La Villéon discovery trail in Puisaye

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Marked trail No. 61.
Emmanuel de La Villéon (1848-1944) was a painter of Breton origin (Fougères, where he has his museum) who lived from 1900 to 1936 in a mansion in the hamlet of Salvard. An admirer of Monet, he adopted most of the characteristics of Impressionism.
This route, now enhanced with panels featuring reproductions and commentary, allows visitors to rediscover some of the places painted by the artist, including certain characteristics of the Poyaudin bocage.

Details

n°203980
Creation:
Last update:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.61 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 91 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 94 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 269 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 192 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
    Area: Puisaye
  • ⚐ City: Bitry (58310)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.489927° / E 3.077798°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2521SB, 2522SB
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Photos

Ligers landscape
La Canerie weir
The road to the Ligers
The church in Bitry

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the village hall.

(S/E) From the car park, take the dirt track (west side) lined with compost bins and the boules court.
At the intersection with the tarmac road, turn right and continue straight on to the hamlet of Les Salvards.

(1) In front of the entrance to the grounds of Les Salvards (sign 1), where the painter once lived and which is now a bed and breakfast, turn left onto the dirt track (part ofthe GR®®3, marked in white and red) which will take you to Les Ligers, where you can enjoy a view of the valleys (sign 2).

(2) At the intersection with the D2 tarmac road, turn right. Pass the old railway station (on your right), now a private residence (sign 3), and continue to the Étang des Chênes. Take the road on the left in front of the Étang des Chênes and cross the bridge. A little further on, turn right onto the gravel path. Follow the Maloise. At the private road that branches off to the left, veer slightly to the right to follow the Maloise to the Cannerie footbridge (sign 4).

(3) Cross the D2 and take the tarmac road opposite that leads to Les Guimards. When you reach the Les Guimards pottery, go around it on the left, then take the first right, passing in front of a crôt (sign 5).

(4) Continue and leave the lane leading to the pottery shop. When you reach an intersection, turn left.

(5) Turn left again (sign 6) and continue to Les Salvards.

(1) Take the first road on the left after the park entrance, continue past the farm buildings of the manor house (which can be seen at the end of the lane that runs between the farm buildings). At the junction with the D514, turn left, then after about 20 metres, turn right and follow the tarmac road to Les Beauchats.

(6) Turn left to cross the hamlet, walk along the pond (sign 7), then continue left on the same road.

(7) Pass in front of the Saint-Marc Chapel (sign) and continue to Bitry.

(8) Once in Bitry, go around the church on the right (west façade with sign) then go back up to the road (D 114). Turn right to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 266 m - Parking at the village hall
  2. 1 : km 1.47 - alt. 249 m - Entrance to the Salvards park
  3. 2 : km 2.55 - alt. 207 m - Turn right at the intersection with the D2.
  4. 3 : km 3.73 - alt. 194 m - Crossing the D2
  5. 4 : km 4.52 - alt. 225 m - Crôt in the hamlet of Les Guimards
  6. 5 : km 5.15 - alt. 226 m - At the intersection, turn left.
  7. 6 : km 7.29 - alt. 244 m - Turn left to cross the hamlet of Les Beauchats.
  8. 7 : km 7.92 - alt. 255 m - Chapelle Saint-Marc (Bitry)
  9. 8 : km 8.37 - alt. 267 m - Bitry, go around the - Église Sainte-Foy de Bitry
  10. S/E : km 8.61 - alt. 266 m - Parking at the village hall

Notes

On the Cannerie footbridge, you can see the bouillon in a corner on the opposite bank of the Maloise. This phenomenon occurs after heavy rainfall.

A shorter route (for families with young children, for example) can start from Salvard: go to Les Ligers, La Cannerie, Les Guimards and then return to Les Salvards.
Picnics are possible at the tables on the banks of the Vrille behind the Saint-Amand Tourist Office.

Although there are no tables, you can picnic in the countryside along the route, on the banks of the Maloise before the Cannerie footbridge (3) or near the Chapelle Saint-Marc (7) (between Les Beauchats and Bitry).

