Touillon: Vallon de Fontenay and local history

Touillon offers two distinct points of interest for a stay: the Vallon de l’Abbaye de Fontenay, with its natural landscape and waterways, and architectural evidence of the town’s history. These themes give you a clear basis for deciding whether a hike or local history should shape your stay.

The Vallon: natural landscape and hiking

The Vallon de l’Abbaye de Fontenay is designated as a classified natural site and also includes areas in Touillon. The historic management of water is also part of the landscape: water was managed from its source at the foot of the village of Touillon to Fontenay Abbey through a series of small basins and ponds. The surviving ponds remain part of the Vallon landscape. The similar-sounding names refer to different things: Vallon de l’Abbaye de Fontenay is the natural site, while “Vallon de Fontenay” is the name of the hiking route.

A description from November 2001 states that the Vallon is open to the public and has established hiking trails. An official fact sheet from the same month also lists two picnic areas and a car park set up for tourist visitors. Before your visit, confirm access, trail conditions and the current availability of facilities on site.

The “Vallon de Fontenay” hiking route starts at the car park on the village square in Touillon. It is listed as a moderately difficult 11.5 km route and follows the Ruisseau de Fontenay, passing former ponds. For planning purposes, two separate details are provided: 11.5 km describes the route, while “moderately difficult” is its listed difficulty. Trail conditions and waymarking can change; check them on site.

Architectural heritage and local history

At Étang de la Roche, the uppermost level of the dovecote contains 290 nesting niches. Nesting niches are individual breeding spaces.

The Church of Saint-Fiacre is decorated with 19th-century wall paintings. Its porch, with four columns, was added in the 19th century; the bell tower is entirely covered with slate. The paintings and porch are therefore dated to a specific period, while the slate covering remains a separate feature of the bell tower. The church thus offers distinct details in its wall decoration, structural additions and the tower’s roof covering.

The large square tower is the only surviving remnant of Touillon’s episcopal fortress castle. The castle later served as a residence for the bishops of Autun and was used as an episcopal prison at the end of the 15th century. The surviving structure and its uses should be distinguished: the tower remains, while the residence and prison describe the castle’s earlier functions. These historical roles and the surviving structure offer different insights into local history.

Discover more destinations: Bligny-lès-Beaune, Missery, Savigny-Lès-Beaune, Saint-Aubin, Chanceaux, Oigny, Thury, Corsaint

See the main travel guide: Cote-Dor.