Velars-sur-Ouche plateau

Park in the car-share car park on the left before the church.

(S/E) Walk past the church. At the junction just after, leave the Plombières road on your right and take the next street also on the right (uphill), Rue du Bois Villiot. Then keep right at every junction until you reach the railway line. Go under the bridge.

(1) Ignore the return path on the left, then take the first path on the right immediately after. Turn right onto the path to pass the base of an antenna and follow a few hairpin bends as you descend, before turning left at the railway viaduct.

(2) Head up Combe Bouchard by taking the path on your right. Ignore a turn-off on the right and continue climbing steadily until you are directly beneath the first high-voltage power line.

(3) Pass underneath. Continue (ignore the passage under a medium-voltage line) until you reach a second high-voltage line at the end. Pass underneath it, then follow the path branching off to the left. Take the first path on the right which descends into the Combe des Biches (towards Plombières). Follow it down the right-hand side for 130 m until you come to the second high-voltage power line (very high up in the sky).

(4) Head up to your left along the path (white markings to Plombières). Pass the hamlet of En Prielle by continuing straight ahead, before following the railway line to the right and descending to the viaduct to join the RD10.

(5) Turn left, then at the junction of the RD10 and the track, take the path on the right which climbs up through the woods. Follow the white markings which branch off to the right about a third of the way up the climb (to avoid the steepest slope). Then cross the Vossenvaux valley from west to east.

(6) Cross the Combe Vaux Marcot from west to east to climb up towards Les Échaillots. Area burnt by forest fire. Pass very close to a medium-voltage power line before descending towards Plombières.

(7) On reaching the first house in Plombières at the bottom of the descent, keep left to follow the^GR® 2 uphill until you reach the road leading to the Ferme de la Pérouse for the first time. Cross it and follow the path straight on until you rejoin the road. Then follow the road uphill to reach the farm.

(8) Follow the path branching off to the left and head straight on to descend into the woods. Turn right at a fork (no entry for heavy vehicles) to reach the source of the Fontenotte.

(9) After passing the spring, continue to follow the marked path, ignoring the offshoots on either side. After 280 m, you’ll come to another spring. Continue along the descending path.

(10) Take the Combe Cigey (yellow markings) on the far right and follow it uphill. At the next junction of tracks, turn left then keep to the right until you reach the^GR®7, after going round a hill.

(11) Turn left onto the GR®7, then left again at the Bois des Mulières junction to reach La Tuilerie (elevation 375m).

(12) Continue along the^GR®7, taking the Route Forestière de la Tuilerie on your right.

(13) From the^GR®7, head up the embankment to the left towards the woods to quickly reach the Tuilerie spring (signposted). Facilities are available nearby. Head back down the original path, then leave it at the next junction of tracks to continue to your right on the^GR®7.

(14) Cross the RD10 and continue straight on the^GR®7 to reach La Rente du Fays.

(15) Go round the hamlet on the left. Continue on the^GR®7, heading straight on along the tarmac road. Ignore a path on the left further on.

(16) Immediately after (elevation 394), turn right, staying on the^GR®7, and take a wooded path. Keep left straight away.

(17) After passing under the high-voltage power line, continue the descent towards Velars on the^GR®7, going straight on until you reach the tarmac road.

(1) Turn right. Pass under the railway bridge once more and head down towards the centre of Velars. Follow the same route as on the way out to reach the car park near the church and the Post Office (S/E).

Walking poles recommended for the descents and ascents through three valleys.

Passing by the springs of La Fontenotte and La Tuilerie.
Between Velars and Plombières, at one point, the route runs very close to the Paris-Dijon railway line.
Views of the Ouche valley from high points and of Plombières.