At the Roches de Solutré and Vergisson

A shorter version of the long circular route starting from La Grange du Bois (featured on this site), done with children aged 7 to 12 who thoroughly enjoyed it!

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.55 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,499 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,529 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,604 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 902 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the panoramic car park signposted just after the car park for the Solutré-Pouilly Archaeological Museum.

(S/E) Head towards the museum to reach the start of the path to the Roche de Solutré.

(1) Continue along the path on the left, where plenty of signposts will easily guide you to the summit of the Roche de Solutré.

(2) Turn left for a return trip to the summit. Enjoy the view of the Roche de Vergisson, which is the next challenge.

(3) Roche de Solutré. Retrace your steps along the same path to quickly reach a junction signposted Vergisson.

(2) Walk gently down to the left through the woods to the village of Vergisson. Halfway there, you can take a short detour to the left to the Chancerons menhir. Reach the Vergisson wash house.

(4) Head back up into the village and cross it on the left. On leaving the village, turn onto the first path on the right, walk through the vineyards and join, on the right-hand side, the path that climbs to the summit of the Roche de Vergisson (well signposted).

(5) Go round the summit on the left to reach another junction.

(6) Stay on the path on the right for a return trip to the summit of the Roche de Vergisson. Enjoy the view whilst taking in the distance covered.

(7) Roche de Vergisson. Retrace your steps to the previous crossroads.

(6) Take the path opposite to cut through the vineyards and reach the houses of Combe Poncet. Pass south of Combe-Poncet. Continue along this wide track and, at the 410m mark indicated on the IGN map, find a new farm track on the left.

(8) Take this path and follow it alongside the vineyards. The path ends on a tarmac road at the first houses of Vers la Croix. At the crossroads in the bend, keep to the right. Follow the Impasse du Puye, which leads to a forest track.

(9) Begin a gentle climb through the chestnut forest until you reach a junction. Head back down due south along the path on the left. Cross the Denante and, after the hairpin bend, you’ll come to another junction of paths. At the junction, turn right.

(10) Take the path on the left along the vineyards, skirting the Gorge au Loup. Enter another vineyard via the path on the left. Cross it to reach the Roman road.

(11) Turn right, heading due south, to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,332 ft - Panoramic car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.35 - alt. 1,286 ft - Archaeological Museum
  3. 2 : mi 1 - alt. 1,535 ft - Roche de Solutré junction
  4. 3 : mi 1.11 - alt. 1,588 ft - Summit - Roche de Solutré
  5. 4 : mi 2.42 - alt. 1,014 ft - Vergisson wash house
  6. 5 : mi 2.87 - alt. 1,289 ft - Start of the path to La Roche de Vergisson
  7. 6 : mi 3.1 - alt. 1,368 ft - Crossroads towards La Roche de Vergisson
  8. 7 : mi 3.34 - alt. 1,578 ft - Roche de Vergisson - summit
  9. 8 : mi 4.04 - alt. 1,348 ft - Start from the farm track (elevation 410m)
  10. 9 : mi 4.44 - alt. 1,286 ft - Start of the forest path
  11. 10 : mi 5.53 - alt. 1,286 ft - Starting point: the farm track
  12. 11 : mi 6.22 - alt. 1,237 ft - Roman Road
  13. S/E : mi 6.55 - alt. 1,332 ft - Panoramic car park

Notes

Toilets at the Vergisson wash house.
Allow 5½ hours for the walk with children aged 7 to 12 (including stops for stones, insects, dogs, donkeys, etc.)

Worth a visit

Option to visit the Solutré Pouilly Archaeological Museum at the start or on the way back
Passes close to the Chancerons menhir
Roman road

Beautiful views of the vineyards.
Wineries all along the route for wine lovers.

