Sources of the Saône and Madon rivers, Saint-Martin cave

The starting point is in the forest, on the edge of the D460 in the commune of Le Void d'Escles.
If you are coming from Darney, near Le Void d'Escles, stay on the D460 until you reach the forest entrance, where you will find the car park on your right.
If you are coming from Lerrain then Escles via the D3, shortly before the entrance to Le Void d'Escles, take the D460 on your right, then turn left. The car park is also on your right: see § Practical information.

This route partly follows the Anneau Jaune (Yellow Ring) trail. The places where this trail is abandoned or resumed are specified in the description.

(S/E) From the car park, go through the barrier and enter the forest via a good forest path, marked with yellow rings. Ignore the first path on the right that descends towards the stream and continue to a three-way junction.

(1) Leave the path on the left (this is the return path) and keep to the right, still following the Yellow Ring markings, until you reach the pretty site of the Pierres Sculptées.

(2) Take the time to observe all the engraved rocks, then cross the first wooden footbridge and climb up towards Le Châtelet (marked with a yellow ring). Cross the path and continue climbing. Cross the Le Châtelet site, then descend until you reach a path at the bottom of the descent.

(3) Leave the Yellow Ring markings and turn left. Depending on the season, the path may be overgrown with vegetation. When you reach a wide gravel road, turn left and continue to the second hairpin bend on the left.

(4) Leave the gravel road and take a forest path going uphill opposite. Follow it straight ahead in a south-easterly direction for about 500 metres until you reach the start of a descent.

(5) Just before this, leave the path on the right and continue straight ahead, first through the forest and then in open country, until you enter Vioménil at the junction with the D40.

(6) Cross the road carefully and continue straight ahead for a few dozen metres. Leave Rue du Pâquis on your right, then at the three-way junction, turn left onto the D40d, which joins the D40. Follow it downhill to the right for about 100 metres until you reach a fork.

(7) Turn right onto Rue des Hautes Fontaines, then right again towards the source of the Saône and a pretty wash house. Head back up towards the church. At the crossroads, leave the church on your right and turn left down Rue de la Pille. At the three-way junction, go down a wide path on the left for about 1 km. At the bottom of the descent, before a slight right turn,

(8) Turn left onto a path between a meadow on your left and woods on your left, towards the old quarry, which the path goes around on the left, then arrive at a hairpin bend on a wide path. Turn left onto this good forest path, leave a path on your left and arrive, about 400 m further on, at the start of a path on your right.

(9) Don't miss this path, which leads to Rocher du Trésor about 500 m further on. Then retrace your steps.

(9) Take the wide track on the right. Further on, ignore the track on the left and continue to the D40d.

(10) Take it to the left for about a hundred metres, then leave it for a forest road on the right.
Quickly leave this road for a forest path on the left that winds between forests and crops. Continue until you enter the forest.

(11) Continue under cover but close to the edge (beware of forestry debris) and continue as close to it as possible until you reach a forest road. Leave the forest by turning left, then quickly climb up a long grassy path on the right, part of^{the GR®7}, and arrive at a crossroads.

(12) Leave the^GR®7and take the road on the left, then a little further on, turn left again.
You will reach a car park on the right; go through the barrier and enter the forest. Continue straight ahead on this wide path for about 1 km until you reach the Chemin de la Source du Madon.

(13). Take it on the left (marked with a yellow ring). The spring is a few metres further on. Continue along this small forest path which leads to the Cuveau des Fées. Take the time to have a break.

(14) With your back to the Cuveau, take a small path that descends rapidly to cross the Madon at the bottom of the valley. Continue along this small path, which takes you past some old quarries, then descend to the right. A little further on, a footbridge crosses the Madon again to join a wider path.

(15) Follow it to the left to the Grotte Saint-Martin and its pretty chapel. Leave this beautiful site via the forest road that leads to a car park. See § Practical information. Continue, keeping to the right, until you reach a monument.

(16) With your back to this monument, leave the forest road and descend the path marked with yellow rings. Pass between the rocks and then climb up to the right through a rocky area. This will take you back to the crossroads you passed on the way there.

(1) Continue straight ahead on the path you took at the start and return to the car park (S/E).

(S/E) The car park immediately adjacent to the road is not very large. Avoid parking in front of the barrier on the path, as emergency services may need to use it in the event of an accident or incident.
You can park along the forest road that climbs to the left of the car park.

(6) You can picnic in Vioménil, near a pretty fountain that can serve as a basic shelter.
(14) The Cuveau des Fées and (15) the Ermitage Saint-Martin are good places to stop and rest.
(15) You can also visit the Sainte-Claire fountain, indicated on the left of the site.

The rocky areas marked at points (14) and (15) as well as at Chatelet (3) require caution and good footwear but do not require any special equipment.

(15) From the car park, you can reach the Fontaine Le Bœuf via a well-marked return route. Return to the car park and take the road on the right.

See Darney: the Czechoslovakian monument, the cutlery factory and the pretty calvary when coming from Hennezel on the D164.
Droiteval Abbey.
The Tatal bridge.