Montréal
Distance: 43.49 km
Main Steps
- Vault de Lugny and its church
- Montreal Village
- Book your lunch at the Quinze restaurant
Elevation gain
More information about Vault de Lugny and the Village of Montreal by bike
Vault-de-Lugny by bike
The charming little village of Vault-de-Lugny, located in the Yonne department a few kilometers southeast of Avallon, is an ideal starting point for a leisurely bike ride through the Cousin Valley and the Burgundy countryside. The secondary roads, rolling landscapes, and river make for a very pleasant route. Around the village, several mountain biking and cycling trails are available, as well as connections to the paths near Avallon and longer routes for cycle tourists.
At the heart of the village is the church of Saint-Germain-d'Auxerre, an early 16th-century building remarkable for its set of murals which go around the interior of the nave and the choir: it is an interesting cultural stop before or after a bike ride.
The village of Montréal (Yonne)
Continuing your cycle route eastward from Avallon (approximately 12–15 km from Vault-de-Lugny), you will reach Montréal, a perched medieval village overlooking the Serein Valley. Built on a hill, this village once boasted three fortified enclosures and retains picturesque alleyways and a very authentic atmosphere.
Its architectural jewel is the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame de Montréal, built between the late 12th and early 13th centuries in a transitional Romanesque-Gothic style and magnificently restored by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. The interior houses remarkable sculpted elements and a rich history linked to the lords of the region.
Cycling between Vault-de-Lugny and Montreal
The distance between Vault-de-Lugny and Montréal (via Avallon) is approximately 15 km by secondary roads or by combining quiet paths and small departmental roads, which can make for a pleasant half-day bike ride, with heritage stops (church, collegiate church) and panoramas over the Terre Plaine and the valleys of the Serein and the Cousin.