This marked trail, which complies with the signage charter of the Puisaye-Forterre Community of Communes, is marked with the number 61 on yellow plaques. It was created by the association À chacun son chemin en Puisaye-Forterre in October 2019.
If you have any concerns, please fill in this questionnaire (it only takes 1 to 2 minutes).
Please take care when crossing roads.
However, as the route is signposted, you should at least take this description and the accompanying IGN map or the Visorando app with you.

Worth a visit

(8) The Sainte-Foy church in Bitry (with a two-sided nave) is Renaissance in style (with a portal featuring semicircular arches and acanthus leaf clasps). It has some interesting furnishings: a 15th-century confessional, an altarpiece, a pulpit on legs and a 17th-century altar front.

Map of the two walks (the other is called "From the Chapel to the Kings") in the fairground car park.

Saint-Amand, 4.5 km away, boasts a Renaissance castle and sandstone museum, the pottery museum, the Jeanneney exhibition space and numerous shops and artists' studios in the surrounding area and in the castle's outbuildings or at La Fabrique.

Two kilometres away, Saint-Vérain, an ancient fortified town with three walls, offers numerous remains, including the ruins of the keep painted by La Villéon, and a church bearing witness to the transition between Romanesque and Gothic styles (at the chevet, the oldest stained-glass window in the Nièvre (13th century).

Two of the painter's canvases are on display at the interesting Musée de la Loire in Cosne-sur-Loire.

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

4.6 / 5
Based on 11 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
fescof
fescof

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant, easy route. Beautiful views.
However, there are not many shady areas.
This tour is best enjoyed in spring or autumn.
In any case, avoid it in very hot weather.

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marchorando
marchorando

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It's an attractive route to discover these remote places. The paths are pleasant and the footbridges and water features interesting. The information panels and signs are top-notch. I won't be original in saying that there is still a lot of tarmac, but is there anything else we can do?

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Daniel58
Daniel58

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Lots of tar

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vilcamo
vilcamo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very nice walk, full of surprises. The paths are well-maintained, with beautiful explanatory signs and a bit of tarmac .....
thank you:(star)star:

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dan89
dan89

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I shared this walk with a group of hikers, and we enjoyed the scenery as well as the information panels about LA VILLEON. The description is well done, it's just a shame there are so many tarmac roads.

Thanks again to Dominique for his advice.

DAN 89

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jctalleu
jctalleu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

On holiday in Puisaye, we started off with this great adventure
Ghislaine from the St Amand en Puisaye tourist office and her colleague gave us a very warm welcome.
Our guide was up to the task, answering all our questions
Very nice discovery trail in the footsteps of the painter Emmanuel de La Villéon".
A friendly drink
We made friends with the locals
We live in the north of France, and we're going to put on our walking club events there.
Edith & Jean-Claude

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chogui
chogui

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely parish specific to Brittany. The countryside is so pretty !!!!!!!
So pretty that it is possible to extend it by 5 km.
At point 2 take the D2 to the left
At the first hairpin bend, take the track on the left.
You will arrive at the charming village of St Vérain
Pass in front of the church, the cosne gate and the keep.
In the village take the GR3C towards
Montois, Beauregard , Les anges , les Morins .
And you will come back to point 3

Quick question: why has the GR3C signposting been removed and replaced by a yellow line?

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trièves
trièves

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

I took advantage of the special hike day on visorando and at the local tourist office to do this guided hike. Thanks to the guide, who was able to share his passion for this late 19th and early 20th century painter with us. The fairly easy route is well equipped with explanatory panels on the work and life of this painter.

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Marlauthi
Marlauthi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant walk, with a moment's hesitation at the cannery to find the "bridge".

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Patou58
Patou58

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Beautiful parousie in the Poyaudine countryside, the paths are well maintained, no particular problems. The description is perfect. Keep up the good work and give us walks like this.
Sincerely and well done "

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Patou58
Patou58

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The circuit is very good, I didn't know the environment at all even though I'm from the area. 9.780 kms in 2 hrs. 30 under a dominant sun and an easterly wind. This route is suitable for everyone.

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