Lindry: Church, Wall Paintings and Hiking

Lindry offers two distinct starting points for planning a trip: the architectural and artistic history of the Église Sainte-Geneviève, and hiking opportunities with routes of varying formats. Local social history adds another dimension to these themes. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Lindry, these highlights can help you identify your interests for the trip.

Église Sainte-Geneviève: Architectural History and Wall Paintings

The Église Sainte-Geneviève is the oldest building in Lindry and dates from the 12th century. Its choir has a flat end; the church also has an altarpiece from the early 18th century. The wall painting is on the north wall. It was painted around 1515 using ochre from Puisaye, placing it chronologically between the construction of the building and the later altarpiece. The painting measures 3.79 meters long and 2.73 meters wide.

A decree dated September 10, 2001, lists the Église Sainte-Geneviève, including its wall paintings, as a historic monument. The protected status therefore explicitly covers both the church building and the paintings. To understand the chronology, it helps to distinguish the different elements: the age of the building, the date of the wall painting, and the date of the altarpiece represent different aspects of the church.

Local History and Social Tradition

Social history offers another perspective: from the 18th century onward, Lindry was known for its wet nurses, who raised abandoned children from Paris or Auxerre. This historical connection adds a local tradition, not tied to any one building, to the architectural and artistic history. The children’s origins are part of this account, as is the role of the wet nurses in raising them.

Hiking and Route Formats

Lindry offers several hiking formats. The SIVU des Belles Vallées hike includes routes of varying lengths for experienced hikers and families. Depending on the route, there are also options for horse riders or mountain bikers. The range should therefore not be understood as a single route with a uniform profile: lengths and intended activities vary from one route to another. Route formats may also change between annual editions.

One specific circular hike in Lindry is listed as 10 kilometers long and taking 2 hours 30 minutes. It is classified as easy. These are two useful figures for your planning: the distance and duration apply to this circular hike, not necessarily to the other SIVU routes. As route details may change, check the current trail markings on site. This lets you consider the stated duration separately from the more variable hiking options.

In 2025, Lindry was one of the member municipalities of the SIVU des Belles Vallées. For its intermunicipal hike, the route starts in each member municipality and ends in a different municipality each year. The destination changes annually; Lindry’s membership in 2025 does not make it the permanent endpoint of the event.

Discover more destinations: Treigny, Chassignelles, Chemilly-Sur-Yonne, Saint-Fargeau, Sennevoy-Le-Bas, Joigny, Cussy-Les-Forges, Sainte-Vertu.

For the regional travel overview: Yonne.