Gy

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Gy (Haute-Saône) → Vézelay (Yonne)
• Length: approx. 212 km
• Stages: 8 according to portal classification (Träger variant: 10, via Avallon)
• Duration: 8–10 days
• Regions: Burgundy-Franche-Comté — Haute-Saône, Saône Valley near Gray, Tille Valley, Côte-d'Or, Auxois
• Elevation range: approx. 190–507 m — flat start, hilly second half
• Waymarking: Yellow scallop on a blue background, issued in Burgundy as a 6 × 6 cm adhesive stamp
• Organisation: Association Franc-Comtoise du Chemin de Compostelle and Confraternité de Bourgogne (both founded in 2000)
• Connection: from Vézelay via the Via Lemovicensis — approx. 1,100 km to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

Overview

The Jakobsweg Gy–Vézelay is the western branch of the Burgundy Trail—the 212-kilometer route for everyone who wants to Gy choose Vézelay over Le Puy. From the wine-growing town with the archbishop's castle, the route leads down to the Saône according to Gray, in Château de Rosières from the 15th century, across the border into Burgundy, through the Tille Valley, and over the wooded hills of the Côte-d'Or to Flavigny-sur-Ozerain and Semur-en-Auxois — and finally up the hill to Vézelay, where one of the four major French routes begins at the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. Flat at the start, hilly in the middle, with a final climb that feels like a gateway.

The trail bears its most beautiful name at the Burgundian Brotherhood: Chemin des Hongrois, the Hungarians' trail—and none of its maintainers explain why. Otherwise, no one here is taking credit for something they didn't do: it's not a GR long-distance trail, nor is it registered with the national trail agency, but rather a connecting trail that two people maintain each year 2000 Regional associations that have been founded are marked by a yellow shell on a blue background; on the Burgundian side, these are small adhesive squares measuring six by six centimeters, maintained by volunteers. Anyone seeking solitude will find it here, as advertised.

Founded in 719, filled with relics in 866, overshadowed by Vézelay in the 12th century

With two stages to go, you move up to Flavigny-sur-Ozerain upstairs, and that's where the real story of this path lies, down in the basement. 719 The Burgundian nobleman founded Wideradus Yesterday, the Abbey of Saint-Pierre—his will sums it up in a single sentence: “J'ai construit un monastère sur mes propres fonds.” 745 The Council of Autun confirms the founding, and 866 The relics of Saint Reine were brought here from Alise-Sainte-Reine. A Carolingian crypt was built to house them, and pilgrims flocked to the site. The crypt still stands today.

Then came the decline, and the source names the culprit: Beginning in the 12th century, the flow of pilgrims to Flavigny plummeted—specifically “due to competition from Vézelay.” That is exactly where this trail takes you, in two daily stages: You walk the route that cost Flavigny its pilgrims. No other section of our network tells the story of the rivalry between two pilgrimage sites with such precise, firsthand historical detail. The abbey’s demise came later and was of a secular nature: 1791 sold as national property; the church was demolished—all that remains is the crypt dating from 866 and a factory that still operates today in the monastery buildings Anis de Flavigny makes. Relics in the basement, candy on the ground floor.

And what about St. James himself? He’s conspicuous by his absence along this route—and let’s be honest about that. The major churches along the route are named Saint-Symphorien, Notre-Dame, Saint-Florent, Saint-Pierre, Saint-Lazare, and, at the destination, Sainte-Marie-Madeleine: not a single one is dedicated to James, no verifiable Brotherhood of St. James, no pilgrim hospital bearing his name. This route is not a time-honored Way of St. James, but rather a side road—and its very name remains the greatest mystery of all: Why did the brotherhood name it Chemin des Hongrois No source explains why it is called that, or why the neighboring path through Langres is called the “chemin des Allemands.” Burgundy apparently named its eastern access routes after the nations that traveled along them—but no one says which Hungarians passed through here.

Other Names

Three names, three perspectives. The Burgundian Brotherhood leads the way as Chemin des Hongrois — “Weg der Ungarn,” Gray–Lamargelle–Vézelay — and leaves the origin of the name open; the parallel “chemin des Allemands” from Langres via Dijon to Cluny also remains unexplained. For the Association Franc-Comtoise, it is simply the Vézelay Variation along the route, listed in the eGuide as stages 8a through 17a—the “a” stands for “alternative.” And the Haute-Saône tourism board calls it the “Burgundy Route,” as opposed to the “Franche-Comté Route,” which continues on to Le Puy-en-Velay. There’s just one thing it isn’t: “the Burgundy Trail”—that name belongs to the main route via Beaune and Cluny. In German, the simplest way to describe the trail is to say what it does: it connects Gy to Vézelay.

