Across the woods and the fields, passing the ponds, you will discover areas where the earth has been shaped into artistic creations and pottery.
Calculated time: 3h40[?] 
Distance : 11.99km
Vertical gain : 101m
Vertical drop : 100m
Highest point : 267m
Lowest point : 211m 
Difficulty : Easy
Back to starting point : Yes
Walking
Area : Puisaye 
Location : Moutiers-en-Puisaye
(89520)
Starting point : N 47.61014° / E 3.175934° Depart from the church carpark in Moine Glaber (Monk Glaber) square.
(D/A) Take the direction of the village centre, at the square of the city hall, veer right and follow Rue de la Forge. At the « stop » sign, take the dirt path in front of you.
(1) When you reach the main road, turn left along the roadside for 400m and then turn left again towards Proux de la Route. This little road becomes a dirt path. Stay on this main path, then turn right at the T-junction. Continue straight on until you reach a little paved road. Cross the road and continue straight on opposite you. Follow this road towards Belles Fontaines. After 150m veer off on the path to the right. Follow this path, ignoring any turnings off into the woods or fields. When you are nearly at the bottom, this path becomes difficult to cross so you need to turn left on the path with signs, between this wood and the old path to arrive at the first pond: Charmoy pond.
(2) Go up the road to the right and then take the first road on the left. After a crossroads (the path on the left is private, flanked by two columns). The path in front of you follows a moor of woods that keep you separated from Bourdon reservoir (really wild area).
Take this path for 450m or so then turn right (3). this new path goes up regularly and it leads to a path that is more widely used.
(4) Turn right. When you reach Guérins, turn left (the entries on the right lead to the farm). Cross the D85 road and walk down the little paved road toward Clergeaux. Just before Clergeaux, turn right along the dirt road. Keep walking until you reach a crossroads, where you turn left. Cross Petits Clergeaux. The road becomes a path, crosses the railroad, and passes the Loing. When you reach the road, turn right until you reach the dyke of Moutiers pond.
Do not hesite to do a return trip to see the dyke before you continue on the little road that runs alongside the pond on the left.
(5) When you reach the crossroads, turn right, cross the bridge that spans the stream and continue until you reach the junction with the D85.
(6) Cross the railroad and turn left right after this path: in the direction of Moutiers to reach the original carpark. (7)
Waypoints :
D/A : km 0 - alt. km 0 - Fontaine du moine Glaber
1 : km 0.94 - alt. km 0.94 - When you reach the D85, keep left
2 : km 3.83 - alt. km 3.83 - Charmoy Pond
3 : km 4.89 - alt. km 4.89 - Turn right and walk alongside the field on the left
4 : km 5.73 - alt. km 5.73 - When you arrive on the path, turn right
5 : km 10.24 - alt. km 10.24 - Walk between the pond and the railroad
6 : km 11.3 - alt. km 11.3 - Cross the D85 and the railroad
7 : km 11.48 - alt. km 11.48 - Loing (le)
D/A : km 11.99 - alt. km 11.99 - Moine Glaber fountain
Some paths are wet during the winter and even muddy in the rainy season. Wear appropriate shoes.
If you want to extend this hike for 2 km, at point (6), after passing the railroad, take the path that follows the road below. Through the trees, you have beautiful overviews of the village, the old abbey and the church of Saint-Pierre. On this little path, you can cross the road to reach the pottery of La Bâtisse and visit it (you have to pay)
At the end of this path, turn right on the sunken path and walk down. Cross the Loing on the little bridge that passes over it, go up for 100m to reach a little road and the village of Moutiers. This hiking trail is marked by signs placed on wooden boards and even on the ground with yellow signpostings (PR). Number 44 corresponds to the signposting.
We advise taking IGN maps with you on this walk. Click here to buy : 2521SB.
Visorando and this author cannot be held responsible in the case of accidents or problems occuring on this walk.
Photographs and observations during the hike.
In the village, visit the church (7) and its wall paintings, the spring of Monk Galber, the newly renovated wash house. Nearby, the kiln of la Bâtisse.
Passing between point (2) and (3), you walk alongside the swamps and Bourdon reservoir. This place is wild and really beautiful, especially during the winter. Many species of birds can be found in these old swamps where there are also carnivorous plants (Droséra) at the water level.
11.64km
+81m
-74m
3h30
Average
Starting point in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye - 89 - Yonne A hike in the heart of the birthplace of Colette. Through woods and passing by ponds, often described in her work.
5.76km
+76m
-85m
1h50
Easy
Starting point in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye - 89 - Yonne 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.
10.19km
+53m
-53m
3h00
Easy
Starting point in Saint-Fargeau - 89 - Yonne Discover the flora and fauna that populate these old swamps that have shaped the environment of this lake, surrounded by woods and forests.
15.19km
+168m
-171m
4h45
Average
Starting point in Sainte-Colombe-sur-Loing - 89 - Yonne This hike is themed by springs and wash-houses. The water flowing from the springs supplies the groundwater of the Parisian Basin on the one hand, and the Seine by way of the Loing River on the other hand. It’s a very well-marked path (#7), through an unspoiled natural environment. This track can also be done on horseback or mountain bike. It is listed on the departmental walking and hiking map (PDIPR) established by the department of the Yonne.
13.25km
+157m
-155m
4h10
Average
Starting point in Treigny - 89 - Yonne Leaving from the fairground, you will walk along paths that have a mysterious past and are steeped in legends.
10.12km
+113m
-115m
3h10
Easy
Starting point in Lainsecq - 89 - Yonne You will see no less than 8 fountains and 6 wash-houses on this rather easy hike, ideal for family walks. A few picnics spots are available here and there, to take a break and enjoy a relaxing moment (Fountain of the Moon, of the Pisserotte .....) Even though there are some hills along the way, it is a very pleasant walk with a lot of historical heritage spots to be discovered.
Also good for mountain biking.
6.75km
+47m
-43m
2h00
Easy
Starting point in Saint-Amand-en-Puisaye - 58 - Nièvre A rather short bucolic walk.
Le Tacot path passes nearby the ochre and clay quarries where a protected species of toad "Le sonneur à ventre jaune", the yellow bellied toad hides away. Easily identified thanks to its yellow and black striped belly, and its heart-shaped pupils, no doubt, remnants of its prince charming days..... Its bright yellow colour, signifying toxicity is a means of protection against its predators.
8.62km
+96m
-97m
2h40
Easy
Starting point in Bitry - 58 - Nièvre Born in Fougères in Brittany, where there is a museum dedicated to his work, the painter Emmanuel de la Villéon lived on a semi-permanent basis from 1900 to 1935 in the manor house in the hamlet of Bitry. An admirer of Monet, he adopted the approach of the Impressionists.
This trail has the added attraction of panels composed of reproductions and commentaries. They allow the viewer to recognize some of the places painted by the artist, with their hedge-enclosed farmlands typical of the Puisaye.
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