Circuit n°18 : Entre Armançon et Laignes

Montbard, home of the famous naturalist Buffon, is set on a hill dominated by a vast park (Parc Buffon) surrounding the remains of the castle of the Dukes of Burgundy.
Leaving Montbard, drive up through the Bois Thureau to the hamlet of La Mairie. From here, turn right onto a small forestry road through the Grand Jailly forest to Savoisy, where the church, destroyed in 1752 and rebuilt in 1779, is well worth a look.
At Balot, there is a botanical trail in the middle of the forest where you can discover more than 80 species of forest herbaceous plants.
Then there's Laignes, named after the river that rises in the centre of the village after more than 20 km of underground travel. The listed 12th-century church and the café des chiens, with its carved wooden facade, are well worth a visit.
The return journey takes you along small, gently undulating forest roads to Saint-Rémy. From here, take a short 2 km diversions to the right to go to the village of Buffon and visit the Forge de Buffon, where you will discover one of the oldest trades in the world, ironmaking, with its two waterwheels, a hammer and the monumental wind tunnel that have been rebuilt to bring the forge to life (free visits from 10am to 12 noon and 2-6pm).
From Buffon, it's a 7km flat drive back to Montbard.