The 3 castles ring
22 km
Level : middle
Lasting time : 6h30
Distance : 22 km
To reach the departure point : Montoillot parking at 50 m from the departemental road, close to the containers.
Marking : yellow, green and yellow tags 3 to 7
To be avoided during hunting periods (mid september to end of february)
From castle to castle, the landscape from Auxois reveals to you its waterbodies and its green valleys dotted with small typical villages. A protected environment suitable for observing the wild animals. If you have time, have a look at the Loizerolle private castle and do not miss the Châteauneuf village as well as the Commarin castle.
Heritage side
3 castles but also some churches, chapels, crosses, washouses and even some hydraulic structures which constitute an heritage landscape to discover.
Châteauneuf
Solid fortress with a middle age aspect, this castle has been raised in the XIIth century and then strengthened in the XIVth century. It becomes a luxurious residence at the end of the XVth century when Philippe Pot, Burgundy duke's advisor requires the building of two new houses and the chapel embellished with wall paintings.
Commarin
Owned by the same family since its origin, this castle is the assemblage of a strong house from theXIIIth century beautified in the XVIth century and then redesigned in the XVII and XVIIIth centuries in order to become the residence widely open and visible nowadays, in the middle of its English garden park. In the west side of this park, stands the Magnanerie farm where there used to have a silkworms breeding in the beginning of the XIXth century on muriers planted around the castle.
Loizerolle
Discreet, nestled in the woods, this castle seems to be a history lesson written in the rock in the XIXth century. The cistercian monks created here in 1130 a new abbey which was burnt few years later and which will be rebuilt lower and which will take the name of The Bussière. In front of the castle, the impressive dimière barn, the chapel and the habitations prove the exploitation of the places by the monks.
Nature side
This is the Commarin's stream which has drawn the valley you are going to discover during your trekking. This valley is a step of the birds migration. All along the trekking and whatever the season, you will be accompanied by the warning screams of the jay or the hordes of trushes. Perched on the top of a tree or floating in the updrafts, the rapaces may also be visibles ! In the spring, the meadows are flowered with primroses, in the summer with dandelions and boutons d'or, in the autumn with colchicum. The fox and the wild cat can also be observed.
Topographical guide
Departure point : Montoillot at 50 m from the departemental road
- Park your car close to the selective waste containers. Take the path going down to the channel, then going up to the plateau and leading to the tarred road close to Loizerolle.
- Take this road on the left, on a distance of 250 m to see the Loizerolle's castle. Continue on the tarred road until the crossing of the Labussière Commarin road. Continue straight ahead on the dirt track and then on the old roman way
- Once to " La Montagne " hamlet, continue straight ahead in the forest to visit Châteauneuf.
- On your way back, observe the St Julien's chapel ruins located at 50 m on the left and then walk to point 3. Go left to the trail going down to Panthier's tank.
- Once at the tank, walk along it keeping it on its left side until the alimentation channel.
- Go up the channel by the right side until Ratelain's bridge and visit Commarin.
- After the visit of Commarin, go back on the channel's way.
- Have a look to the 3 levels' bridge : the channel goes on the Palloux's stream and under the road going to Palloux. Continue on the channel until the departemental road you will cross.
- Continue along the channel until the next small bridge where you will change the channel's side and to finish, you can visit Montoillot (on the top of the village, XVIIth century church).
