Aillant-Sur-Tholon offers a wide range of reasons to visit: prehistoric standing stones, architectural and local history, a sundial you can read yourself, and a nature trail with a specific length and approximate duration. You can choose how to explore according to your interests. Those seeking cultural history will find several historical points of interest; those who prefer a clearly defined outdoor activity can follow the discovery trail in the Bois des Ferriers.

Menhirs and archaeological history

The Menhirs de Pierrefitte are located on the Route du Puits Avril in Aillant-Sur-Tholon. The two megaliths attest to Paleolithic and Neolithic settlement. At Paul Bert’s initiative, they were classified in the 1860s. This brings together two historical periods: prehistoric settlement and the later history of the classification. If you are interested in archaeological sites, you can distinguish between these two aspects: the settlement to which the stones point and their classification in the 19th century. Alongside the significance of the menhirs, their historical context is also central.

Church, chapel and local tradition

The project for the new Église Saint-Martin was entrusted to Viollet-le-Duc in 1862. The date of the project offers a different perspective on architectural history from the prehistoric menhirs, focusing on the church’s design and the architect entrusted with the project. The Chapelle Sainte-Anne is a small sanctuary measuring 20 metres long. It lies west of the centre of Aillant-Sur-Tholon, near La Motte. Local tradition preserves the memory of hermits who stayed there until the Second Empire. The chapel thus brings together a specific feature of the building and an expressly local historical tradition. For context, it is helpful to consider the story of the hermits as tradition and the church project as a dated undertaking.

A sundial you can read yourself

An analemmatic sundial has been located on the grounds of the Chapelle-Ermitage Sainte Anne since 2021. Visitors can read the time from their shadow when they stand on the central plate. At this sundial, your position is therefore part of how it works: the person on the plate is involved in reading the time. If you are looking for a cultural stop that involves a specific action, the sundial offers a different experience from the menhirs or the architectural history. Its distinctive feature can be experienced by reading the time from your own shadow.

The discovery trail in the Bois des Ferriers

The Bois des Ferriers contains a network of ponds whose ecological value is recognised. A four-kilometre discovery trail runs through the woodland; it takes about one to two hours and is almost flat. The length, approximate duration and description of the terrain answer different planning questions: the distance gives you an idea of the route, the time range helps you plan your schedule, and the terrain description adds information about the relief. Check accessibility and trail conditions on site before planning your walk. The network of ponds is another point of interest in its own right: its ecological value complements the practical information about how long the trail takes.

When planning your visit, you can decide how to balance the highlights, depending on whether you would rather include archaeological traces, architectural and local history, the hands-on experience of reading the sundial, or a nature walk. An approximate time is given for the forest trail; the cultural attractions differ in their historical contexts and in the sundial’s distinctive interactive element.

Discover more destinations: Sommecaise, Toucy, Maillot, Beauvoir, Sarry, Malicorne, Merry-La-Vallée, Mailly-Le-Château

For the broader travel overview: Yonne.