Champignelles: Hiking, Horse Riding and Culture

Champignelles offers several different points of interest to consider when planning a stay: a marked hiking trail around Louesme, horse-riding options, a short railway line and gardens with a variety of areas. The Eglise Saint-Roch de Louesme is also connected to the trail and has a building history spanning several centuries.

Hiking around Louesme

Le Gué de la Musse is a marked hiking trail, numbered 73, that runs around Louesme in Champignelles. It starts at the Eglise Saint-Roch de Louesme; parking is available along the road. The route passes through the woodland areas of Bois de Beaurain, Bois Barbet, Bois de Bréau, Bois de Pimelle and Bois des Frins, and by the Étang d'Annebaude. These named places help you locate the route: the church and Louesme mark the starting point and its surroundings, while the woodland areas and pond identify further sections along the way. Before setting off, check the current trail markings and trail conditions, as well as parking availability along the road.

The church and its building history

The Eglise Saint-Roch de Louesme has building phases dating from the 13th, 16th, 17th and 19th centuries. An order dated 26 November 1992 listed it as a Monument historique. The dates serve different purposes: the centuries refer to building phases, while the date identifies the order listing the church. This distinction helps separate its multi-period building history from its legal protection status. For visitors interested in cultural history, this distinction is useful when including the church as a point of interest in your trip plans.

Horse-riding options

The Centre Equestre de Champignelles welcomes visitors daily and during school holidays. Its activities cater to everyone from beginners to advanced riders and include both recreational and competitive riding. For planning purposes, you can distinguish between two aspects: your experience level and the kind of riding you want to do. If horse riding is a focus of your trip, check the current visitor arrangements before you arrive, as access information may change.

Petit Train de Champignelles

The Petit Train de Champignelles carries passengers along a one-kilometre route. The track gauge is 40 centimetres. The “BB” locomotive was built entirely by the Association du Petit Train de Champignelles. This attraction brings together the ride and specific technical details: the route length, the track gauge and the locomotive's construction history. For travellers interested in railways, the ride and the home-built locomotive combine to make a distinctive outing.

The gardens of Château Le Parc Vieil

The gardens of Château Le Parc Vieil cover more than four hectares in total. They include a vegetable garden, wooded areas, an English-style park, a French-style park and a basin. These named features range from the vegetable garden and wooded areas to two types of park and a basin. If you would like to include a variety of garden features in your travel plans, this offers a different focus from the marked hiking trail or horse-riding options: the emphasis is on the grounds and their different areas. Together with the church, railway and hiking trail, Champignelles thus offers several clearly distinct themes for shaping your stay.

Discover more destinations: Jussy, Sermizelles, Villy, Dissangis, Villeneuve-Les-Genêts, Domecy-Sur-Cure, Venoy, Pontaubert

See the broader travel overview: Yonne.