Montaigu from Souligny

de fr

Walk through the Souligny Communal Forest, descend into the Val de Gloire along the Sentier des Moutons, then visit the Montaigu nature site, the remains of the Gallo-Roman oppidum and the ruins of the castle, with a panoramic view of the Champagne plain on the way back.
The route follows sections of several well-signposted ‘Sentiers des Moutons’ trails (8 km, 12 km and 14 km in length).

Details

n°1062869
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.47 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 702 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 692 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 899 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 538 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Souligny (10320)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.202125° / E 3.997643°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2818SB
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Photos

Woodland
Near the edge of the forest
The path through the Souligny forest
Souligny in the Champagne plain

Description of the walk

In Souligny, park on Rue d’Ymont near the local school.

(S/E) Head up Rue d’Ymont along the path that veers slightly to the left towards the Côte d’Ymont. You’ll reach the start of a path about 70 metres after entering the woods.

(1) Take the path on the left, go round the pond and turn onto the first path on the right.
Descend gently towards the Vallée de Gloire.

(2) After a short, gentle climb, head down to the far left (almost retracing your steps).

(3) Once you reach the very bottom of the valley, turn right towards the north. TheGR®® passes at the foot of the Montaigu site.

(4) Follow the path for 2 km until it opens out onto the fields of the Petites Vallées. Turn onto the path on the right. Walk between the two wooded hills.

(5) Turn right again to continue skirting the woods of the Montaigu site, keeping at the same level.

(6) After a slight detour to the left, take the steep path that climbs directly up towards the Site de Montaigu. Cross the two ditches. Go round the Site on the right.

(7) Stop at the observatory. Leave the site by descending via the two footbridges.

(8) At the junction, leave the path on your left that leads down to La Fontaine, and the one on your right that leads down to Val de Gloire. Take the path opposite, which climbs towards Les Brosses.
Follow the ridge to go round a steep-sided valley.

(9) Still on the ridge, turn left then right.

(10) Leave the forest by walking down along the edge of the field, then take the path on the left
When you reach Rue de Montaigu (cross), turn right.

(11) Join Rue d’Ymont to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 538 ft - Car park on Rue d’Ymont near the school
  2. 1 : mi 1.14 - alt. 853 ft - Côte d’Ymont junction
  3. 2 : mi 1.78 - alt. 810 ft - At the junction, turn left at the hairpin bend
  4. 3 : mi 1.91 - alt. 732 ft - The Val de Gloire
  5. 4 : mi 3.25 - alt. 584 ft - The Little Valleys
  6. 5 : mi 3.49 - alt. 558 ft - Edge of the woodland at the Montaigu site
  7. 6 : mi 3.65 - alt. 564 ft - Landslide
  8. 7 : mi 4.09 - alt. 801 ft - Observation Point
  9. 8 : mi 4.36 - alt. 722 ft - Go straight on at the junction
  10. 9 : mi 5.01 - alt. 896 ft - Les Brosses junction
  11. 10 : mi 5.6 - alt. 853 ft - At the edge of the woods
  12. 11 : mi 6.2 - alt. 571 ft - Take Chemin de la Charme on the left
  13. S/E : mi 6.47 - alt. 538 ft - Rue d’Ymont, near the school

Notes

During the hunting season, from 20 October to the end of February, on Saturdays and Sundays, the paths at the Montaigu site are dangerous.

By car, the car park at the Fontaine de Montaigu site, which is equipped for picnics, is accessible from the village of Souligny.

Worth a visit

Ruins of Montaigu Castle, built on the site of a Gallo-Roman oppidum and subsequently demolished following the Treaty of Troyes. Not a single stone remains.

Since then, the entire site has been covered by woodland.

A natural site ideal for picnics and walks (on foot or by mountain bike) along steep paths, amidst forests covering hills and valleys.

The Sentier des Moutons consists of three routes:
- an 8 km route, suitable for everyone,
- a 12 km route, which is slightly steeper,
- an 18 km route featuring a fairly challenging circular loop.

The descriptions can therefore sometimes be a little confusing.

For further information on the Sentier des Moutons, visit the website:
https://www.mairie-de-bouilly.fr/randonn...

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 10 reviews
Reliability of the description
3.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
dajac
dajac
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route was chosen for the proportion of paths through woodland and undergrowth. Very good. We had some difficulty following the path between points 8 and 9 due to the overgrown vegetation (brambles) at this time of year.
We took a ‘shortcut’ on the northern section, taking the path that branches off to the right between points 4 and 5 through the woods rather than following the edge of the woodland. A good, shaded alternative.
Thanks to the author for this route, which allowed us to enjoy a lovely walk in the countryside.
A suggestion for the return journey: we turned left onto the street just before the one indicated – it was in the sun but had less traffic, though ‘less’ is a relative term… The street ends in a short path and a few steps that take you back to the starting point.

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User 9734116

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

On a short section of the route, the path had not been properly cleared.

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MARTDomi
MARTDomi

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk to the Montaigu site.

Unfortunately, from there on, it becomes very difficult to follow the route: the map is out of date, the GPS is unreliable, and many paths no longer exist, having been overgrown by vegetation. It took all our experience to find our way out

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pat du 10
pat du 10

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk through the woods; it’s a shame that, from the Montaigü viewpoint, it becomes difficult to find the way back. We went round in circles for a bit, but luckily I had the GPS track on my phone.

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catymero
catymero

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route (unmarked), but watch out for walkers who don’t have the app with IGN maps: from point 9 onwards, it’s impossible to follow the path, which has disappeared either under the brambles or due to tree-felling work!

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Maya_EH
Maya_EH

Thanks, I'll bear that in mind for next time I'm in the area!

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Citron10
Citron10

Sorry.
I have edited the text to remove the reference to the Sentier des Moutons, which could be misleading.
I recommend you take the Montaigu walk from the Grandes Vallées.

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Maya_EH
Maya_EH
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We got lost quite quickly because the directions didn’t match the signposts at stage 3, once we reached the valley. At this point, the Sentier des Moutons is signposted to the left or straight ahead (perhaps the paths have been altered, as a fallen tree blocks the way to the right). Despite this, we turned right to follow the description and very quickly found ourselves back at the starting point at the edge of the forest.
Rather than turning back, we decided to take another walk that crosses this one, “The Sheep Trail from Bouilly”. A shame about Montaigu, but we had a lovely time all the same; the forest is truly magnificent.

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Citron10
Citron10

Could you send me the GPX file for your hike? That way I could compare the two routes.
Which junctions do you think are missing details?

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gorny
gorny

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

There were a few details missing from the description, particularly at the junctions.
The route differs slightly from my tracks; is this due to the quality of my GPS?
Otherwise, a lovely walk

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Rahir Jacky
Rahir Jacky

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A route located 15 km from Troyes in the Pays d'Othe hills; very hilly and wooded; a rugged route with footbridges to cross the ditches (from the old castle). Please note: avoid the winter hunting season (large game). A route suitable for hikers and mountain bikers.

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Marolie
Marolie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

My usual walks... I never tire of the Montaigu area... there’s so much to do not far from Troyes, and it’s not flat... 😉😊!!

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visorandu
visorandu

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk that allowed a 76-year-old from Champagne to rediscover his home region. Thank you

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