On the route from Avallon through the Cousin Valley, the Vézelien begins at Vault-De-Lugny. The village brings together several clearly distinct points of interest for trip planning: the history of a fortified château, a church that can be visited on request, and hiking trails with named directions, destinations and starting points. The Cousin and Montmarte add landscape features to these cultural and trail-related themes.

Château and local history

The Château de Vault-de-Lugny was built as a fortified château in 1120. Construction phases at the château took place in the 14th, 16th and 17th centuries. The old keep was classified as a historic monument by decree on 29 March 1971. The dates refer to different things: 1120 marks its construction, the three centuries mark construction phases, and 1971 marks the keep’s classification. If you are interested in the château’s history, you can distinguish its founding, architectural development and protected status rather than treating them as a single construction date.

The Église Saint-Germain de Vault-de-Lugny adds a specific visit to your cultural itinerary: it can be visited free of charge by prior request to the mairie. If you would like to include the church, make this request in advance so that the visiting requirement is part of your day’s plans.

Landscape along the Cousin and towards the Morvan

Vermoiron, a hamlet of Vault-de-Lugny, lies on the banks of the Cousin. Montmarte is a hill 354 metres high that heralds the Morvan. These details refer to different landscape features: a hamlet by the river on the one hand, and a hill with a stated elevation and regional connection on the other. For your choice of themes, you can consider the riverbank and the connection to the Morvan alongside the architectural history. In this way, the Cousin and Montmarte complement the cultural focus with two landscape perspectives.

Hiking trails and their points of reference

Three trail details are worth distinguishing when planning a hike. On the GR13, the trail from Pontaubert heads towards Vault-De-Lugny. Through Vault-De-Lugny, the GR13 follows the Chemin de Borland to the washhouse. The Boucle du Montmartre, by contrast, starts at the church car park in Vault-De-Lugny. These details answer different planning questions: Pontaubert indicates the direction to the village, the Chemin de Borland identifies a section ending at the washhouse, and the Boucle has a set starting point. This is a useful comparison when deciding whether a direction, a named destination or a fixed starting car park is the key factor for your hiking day. Check trail conditions before setting out, as they may change.

Plan your stay to suit you

When looking for a hotel for a stay in Vault-De-Lugny, it is worth first deciding on your focus: château history, a free church visit available on request, or one of the hiking routes described above. If you would like to combine culture and hiking, you can work the church visit—with its prior-request requirement—and your chosen starting point or destination into your day’s plans.

Discover more destinations: Chemilly-Sur-Serein, Tonnerre, Vergigny, Vinneuf, Chablis, Aillant-Sur-Tholon, Domecy-Sur-Cure, Vaumort

For the broader travel overview: Yonne.