Ternant offers two distinct ways to explore: medieval triptychs take center stage in the parish church of Saint-Roch, while the Circuit Autour de Ternant walking route winds through wooded hills to a panorama over bocage landscapes. If you are planning a stay, you can first decide whether to focus on the artworks, the route through the surrounding area, or the views. This allows you to discover the place through both its art history and its landscape.

The Triptychs at Saint-Roch

The parish church of Saint-Roch was built in 1820. It houses two 15th-century triptych altarpieces. Both are made of carved, painted, and gilded wood and come from Flemish and Brabant workshops. They have been classified as historic monuments since 1881. The church therefore brings together 19th-century architectural history and two older artworks; for the cultural part of your trip, both the church itself and the altarpieces are interesting points of reference from different periods of art history.

A triptych is made up of three panels; the central panel of the Marian altarpiece depicts the Dormition of the Virgin. Created between 1444 and 1454, the work depicts a total of seven episodes from the life of the Virgin Mary. The Passion altarpiece was made in a Brabant workshop in 1460 and shows scenes of the Passion and the glorification of Christ. The two altarpieces thus differ both in the sequence of images they depict and in their dates: the Marian work is defined by seven episodes and a date range, while the Passion work is defined by the Passion and the glorification of Christ, as well as the single year 1460.

The Walking Route Through the Hills

The Circuit Autour de Ternant walking route starts in Ternant and passes through the wooded hills in the surrounding area. It leads to Le Grand Satenot, from where there is a panorama over the bocage landscapes of the Nivernais and Bourbonnais. The route thus connects two scales: the passage through wooded hills and the far-reaching view over two named bocage areas. If you would rather focus on the landscape than on the artworks at Saint-Roch, this walking route offers a concrete alternative, with a named destination and views extending across the region.

Views Over the Bocage Landscape

The orientation board in Ternant offers a view over the bocage landscape of Bourbonnais; on a clear day, the Auvergne mountains can also be seen. At Le Grand Satenot, the panorama encompasses the bocage landscapes of the Nivernais and Bourbonnais. The views therefore differ both in the landscapes named and in the viewing conditions: the Auvergne mountains are visible from the board only on a clear day. If you want to compare the views, the walking route offers a broader regional perspective on the bocage, while the board also opens up a view of the Auvergne on a clear day.

Getting Your Bearings by Bike

For cyclists, the route directions point to a side entrance of the church in Ternant on the D30. Check the local signage when you arrive.

Discover more destinations: Lanty, Magny-Cours, Sougy-Sur-Loire, Glux-En-Glenne, Cercy-La-Tour, Ruages, Beaulieu, Marigny-l'Église

For the regional travel overview: Nièvre.