Who It's Ideal For—and Who It's Not So Ideal For

This route is for you if you’re already on the trail. It serves as a connecting link and really comes into its own when you’re coming from Alsace or Switzerland via the Burgundy Way and find yourself in Gy facing a choice: Le Puy or Vézelay. If you choose Vézelay, you’ll enjoy about 212 kilometers of peaceful, unhurried walking through the Haute-Saône and the Côte-d’Or—and at the end, one of the four major French starting points, with everything that begins there.

To be honest, though, it’s not the right choice for you if you’re looking for your first Camino. Five of the eight Portal stages are over 29 kilometers long; the brotherhood marks exactly twelve places with lodging along the 180 kilometers from Gray; and between Lamargelle and Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, there’s a 27-kilometer stretch with no marked lodging—gaps like that are something you plan for in advance, not while you’re on the trail. The trail marking is also done by volunteers: small adhesive squares don’t last forever, and the associations can’t keep up everywhere at the same pace—in February 2022, four of them set out together to refresh the scallop shell markings. Anyone who sets out without a GPS track and a guidebook will get lost here.

Route & Landscape

The trail begins in Gy, a wine-growing village in the Haute-Saône, overlooked by the castle of the archbishops of Besançon—their residence for nearly seven centuries. The route continues westward through vineyards and fields, passing through Choye and Villefrancon, and down to the Saône according to Gray, the only real city in the first half of the route: a river port that grew wealthy in the 16th century, with a pilgrimage basilica on the hill. The next day, you cross the Saône, walk through flat countryside—and find yourself at the Château de Rosières From the 15th century: This is where Franche-Comté ends and Burgundy begins.

After that, the trail changes character. It winds through the Tille-Tal, crosses the watershed between the Saône and the Seine, and climbs into the wooded heights of the Côte-d'Or — vast forests where the wayside crosses bear names such as Étoile de Ranti or Étoile Noirot, then the highest point at 507 meters just before Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. From there to the Auxois: Semur-en-Auxois with its castle overlooking the Armançon, the crossing of the Canal de Bourgogne, farmland and vineyards—and finally the Le Cousin stream and the final climb through Saint-Père up the hill to Vézelay. The entire route takes place between 190 and 507 meters: it's not mountainous, but it's not flat either.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

The portals calculate the route to Stage 8 and about 56 hours of walking—assuming a brisk pace, since five days cover 29 kilometers. The Association Franc-Comtoise divides the same route in its eGuide into ten stages and even writes the key sentence himself: “Étapes : elles ne sont qu'indicatives.” The stages are just suggestions—stick to the ten if you’re not racing against the clock. Technically, nothing is difficult: The first half is flat, the second hilly, with a good 600 meters of elevation gain on the queen stage to Flavigny. What you really need to plan for isn’t the climb, but your place to sleep. All stage figures are rounded estimates—the only binding figure is the total length of 212 km.

1. Gy → Gray (approx. 23 km) — From the wine-growing village of Gy, through Choye and Villefrancon—with its castle, which is well worth seeing—then via Velesmes-Échevanne and Ancier down to the Saône; the stage ends at the youth hostel in Gray. Constant ups and downs, but only 102 m of elevation gain.
2. Gray → Château de Rosières (approx. 22 km) — The last day in the Haute-Saône: down some stairs, across the Saône, then flat countryside through Arc-lès-Gray, Nantilly, Bouhans-et-Feurg, and Autrey-lès-Gray. The destination is the 15th-century castle—Burgundy begins.
3. Château de Rosières → Villey-sur-Tille (approx. 30 km) — Westward via Bourberain, through a large forest featuring the trail markers Étoile de Ranti, Étoile du Centre, and Étoile Noirot, past La Torcelle and the Canal de la Marne à la Saône, down into the Tille Valley.
4. Villey-sur-Tille → Lamargelle (approx. 29 km) — The first truly hilly day: through Luxerois, Saulx-le-Duc, Moloy, and Frénois, across the wooded hills of the Côte-d'Or, with a 300-meter climb and small villages offering basic amenities.
5. Lamargelle → Flavigny-sur-Ozerain (approx. 30 km) — The queen stage: 612 m of elevation gain, evenly distributed across individual climbs; the trail’s highest point is 507 m. Via Chanceaux and Gissey-sous-Flavigny to the Abbey of Saint-Pierre in Flavigny.
6. Flavigny-sur-Ozerain → Semur-en-Auxois (approx. 20 km) — A short day. Passing through Pouillenay, Magny-la-Ville, and Saint-Euphrône through peaceful countryside, crossing the Canal de Bourgogne along the way. Semur-en-Auxois is the most beautiful town along the route.
7. Semur-en-Auxois → Cussy-les-Forges (approx. 31 km) — The longest stage, heading clearly west: lots of farmland, some woods, vineyards, passing through Bourbilly, Montberthault, and Saint-André-en-Terre-Plaine. Starts at the castle in Semur, ends at the church in Cussy.
8. Cussy-les-Forges → Vézelay (approx. 30 km) — The final day: via Magny, Méluzien, and Tharoiseau, along a stretch of the Le Cousin stream, through the Buisson aux Loups woods, then through Saint-Père and up the final climb to the hill of Vézelay.

