside the railway line before veering away and passing between ponds.

(4) Turn left and walk alongside a pond on your right. The path then turns right and joins a small road (Rue des Varennes).

(5) Follow the road to the right. Take thefirst left, Chemin de l’Ormée. Go straight on, ignoring a dead end on the right, Rue Abbé Pierre on the left, then another dead end on the right.

(6) At the next junction, turn right onto Rue de la Procession and cross Rue des Trois Cailloux (D348).

(7) Then turn left, still on Rue de la Procession. At the end, turn right into Rue des Jardins and immediately left to reach Place de la Rivière (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 90 m - Place de la Rivière - Yonne (l')
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 95 m - Bridge over the diversion canal
  3. 2 : km 2.77 - alt. 92 m - D348 - Pont des Chaumes
  4. 3 : km 3.96 - alt. 92 m - Les Chaumes
  5. 4 : km 5.18 - alt. 92 m - Junction
  6. 5 : km 5.75 - alt. 93 m - Rue de Varennes
  7. 6 : km 6.29 - alt. 93 m - Chemin de l’Ormée x Rue de la Procession
  8. 7 : km 6.71 - alt. 92 m - Turn left
  9. S/E : km 7.01 - alt. 90 m - Place de la Rivière

Notes

The route is signposted in accordance with FFRP standards.

The trail is accessible all year round and suitable for walking, cycling and even horse riding.

Parking is available at Place de la Rivière and at Place de l'Église.

Worth a visit

Right at the start of the walk, you can admire the Gurgy dam, where a salmon ladder was built in the 19th century to aid the reproduction of this species.
Information on the types of trees found along the Yonne is also available.
Stop to admire the famous black poplars, an endangered species yet still found in the area.
The 10th-century Saint-André Church is also visible at the end of the route.

Find out more: Auxerrois Tourist Office - 7 Place de l’Hôtel de Ville 89000 Auxerre
https://ot-auxerre.fr - 03 86 52 06 19 - info@ot-auxerre.fr

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Cathy13
Cathy13

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The walk starts off nicely, but then the path becomes rather overgrown, and the end is disappointing because you’re walking alongside ponds on either side of the path but can’t see them due to the hedges or walls. It’s quite frustrating.

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lesbries
lesbries
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The route is popular with local walking clubs and societies, and it is easy to adjust the route to make it longer or shorter.

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yoyo78visiorando
yoyo78visiorando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy walk with a wide variety of birds. The path, which is supposed to follow the bends of the Yonne from point 1 to point 2, disappears into the vegetation before the final bend. We made our own way through the fields to follow the route described, but at one point the path simply disappears. The rest of the route is as described. It was lovely – we even spotted an osprey! Thank you for suggesting this walk.

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randonneurfou89
randonneurfou89

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I like the 1:25,000 maps... it’s a shame they’re not as detailed as the ones from Open Runner. The route description is good quality and the new elevation profile is very useful.
I transfer the data to my hiking GPS.

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philpatrick
philpatrick
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, this is a lovely route in summer, winding its way between the river and the ponds. It’s a very easy route with no difficulties at all, and is well signposted with plenty of signs. It’s impossible to go wrong unless you’re distracted. Enjoy the route.

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Jacques Caudry
Jacques Caudry

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

There’s been a change partway along the route, just before you cross the bridge and head through the town; new streets have appeared, making it difficult to find your way around

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