Crux-La-Ville: Forests, Ponds and Local History

Crux-La-Ville is heavily wooded, with numerous ponds spread throughout the commune. At Étang du Merle, there is also a sandy beach and paths for a range of activities. The church, bridges, mill and washhouse provide further tangible connections to the area’s past. If you are looking for a hotel in Crux-La-Ville, the destination can be explored through two main themes: nature and outdoor activities on the one hand, and local history on the other.

Forest, Ponds and Landscape

The ponds are not all in one place but are spread throughout Crux-La-Ville. Together with the heavily wooded landscape, they help define the commune. Small roads and paths cross the area and provide additional landmarks alongside the waterways. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between the wider forest-and-pond landscape and Étang du Merle as a specific waterside destination with a beach and circular trails. This can help you decide whether you are more interested in a particular body of water or the landscape that characterizes the commune as a whole.

Étang du Merle and Its Trails

Étang du Merle is considered a protected, unspoiled place. Its surface area is 17 hectares, and it is bordered by a sandy beach. Swimming there is supervised in July and August. If supervised swimming is important to your trip, take this period into account and check the seasonal arrangements in advance.

Hiking, horse-riding and mountain-biking trails make it possible to circle Étang du Merle and explore the forest. These activities differ in how you get around, but all share the pond and forest as points of reference. When choosing what to do, you can therefore start by considering whether you would prefer to hike, ride a horse or go mountain biking. The route “Sur le chemin des maquis” is currently listed on the tourism portal as a hike of moderate difficulty. This rating applies to the named route. Check access and trail conditions before setting out.

Church and Local History

The church in Crux-la-Ville contains a tombstone for Louis Alexandre de Damas, Count of Crux. It was classified as a historic object on April 20, 1913. If you would like to see the tombstone, check before visiting whether you can access the church and view it. A memorial created by Abbé Paul Renard, parish priest of St Franchy, was also installed in the church in the early 1920s. The work was listed as a historic monument in 2018. These dates mark different events: the classification of the tombstone, the earlier installation of the memorial and its later listing.

Bridges, Mill and Washhouse

The arched bridge “pont de Ligny” lies between two ponds. An old mill stands upstream and may date back at least to the 17th century. Another bridge, called “pont de fer,” lies downstream from Fonds Thomas. The washhouse was restored in 1980 thanks to the Camosine. The mill’s date is a possibility, whereas 1980 is the year the washhouse was restored. The two bridges can be distinguished by different features: the pont de Ligny by its arch and position between two ponds, and the pont de fer by its position downstream from Fonds Thomas.

Discover more destinations: Nuars, Azy-Le-Vif, Arquian, Chitry-Les-Mines, La Nocle Maulaix, Fours, Oulon, Larochemillay

For the broader travel overview: Nièvre.