The carrier version of the eGuide runs on ten stages and veers off twice: It runs through the Tille Valley via Til-Châtel and Is-sur-Tille instead of through Villey—the two routes meet again at Moloy—and finally through Vieux-Château and Avallon instead of going directly to Vézelay. Avallon is a well-served alternative with a train station; the Brotherhood's distance chart lists 180.7 kilometers from Gray.

Highlights Along the Way

• Gy Castle — The residence of the archbishops of Besançon for nearly seven centuries: besieged and destroyed in 1259, refortified in 1439–40, and converted into a princely residence by Cardinal Choiseul-Beaupré in the 18th century. Designated a historic monument in 1922.
• Notre-Dame de Gray Basilica — Shrine dedicated to the Madonna, carved from oak in 1613. Rome rejected the coronation in 1869 and did not permit it until 1907, after the Capuchins submitted documentation spanning 170 years; it has been a basilica since 1948. Inside is the heart of Saint Pierre Fourier, whom Richelieu exiled to Gray in 1636.
• Château de Rosières — A 15th-century castle and the official gateway to Burgundy. Today it operates as a bed-and-breakfast with a total of eight beds: be sure to make a reservation in advance.
• Church of Saint-Florent and Saint-Honoré in Til-Châtel — A church in Til is first mentioned as early as 801; construction of the Romanesque building began in the 12th century with the choir. Designated a "Monument historique" since 1862 — located along the Tille Valley route of the brotherhood.
• Saint-Pierre Abbey in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain — Founded in 719; a Carolingian crypt housing the relics of Saint Reine, dating from 866. Today, the Anis de Flavigny factory operates in the monastery buildings: a monastery and a candy factory under one roof.
• Notre-Dame Collegiate Church in Semur-en-Auxois — Construction began in 1225; the north portal, the Porte des Bleds, features a 13th-century tympanum depicting Doubting Thomas and the mission to India.
• Burgundy Canal — Burgundy’s historic trade waterway, now a recreational waterway, crossed on a short day between Flavigny and Semur.
• The final climb to Vézelay — After a short stretch along the Le Cousin stream, the trail climbs through Saint-Père up the hill. At the top stands the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, and a new trail begins.

How Pilgrims Find Their Way onto This Path

Almost everyone who walks here comes from the East—via the Jakobsweg Héricourt–Beaune, which runs from Alsace and Switzerland through the Haute-Saône. In Gy, 108 kilometers from Héricourt and right in the middle of that route, lies the fork in the road. The Haute-Saône Tourism Board describes it matter-of-factly: “At Gy, the Burgundy route heads towards Vézelay, while the Franche-Comté route continues towards Le Puy-en-Velay.” If you turn left, you’ll walk to Le Puy and continue on the Via Podiensis; if you turn right, take this route. The guide puts it just as succinctly: “À partir de Gy (70), continuer vers Gray, à l'Ouest, avant d'entrer en Bourgogne au château de Rosières (21) pour rejoindre Vézelay.”

The most common access route to this corridor is the Voie d'Alsace, which runs from Strasbourg and Basel and connects at Héricourt. If you want to start right in Gy: The town doesn’t have a train station—you’ll have to travel via Besançon or Vesoul and cover the last stretch by bus or taxi. And be sure to call the Monts de Gy tourist office beforehand: Four places in town accommodate pilgrims, but none of them are large hostels. The office itself reminds you: “n'oubliez pas votre crédenciale !”

