Isle-Aumont combines two circular walks with several clearly defined cultural highlights. Wooden sculptures can be found on the historic mound; the Église Saint-Pierre has three sanctuaries dating from different centuries. At the footbridge over the Hozain, two steel portals frame a work of art. Visitors can therefore choose from both walking routes and church- and art-related themes for their stay.
Circular Walks by Distance
Le Petit Chemin des Ă©coliers is a 4.2-kilometre circular walk that starts and ends at the church car park. Le Chemin des Ă©coliers also starts and ends there. The longer loop is 10.3 kilometres. Both routes therefore share the same start and finish point, but differ considerably in length. If distance is your main consideration, you can choose between the shorter loop and the longer route.
Le Chemin des Ă©coliers is classified as an easy hike. This route has 42 metres of positive elevation gain and takes 2 hours and 30 minutes. It also passes through Isle-Aumont, Les Bordes-Aumont and Saint-Thibault. These place names describe the route: the walk passes through all three communes, not just Isle-Aumont.
This longer route passes through a rural landscape of fields, green meadows and shady woods. Open areas and wooded sections together shape the character of the landscape along the walk. If you consider the scenery as well as the distance when choosing a route, the longer walk offers a concrete connection to its surroundings: it links the named villages with fields, meadows and woodland.
Church, Sculptures and Art
Wooden sculptures, mostly attributed to the Troyes school, can be found on Isle-Aumont’s historic mound. They include a Christ de sérénité, which may have been donated by Saint Louis. The attribution to the Troyes school describes the main artistic connection; the donation by Saint Louis remains explicitly a possibility.
The Église Saint-Pierre in Isle-Aumont is a church with three sanctuaries dating from the 10th, 12th and 16th centuries. The dates therefore span the 10th, 12th and 16th centuries.
The Portes des étoiles et des eaux are another artistic highlight. The artwork consists of two ornately crafted steel portals framing the footbridge over the Hozain. The portals incorporate textile photographs showing waterways and shimmering effects, as well as motifs from the Merovingian funerary steles in the village church. Steel portals, images of water and funerary stele motifs thus feature together in the same design. Check the artwork’s installation status before visiting.
For the walking routes, distance—and, for Le Chemin des écoliers, duration and elevation gain—are practical planning details. The cultural highlights range from wooden sculptures and the church’s three sanctuaries to the artwork on the bridge. Depending on whether you would rather go for a walk or explore the church and art, you can discover Isle-Aumont from a different perspective during your stay.
Discover more destinations: Villenauxe-La-Grande, Estissac, Argancon, Lavau, Bréviandes, Dolancourt, Mussy-Sur-Seine, Mesnil-Sellières.
For the regional travel overview: Aube.
