Colombine Valley

Colombe-lès-Vesoul, perched on the edge of the limestone plateau, overlooks the green and narrow Colombine valley. The 18th-century castle marks the entrance to the old village.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.63 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 92 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 102 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 327 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 262 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park at the town hall in Colombe-lès-Vesoul.

(S/E) With your back to the town hall, turn left and take the Chemin des Écoliers to the departmental road.
Cross this road with caution and take the Route de la Chapelle slightly opposite to reach a crossroads with a chapel in the centre.

(1) Pass to the right of the chapel, leave the restaurant on your right and continue straight ahead on the main road, Rue du Stade.

(2) Go around the stadium, leaving it on your left, and continue along this road until you reach a multiple fork at the entrance to the woods.

(3) Ignore the path that branches off at a 90° angle to the left and continue along the path, veering to the left. Pass the start of the whistle path on your right, about ten metres further on, and continue straight ahead on a slight incline. At the flat section, look for the very discreet start of the path at a 90° angle to the right, covered by vegetation.

(4) Turn right onto this path and continue following the wooden signpost no. 39. Descend the poorly maintained path (bumps and hollows) to reach the forest road.

(5) Turn right onto the forest road and continue straight ahead, passing the hamlets of Le Miroudot and Les Mauvais.

(6) After passing the educational farm in the hamlet of Les Mauvais, turn right and continue along the road until you see the village of Villers-le-Sec. At the crossroads, take the hairpin bend to the right and follow the white path up to the first turn-off on the left.

(7) Take the track on the left and head towards the village of Villers-le-Sec. At the entrance to the village, take the small grassy path (Chemin de la Riotte) on the right and you will come to a multiple crossroads.

(8) Continue right on the main street, Rue de Vesoul, and continue straight ahead until you reach a four-way junction and a bus stop a few metres after a public works company.

(9) Turn left (Chemin du Tacot) and continue to a four-way intersection.

(10) Turn right (Chemin de la Gare) and descend to the village of Colombe-lès-Vesoul. Cross the main road and go opposite, Rue des Vergers, then right onto Rue de la Fillette and return to the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 275 m - Car park at the Town Hall in Colombe-lès-Vesoul
  2. 1 : km 0.83 - alt. 302 m - Hamlet of Essernay
  3. 2 : km 1.17 - alt. 317 m - Stadium
  4. 3 : km 2.13 - alt. 303 m - Entrance to the woods
  5. 4 : km 3.4 - alt. 319 m - Path on the right
  6. 5 : km 3.92 - alt. 304 m - Forest road
  7. 6 : km 5.7 - alt. 299 m - Les Mauvais hamlet
  8. 7 : km 7.54 - alt. 276 m - Plaine les Bruyères
  9. 8 : km 9.05 - alt. 289 m - Main street on the right
  10. 9 : km 9.8 - alt. 289 m - On the left, Chemin du Tacot
  11. 10 : km 10.55 - alt. 272 m - Four-way crossroads
  12. S/E : km 11.63 - alt. 274 m - Car park at the Town Hall in Colombe-lès-Vesoul

Worth a visit

The hamlet of Essernay is well worth a visit. It is a green haven nestled among a few characterful houses, a small 18th-century chapel with a bulbous roof and two calvaries.

On the outskirts of the village, in the direction of Lure, "the turning stone" recalls the Celtic beliefs of our distant ancestors.

La Roulotte du Berger, an agroecological and educational farm - Mauvais hamlet.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 8 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
3.6 / 5
Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thank you for your comments. I have just amended the file accordingly.

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kailash
kailash

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 10, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A peaceful hike with some beautiful discoveries, but be careful at step 3: "Take the path on the left and continue straight ahead until you reach a recently cut area of woodland." There is a road and a path, so we took the path...We got lost; we should have taken the road. After searching around a bit, we ended up directly in Miroudot.
Otherwise, thank you for this hike.

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kailash
kailash

A peaceful hike with some beautiful discoveries, but be careful at step 3: "Take the path on the left and continue straight ahead until you reach a recently cut area of woodland." There is a road and a path, so we took the path...We got lost; we should have taken the road. After searching around a bit, we ended up directly in Miroudot.
Otherwise, thank you for this hike.

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theacroquer
theacroquer

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Apart from the old houses in Calmoutier, there is nothing to see. The forest path quickly becomes endless.
As for the stone road through the fields, let's not even talk about it: we're happy to see the first roofs of the village: phew, we're almost there!

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MARTDANRANDO
MARTDANRANDO

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Hello, this hike is not recommended for those (like me) who dislike paved roads and trails.
This hike takes place almost exclusively on this type of surface or on gravel paths known as "white paths".
The only section between 3) and 4) that breaks this rule poses a slight problem in terms of recognition when turning right.
in spring, the vegetation covers the path and the not-so-recent woodcut has regained vigour and is not very visible from the gravel path (keep a close eye on your GPS in this area and follow the woodcut line no. 39 to the forest road). This hike is more suitable as a nice little bike ride.

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philippe tosh
philippe tosh

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I also extended the route by taking the path at point 4 and then turning right onto the wide path.

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Luc70
Luc70

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 30, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Walking on dry ground (important during wet periods), on paths and country roads, slightly hilly, pleasant. Passage through the forest to find a route that is accessible to all.
Nice little chapel and old crosses in Essernay.

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21Claire21!
21Claire21!

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The downside in the description, in 3: "keep going straight until you reach a recent cut"... the cut is not very recent.

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numétique70
numétique70

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant hike, with lots of forest trails and beautiful places to discover. To avoid the road at point 4, we took the forest paths opposite it. Just cross the road, walk slightly uphill to take the first forest path, continue straight ahead, then turn right to join the road at point 290 on the map. Then continue along the hiking trail towards "Les Mauvais". This adds about 1.5 km to the route but is much more enjoyable.

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