Continue the pilgrimage?

This trail does not end in Vézelay; it continues on. At the top, near the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, the Via Lemovicensis — the Voie de Vézelay, about 1,100 kilometers to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, marked as GR 654 and also with the European scallop shell symbol. It is one of the four historic main French routes, and right after Vézelay, it presents you with your next choice: via La Charité-sur-Loire and Nevers, or via Bourges—the two branches don’t meet again until Gargilesse-Dampierre.

From Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the Camino Francés across the Pyrenees to Santiago de Compostela. And if you’d decided to go the other way in Gy, you would have walked via Beaune and Cluny to Le Puy-en-Velay and joined the Via Podiensis arrived. Both routes lead to Santiago—just around different sides of the Massif Central.

Preparation & Practical Information

The good times are between April and October. The trail stays between 190 and 507 meters — snow isn’t an issue, but the forested sections of the Côte-d’Or get humid in midsummer and muddy in late fall. Spring and September are the most pleasant times to visit, and in September the vineyards around Gy and Semur are at their most beautiful.

You should pack two carrier guides. The Confraternité de Bourgogneprovides its Gray–Vézelay route guide, which includes cumulative kilometer counts and accommodation markers, as a free PDF; its detailed printed guide costs 12 euros (as of August 2026). The Association Franc-ComtoiseIn Belfort, the eGuide has been published since 2007, and this section is listed as routes 8a through 17a. Both clubs were founded in 2000, and both are run by volunteers—so expect some gaps. The Pilgrim's Passport (Credencial) is issued by the AF-CCC; order it online in advance so it arrives in time for your departure. Even the Hôtel Pinocchio in Gy offers its “prix spécial pélerin sur présentation de la crédenciale” only upon presentation of the document.

And download the GPS tracks before you set out—the adhesive shells don't last forever. With the Camino Ninja App You're in good hands—she has the entire route on board, and you can put together your own itinerary and plan suitable accommodations right along with it.

What the journey will cost you

Expect 35 to 55 euros per day, if you stay in gîtes and chambres d'hôtes (as of August 2026). These are French prices, not Spanish ones: no chain of budget pilgrim hostels, but rather private hosts, municipal accommodations, and small hotels. In Gy, the Gîte de la Fontaine costs 40 euros with half-board for a room with twelve beds; at the Château de Rosières, you’ll sleep in a 15th-century castle—eight beds in total, so the price is correspondingly higher and you’ll need to book well in advance. What can really cost you money here are the gaps in accommodations: if there’s no bed available between Lamargelle and Flavigny, you’ll have to pay for a taxi. There are two fixed expenses you can count on—the Credencial through the AF-CCC and the 12 euros for the Burgundian paper guidebook. The free PDF map from the brotherhood isn’t a substitute for it: it shows kilometers and lodging locations, but no route descriptions.

Getting Here

To begin with: Gy is located in the Ognon Valley and does not have a train station. You can take the TGV or TER to Besançon-Viotte or See you later and cover the last 30 or so kilometers by bus or taxi; information about the region is available through the Mobigo platform. Many pilgrims come on foot anyway—via the Jakobsweg Héricourt–Beaune from Héricourt or, starting further east, via the Voie d'Alsace from Strasbourg and Basel.

About the goal: Vézelay itself doesn't have a train station either. The nearest one is Sermizelles-Vézelay, 10 kilometers away, with shuttle buses up to the village; Avallon is 20 kilometers away and can be reached on foot via the GR 13, Auxerre 50 kilometers with connections to Paris. If you’re going further, you don’t even need the train: The route begins at the basilica Via Lemovicensis. The Way Association's office is located in Vézelay at 24 rue Saint-Pierre.

• Getting to the starting point: Take the TGV/TER to Besançon-Viotte or Vesoul, then continue by bus or taxi to Gy; check schedules at [bahn.de](https://www.bahn.de) and [sncf-connect.com](https://www.sncf-connect.com).
• Return trip from the destination: From the Sermizelles-Vézelay train station (10 km, shuttle bus) or Avallon (20 km), via Auxerre or Dijon, toward Paris and Germany.
• Regional buses: Bourgogne-Franche-Comté uses the Mobigo platform.
• Sponsoring organizations: Credencial and eGuide at [af-ccc.fr](https://www.af-ccc.fr), Burgundian guides at [st-jacques-bourgogne.org](https://st-jacques-bourgogne.org).