Gurgy – Pontigny Abbey loop from Monéteau-Gurgy

04:56

117km

820m

Road cycling

Moderate road ride. Good fitness required. Mostly well-paved surfaces and easy to ride. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: September 16, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

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3.49 km

Gurgy

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Small town on the bank of the Yonne, and at the junction of the Gurgy Diversion, a section of Canal that joins two parts of the river.

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20.3 km

Saint-Loup Church, Brienon-sur-Armançon

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Church classified as historic monuments, nestled in the center of a pretty village, next to the town hall on the main street where the local shops are also located.

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93.1 km

Cistercian monks settled here in 1114, in this valley near the Serein, where a forest reigned. They built a huge abbey: 4000m² on the ground, 120m long. Second daughter of Citeaux, Pontigny is thus the largest Cistercian abbey church in the world.
The Revolution put an end to the presence of the monks and the church became parish in 1803. It was classified as a Historic Monument in 1840 in the first list drawn up by Prosper Mérimée, a sign of its heritage importance.
Marked by the austere thought of Saint Bernard, the Cistercian church is deliberately devoid of images and colors. The search for spiritual perfection is reflected in an architecture in search of the essential, and which gives importance to the diffusion of natural light. Pontigny perfectly embodies this research. The abbey church marks the transition between Romanesque and Gothic. We can distinguish two construction campaigns with an older part of Romanesque style and a second part influenced by the Gothic style.
The road enters the domain and arrives at the foot of the abbey. Above all, do not hesitate to cross the portal.

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