We spotted a large number of male and female praying mantises. The children’s insect magnifying glass certainly proved its worth.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 60 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
marion.claude
marion.claude

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route with beautiful views of the Roches de Solutré and Vergisson. It’s quite a varied route, and the shaded section towards the end is particularly welcome at the end of a hot day.
Quite a few people at the Roche de Solutré but very quiet elsewhere.
I’d be more than happy to do it again.
Thank you for this route!

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User 28664034

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 16, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A wonderful hike, with a wide variety of scenery and atmospheres. Well worth a go!

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User 19510275

Hello, I went for a walk yesterday. The signposting from Solutré to Vergisson was very good, but after that I took a wrong turn.
Could you please let me know if there are any signposts and what colour they are? Thank you for your reply.

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User 8172235

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The description contains many inaccuracies and incorrect details:
- region: Southern Burgundy, not the Massif Central
- walk through the village of Vergisson: we arrived ‘by chance’ at the wash house, after which nothing is reliable:
it is forbidden to “walk through the vineyards”: there are “Private Property” signs everywhere
there are several paths leading up to the summit of the Vergisson rock: for ease of access, you should ascend via the southern path, starting from the P2 car park on the Corniche, and descend via the northern path to reach Combe Poncet.
As for the “New Farm Track”: there are at least four of them, so which one should you choose???
After crossing La Denante, the road has several hairpin bends: which one should you take?
Otherwise, a very interesting hike, a route full of flowers and beautiful views.

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User 19510275

Hello, I went for a walk yesterday. The signposting from Solutré to Vergisson was very good, but after that I took a wrong turn.
Could you please let me know if there are any signposts and what colour they are? Thank you for your reply.

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User 24824861

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 24, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike, completed in less time than indicated. Very reliable directions.

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waki89
waki89

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike with sunny views!
It's a shame that walking through the vineyards is prohibited; this means that the route has to be altered.
The section on the road is a bit long.

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Denis3454
Denis3454

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route with stunning views, including the Solutré promontory, which was still relatively uncrowded at that time, and the Vergisson promontory, which you climb alone. A pleasant return journey through the surrounding vineyards and forests. No technical difficulties, but there are two steep climbs and descents that must be tackled with caution.

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User 5188350

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The starting point is difficult to find, poor explanations, which is a shame. We were able to do the hike with a few changes to the route. Very beautiful region.

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GuyLeroy
GuyLeroy
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route is very beautiful, a little challenging, and the views are magnificent. There are three climbs in total with superb viewpoints. There are many walks through the vineyards, which are beautiful (but I'm not really sure if hikers are allowed in these vineyards). The Solutré rock is, of course, very popular with mass tourism in all its splendour. But from the descent to Vergisson onwards, there is no one else around and you are alone for the entire route. I highly recommend this walk.

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User 12286380

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route between the two rocks, well signposted

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User 25245089

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

If we follow the route in reverse, we come to paths where there are private property signs, especially in the vineyards. As a result, we didn't follow the tour itinerary.

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postikim
postikim

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

At first, the climb and the panoramic view of the Solutré rock were magnificent. But as soon as we descended, along the path linking the village of Vergisson and the Solutré rock, the horror began. There were lots of caterpillars and worms in the cobwebs in the air all along the path.
As for the Roche Vergisson, the walk through the village of Vergisson and the climb up were nice, as was the panoramic view of the summit.
But from the descent of the Roche de Vergisson to the end of the hike, half of the route on this programme is pointless, following either through vineyards or along a forest road that is completely dark and damp.
In my opinion, you should cut the programme in half (hike just for two rocks) if you can bear the omnipresence of spider prey in the air along the way, otherwise cut out the hike just for the Solutré rock altogether.

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icathou
icathou

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The scenery is beautiful, but the other side of the coin is less pleasant: the surrounding vineyards are currently being sprayed with pesticides, which give off a chemical smell as soon as you get too close to the vineyards, not to mention the constant noise from the farm machinery.
Disappointed by the site!

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michelmarieandree
michelmarieandree

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with superb views of the vineyards and surrounding area from the Solutré and Vergisson rocks and along the way.

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