Sommecaise walks

Eleven hamlets, each more charming than the last, and four fountains to discover in the footsteps of Joan of Arc.

In the land of fruit trees, a walk through the valleys and hills. Sunken paths, springs, viewpoints and built heritage enhance this outing.

All along the route, you will discover centenaries trees, educational signs about the chestnut tree.

Signposted route N° 76This route starts from Toucy, birthplace of Pierre Larousse, 19th-century grammarian, lexicographer and educator. It offers multiple viewpoints and panoramas along ridge lines. The sunken paths winding under a dense canopy of vegetation create a romantic atmosphere that you're sure to enjoy. Then, at the bend in the path, you'll fall under the spell of the magnificent Château d'Arthé.

Between the longer hikes around Toucy and the discovery of down-town, this walk allows you to gain heigh in order to contemplate this screen of greenery which surrounds the village. These paths, oftenly traveled, offered a great diversity.

This very natural outing allows you to discover the landscaped paths, shaped by man over the centuries. It allows, with some beautiful viewpoints, to discover the Puisaye and the town of Toucy, nestled against a hill.

After crossing the various fords on the Branlin, passing through beautiful wooded moors and walking alongside hedges, the Ferrier de Tannerre reveals itself in the shade of this forest, which was exploited for its iron ore in Gallo-Roman times. Travel back in time and into a natural space that is still unspoilt!

Signposted route N°69.In this village, known for bric-a-brac, the sunken paths are all the rage! A guaranteed immersion in nature.Mézilles is one of the "Cités de caractères de Bourgogne - Franche-Comté" villages.

Long walk on flat ground, along the Joigny diversion canal to Cézy and back along the Yonne. Easy, peaceful route with the opportunity to spot wild birds such as wild ducks, cormorants and even wild swans.

Animal-themed walking trail created by Year 4-6 pupils at Villevallier Primary School in June 2015 as part of the "Un chemin, une école" (One trail, one school) initiative run by the Yonne branch of the French Hiking Federation.

The path reveals the intertwining of the forest and human activities, agricultural enclaves, hamlets, logging areas, always close to the majestic atmosphere of the forest. From the top of these tall trees, centuries contemplate us. It also shows the first impacts of climate change, with dry ponds, emaciated trees and new species. It invites us to give the forest back its freedom to adapt and migrate at its own pace, to let it take control. The trail aims to restore a sense of confidence in what nature and the forest can achieve with and even without us. It is this forest that the Ruban Vert wishes to help migrate to the next forest massifs of the woods and ponds of the Gâtinais in Burgundy.

The springs and washhouses without forgetting the Château and the Chapel of Chéry will be the most important heritage sites to discover for this outing. Throughout this route, alternation between valleys and hills where points of view are numerous.

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).

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.

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

This pleasant circuit offers beautiful views of the town of Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, thanks to its small climbs. The path across woodland provides shade on one-third of the route during sunny weather.

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

Marked hike N°44. Across the woods and the fields, passing the ponds, you will discover areas where the earth has been shaped into artistic creations and pottery.

Waymarked route N°48. A beautiful woodland walk on this limestone plateau, even if at the start you need to take a little road to reach the Bois de la Faine and beyond. The forest we pass through is rich in species of wood and specimens of oak and beech, and is no match for the nearby Forêt de Frétoy.