Saint-Vérain walks

Marked route No. 34. The village of Saint-Vérain, built on a hillside, was surrounded by fortified walls in the Middle Ages, making it one of the most powerful feudal cities in the region. Numerous remains bear witness to the city's importance, including ramparts, towers, gates, wells, a keep, etc.

Marked trail No. 35.The commune of Bitry covers 1,746 hectares. The Ramois boundary marker is at an altitude of 326 metres, while the La Maloise river flows at the lowest point, 189 metres above sea level.Between the village and the hamlet of Les Beauchats, you can visit a chapel dedicated to Saint Marc and Saint Roc, which was restored in the 20th century.

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.

Discover the village of Saint-Loup-des-Bois, its inhabitants, the Saints-Lupéens, and the forests that surround it. You will pass by the Museum of Agricultural Machinery and Rural Life, which traces the history of agricultural machinery. In addition to these major collections in Europe, there is an astonishing and impressive collection of irons and a collection dedicated to woodworking trades (clog makers, coopers, wheelwrights, etc.).

Marked walk No. 39 From the16th-century castle at the very start of the route to the ruins of Château de Maison Fort, the route takes you past the ponds, including the largest, Étang de la Forge, and the Chemin du Tacot.

Marked trail No. 40 Taking this path is to step into the life and work of Jean-Joseph Carriès. This trail begins with the history of pottery and ends with a sunken path lined with works by ceramicists and the potters’ quarters in the village of Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye.

Waymarked walk N° 38 In the land of the potters, there is first and foremost the clay that serves as the raw material for the craftsmen, then the water that gushes out of the clay-silica or clay-limestone soils, depending on the geology of the subsoil in this area. But there's also the beauty of nature, with its landscapes, paths framed and even marked by these hedges and their sometimes mysterious, sometimes mischievous tadpoles. They are the source of some of the legends that live in the area.

Marked route No. 45. The Year 5 and 6 class from Dampierre-sous-Bouhy has created a walking route for you. This route will allow you to discover the landscapes of Puisaye and its many water sources. We wish you a lovely walk and hope you enjoy exploring this route as much as they enjoyed creating it. It can be completed in its entirety or with two alternative routes (see ‘Practical Information’ section).

Marked trail No. 33. Geologically, the commune of Bouhy belongs to the Forterre, a region neighbouring the Puisaye. Its village is at an altitude of 355 metres. For walkers in search of vast horizons, this dominant position gives this route its panoramic interest, to which is added the architectural interest of the many chapels encountered along the way.

This route takes you back to the time of fortified castles and knights. Built on the marshy lands of Perroy, the Château de la Motte Josserand is one of the most beautiful military constructions of the Middle Ages in the Nièvre region, with its famous adventurer Perrinet Gressard who acquired the seigneury in the 15th century.

Marked route No. 21.A very pretty route for a short family hike, discovering the Vrille at the very beginning of the route with a ford crossing on the Pont des Canards, then, after the Croix Saint-Jean, another crossing on a stone bridge (the springs are a few hundred metres away). On the way back, you pass in front of the Saint-Symphorien church.

Market circuit n°23. In an hour walking, rendezvous in the 13th century, on a legendary path and meet the middle-age castles builders.

Marked route No. 22. Passing by the cathedral of Puisaye, a tour of the heights to discover vast horizons, alternating landscapes of large-scale farming and forests, dotted with springs. And then, Perreuse, a magnificent village with a rich history.

Marked hike N°24. Leaving from the fairground, you will walk along paths that have a mysterious past and are steeped in legends.

From a village dotted along the River Nohain, to the boardwalk through the wetland, a stroll along a shaded fitness trail, the chance to admire the magnificent tympanum of Donzy-le-Pré Priory, the breathtaking view of the Bois de l’Éminence and a well-deserved break at the Cabets water point. The Donzy Grand Tour has everything to charm you!

From the hilltop village of Perreuse (in the commune of Treigny), this walk will have you dreaming of the Atlantic or the English Channel. The waters of the two springs on this route, though so close to one another, will only mix once they reach the ocean!

Marked route No. 86A short route combining part of the lake shore and sunken paths in the undergrowth. Depending on the water level of the lake, the shore may be preferable to the path.

Marked route No. 85After a section through the woods and then in the open, the gardens below Lac du Bourdon offer a superb panorama of rows of spillways channelled by walls built of Puisaye sandstone. Then, following part of the lake, return to the bathing area and the car park.

From the village, this path follows part of the ridges of the hill separating the two natural regions of Puisaye to the west and Forterre to the east.

A historical and cultural route on the border between Puisaye and Forterre, with some beautiful views.

Discover the sources of the Seine catchment area, wash houses and scenic viewpoints.

Starting from the village of Moutiers-en-Puisaye, cross the Loing, pass through woods, enjoy a beautiful view of the ruins of the old abbey and the pond, whilst discovering the local heritage.

Marked trail No. 44.Through woods and farmland, passing by ponds, discover the environments where the earth is shaped into artistic creations and pottery.

From this old pottery village, discover the ponds and small paths that make Puisaye so charming. If you are keen on wildlife or landscape photography, you will be delighted. If you are discreet, you will be able to see many varieties of ducks on the ponds, as well as herons and egrets. Sometimes you may be surprised by the passage of deer or roe deer and even nutria along the Loing.

An all-season trail in this region of Puisaye amid hedges (bouchures), heritage, and legends.

Marked trail No. 3.From the church with its magnificent murals, pass the Gué Ricart, discover the Moutiers pond via the Marseillaise, then the undergrowth before reaching Saint-Sauveur, Pays de Colette and her birthplace.

Marked hike N°2. A hike in the heart of the birthplace of Colette. Through woods and passing by ponds, often described in her work.

After a brief incursion into the grounds of the Colette castle/museum and the passage at the foot of the Saracen tower, this walk continues through the countryside along the lanes of the Puisaye.

Marked hike N°1. This trail, dedicated to Colette, was opened in 1993 by the pupils of the Colette college of Saint-Sauveur en Puisaye. Along this trail, everything recalls the works of this author, born in Saint-Sauveur en Puisaye in 1873. The author has described her birthplace so well - that even though she has given other names to the villages and characters, you can sense her literature at every corner.

From Colette's birthplace, discover the greenways, the village of Moutiers and the Moutiers pond, where a few water chestnuts still float.Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye is listed as one of the "Cités de caractères de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté" (villages of character in Burgundy-Franche-Comté).

Nestled at the bottom of the Talvanne valley, Cessy-les-Bois is classified as a Natura 2000 site due to the presence of two large bat colonies on its territory: the Greater Horseshoe Bat and the Geoffroy's Bat. Along the first two kilometres of the hike, you will find information panels explaining this local feature. In addition, a booklet is available for purchase at the Cosne-Cours-sur-Loire reception point of the Bourgogne Cœur de Loire Tourist Office.