Hiking - Boucle de la Motte-Ternant
This hike, located at the borders of the Auxois and Morvan regions, offers varied landscapes. After a pleasant stretch through the forest along the banks of the Baigne river, the path gains elevation, offering beautiful panoramas. Here and there, the coniferous tree plantations already hint at the proximity of "the mountains."
In the contact zone between the valleys of the Morvan and the plateaus of the Auxois, nestled in a valley where three streams converge, the village of La Motte-Ternant features buildings where granite and limestone are blended. The "Motte" (formerly "Mothe") signified the "feudal castle." Only the base of an octagonal tower of the castle remains, cited in 1306 as a fortified house. Saint-Martin Church, dating from the late 10th century, appears to show the remains of a small Carolingian basilica, likely the oldest pre-Romanesque evidence in Côte-d'Or. The roofing of the square bell tower and chapels is made of slabs of a stronger, darker limestone, locally known as "laves."
In the contact zone between the valleys of the Morvan and the plateaus of the Auxois, nestled in a valley where three streams converge, the village of La Motte-Ternant features buildings where granite and limestone are blended. The "Motte" (formerly "Mothe") signified the "feudal castle." Only the base of an octagonal tower of the castle remains, cited in 1306 as a fortified house. Saint-Martin Church, dating from the late 10th century, appears to show the remains of a small Carolingian basilica, likely the oldest pre-Romanesque evidence in Côte-d'Or. The roofing of the square bell tower and chapels is made of slabs of a stronger, darker limestone, locally known as "laves."