a new 550-kilometre route to discover the history of medieval Europe

After several years of work, the Via Cluny is finally open! From Burgundy to Switzerland via the Jura, it connects 26 Cluniac sites and provides a link between two pilgrim routes. A 550-kilometre transversal route, variants, one-day loops: what will you choose?

Cluny: in everyone’s mind, this name is associated with the powerful abbey founded in 910 which – with more than 2,000 outbuildings! – shone across medieval Europe, and whose legacy covers many areas (architecture, but also sculpture, painting, illuminated manuscripts, music). But we know less about the two great Benedictine monastic sites in the Jura which are at the origin of this foundation. “It was from this region in 909 that Abbot Bernon, accompanied by six monks from Gigny and six monks from Baume-les-Messieurs, set out to found this abbey, at the request of William the Pious, Duke of Aquitaine,” says Marie-Jeanne Lambert, then chief curator of Heritage for the Jura department responsible for monitoring events related to Cluny.

An idea born from a birthday

In 2009 and 2010, during the festivities commemorating this foundation, hikers linked Baume-les-Messieurs to Gigny, then Gigny to Cluny. “It was then that the European Federation of Cluniac Sites, whose network is recognized as a “Major Cultural Route” by the Council of Europe, came up with the idea of creating a hiking route that would link these places and extend to Switzerland, where there are several Cluniac sites,” continues Marie-Jeanne Lambert.

The challenge was met, thanks to a small team of volunteers passionate about hiking, history and heritage. “On February 12, 2016, we created an association, called Chemin de Cluny Franche-Comté Bourgogne, explains Robert Gros, its president. Then we defined a route linking 26 Cluniac sites between Payerne (Switzerland) and Cluny.”

A route, variants, loops

The main route, which stretches over 550 kilometres (163 of which are in Switzerland), can be covered in 26 stages. “But the hiker must take his time,” comments Marie-Jeanne Lambert. “There are indeed many treasures to discover along the way: architectural heritage, varied landscapes, fauna and flora, ancestral know-how, not to mention the gastronomy of the territories crossed!”

As for the Cluniac sites linked by this route, they will reveal themselves all the better to those who join them in their footsteps. Among them: L’île-Saint-Pierre (Switzerland) and its medieval village; Saint-Point (Doubs), located on the edge of a lake; Saint-Lothain (Jura), in the vineyard, with its beautiful crypt; Vaux-sur-Poligny (Jura), seat of a former major seminary; Poligny (Jura) and its former church of Notre-Dame de Mouthier-le-Vieillard; Baume-les-Messieurs and Gigny (Jura), whose abbeys are well preserved; Cuisery (Saône-et-Loire), book village; and of course Cluny (Saône-et-Loire), the mother house!

“This long hike can be done continuously, or by choosing a few stages,” notes Marie-Jeanne Lambert. “Two access variants, starting from Morteau and Dole, also join this route. And for those who have only one day, 11 hiking loops around major Cluniac or heritage sites are offered. Finally, I would point out, for the attention of pilgrims of Saint-Jacques, that the main route links two Ways of St. James: the Via Jacobi (Rorschach – Geneva) and the Via Podiensis (Le Puy-en-Velay – Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port).”

Echoes of the path

The feedback from the first hikers is enthusiastic. “All agree that this hike was particularly successful,” says Monique, who is doing the route in stages with four friends. “The impression that remains is one of great tranquility, silence, of living in another world: a beautiful disconnection. Images of horses running free in a huge meadow will remain etched in your memory, as will the descent towards Romainmôtier and the discovery of the abbey church that floods this village with serenity: breathtaking beauty.”

And Robert Bessard, who walked the entire route, added: “I was overwhelmed by the varied landscapes and the heritage of all kinds. I was touched by what the importance of the Cluniac sites suggests. Locals sometimes put me up, others supplied me with food, they showed me a lot of sympathy. I thank them. I encourage all those who want to take an interest in the epic of Cluny to follow in the footsteps of these monks who left their mark on history, religious, cultural, architectural history…”

Prepare your hike

For hikers who want to embark on the adventure, the Chemin de Cluny Franche-Comté Bourgogne association provides numerous tools. The website, a real toolbox, is full of practical information (GPX and PDF tracks, lists of accommodation and supplies, links to tourist offices, access and transport, upcoming events) and more than 100 notices dedicated to the places crossed. All this data is also accessible via an interactive map that is regularly updated.

“The route can be done in both directions, for the moment on foot. The bike option is under consideration,” adds Marie-Jeanne Lambert. Since the materialization of the markings does not exist in Switzerland, it is advisable to favor smartphone applications with GPX tracks. In France, the route is entirely marked by the French Hiking Federation (GR® and GRP®). The logo used is that of the European Federation of Cluniac Sites, which uses the Cluniac coat of arms: two golden keys crossed by a sword.

The association also offers guided hikes that will resume in the spring. Hikers from France and all over Europe, a great page of medieval history awaits you!