Veloroute Hiking and Biking In The Burgundy Valley, France

Hiking and Biking the Veloroutes of Burgundy Valley

 Veloroutes are designated bike and walking trails in France.   Several trails follow the Burgundy Canal for one hundred and forty miles or so as it winds its way through the Burgundy Valley and offer a great variety of bike recreation and sightseeing.   One of the prime sections of this trail is the paved and stone dust run through Dijon that follows the old tow paths of the Burgundy Canal.

The Veloroutes and Voie Vertes (dedicated green-ways for walking) are great places for a hike or bike ride.  You can walk or bike the route in Dijon from the center of the city. 

Head north or south.

The Dijon Veloroute follows the Burgundy Canal.  The high visibility

 vest is required on some trails.  From this point the trail goes north to 

the Ouche Valley and to Châteauneuf-en-Auxois

Burgundy Canal Biking, Walking

The trail beside the Burgundy Canal is paved near Dijon and then turns to well-packed gravel suitable for bikes.  On a northern trip you will pass Lake Kir on the outskirts of Dijon and then head toward the Ouche Valley and eventually, the hill-top castle of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois.   Hotels in the villages along the way will provide shelter on an extended trip.  Châteauneuf-en-Auxois offers lodging as well.   Best to plan ahead in high season, mid June-mid September.   Get maps in the Dijon tourist center that show bus routes, lodging, and trails.

 Good Local Information and  Maps from Phillip Aldridge

You can start a hike or bike ride at the basin in Dijon where canal boats moor beside the Burgundy Canal.  Go north towards Châteauneuf-en-Auxois or south towards 

Saint-Jean-de-Losne or Beaune.

TGV Train Transport to Dijon

Reach Dijon from Paris via a TGV train out of Gare de Lyon.    See Paris TrainsYou can also reach Dijon via high-speed, A-5 and A-38 roads from Paris or the A-7 and A-5 from Marseilles.

TGV Trains from Gare de Lyon in Paris France reach

 Dijon in 1.5 hours

Voie Verte and Veloroute

The Voie Verte and Veloroute trails are designated for recreation.  The Voie Verte is a set aside with no motorized traffic other than that used by lock tenders.  The Veloroute is a set aside that could have limited auto traffic.

Hundreds of miles of trails are available in East Central France.  The routes north of Dijon along the canal are well-developed.  In the south, between Dijon and Beaune,  the trails are in various stages of development.  There are trails beside the canal through farm country to the southern end of the canal at Saint Jean de Losne on the Seone River.  Other trails lead south to the more popular city of Beaune.  Conventional trains (slow) run between Dijon and Beaune.  

Good bike trip information here by Maggie LaCoste

The Voie Vertes  are walking and bike routes set aside for recreation, walking, rollerblade, biking, wheel chair, baby carriage.

At various villages along the way you can find lodging if you are on a long hike or ride.
With a good map you can find village centers and leave the trail to get lunch at bakeries and shops or to find lodging.   A good map or use of the language will help find the places to stop. The people in the Burgundy Valley are extremely helpful, however, and will go out of their way to point you towards the nearest restaurant or shop.

Canal Barges use the basin in Dijon as a base for barge

trips, culinary cruises, and barge bike trips on the 

Burgundy Canal

The tourist office at the train station in Dijon will provide good maps and info.

More info here

Related Pages
Burgundy Canal Photos