In Vauclaix, the difficult circular hike “Randonnée des trois évêchés” begins and ends at the Hôtel de la Poste. The route is 16.9 km long; the stated duration is 4 hours and 15 minutes.
Those who choose Vauclaix as their holiday destination want to rent a holiday apartment there.
Hiking
The hike leads to the Croix de Vollonge, where it crosses a former Roman road.
Culture and History
The present-day Eglise Sainte-Madeleine towers over the village of Vauclaix. It was built in 1881 in the shape of a Latin cross from hewn granite in the Neo-Romanesque style; an object from this church has been classified as a Monument historique since 1938.
The Huilerie du moulin de Vauclaix preserves historic mechanisms and equipment, including millstones and two screw presses. It was located in a separate building next to a grain mill powered by the Anguison. A millrace that is still visible once powered the two mills of the Huilerie du moulin de Vauclaix.
The Pont du Carrefour de Vauclaix crosses the Anguison near the Carrefour on the D994. It is a single-arch granite bridge with a stone parapet; the present bridge is believed to date from the 1830s.
The Pont de L'Huis Mouilloux is a public 19th-century stone bridge in Vauclaix. It has a paved granite pedestrian crossing and can be visited.
Le Pas de St Martin is a local legendary site on the Anguison. A saint’s footprint is said to be found on a rock in the middle of the river.
The Château de Tartre-de-Vauclois is a former manor house of unclear origin south of the church in Vauclaix, overlooking the Anguison valley. It is not open to visitors.
The Presbytère is an elongated single-storey building made of exposed granite masonry with a slate roof, preserving its local architectural style.
At the Fontaine Chaude, the water was traditionally said to be known for miraculous cures; a ritual was associated with the site. The Fontaine Chaude is located in a field and cannot be visited.
Nature
The protected Vallée du ruisseau de Bussière area includes Vauclaix and alternates between woodland and marshy meadows. In this valley, cold, oxygen-rich and fast-flowing waters provide good conditions for the reproduction of brown trout (Salmo trutta fario), European bullhead (Cottus gobio) and brook lamprey (Lampetra planeri).
Above Vauclaix, the Anguison valley is broad and characterized by hedgerows, while below it is more heavily wooded.
Geographical Setting
The descent to Vauclaix via the RD 944 offers views across extensive meadows with low hedges towards the wooded southern slope of the Anguison.
Other places: Anthien, Bitry, Decize, Druy-Parigny, Colméry, Mars-Sur-Allier, Crux-La-Ville, Magny-Cours.
