The Floaters' Path

This route is a project aimed at connecting Paris to Clamecy by following the age-old paths of the Burgundian floaters. In the 16th century, the need for firewood and furnace wood for Paris and its inhabitants was a problem, so it was decided to use the wood from the Morvan forests. The Morvan logs are cut, marked, then thrown into the rivers before reaching Clamecy. In Clamecy, they are sorted and joined together to form “wood trains,” rafts 75 meters long by 4.50 meters wide, composed of about 200 steres of wood. It was then necessary to guide these trains, and these were the floaters, who for 4 centuries (1547-1880) followed this route along the Yonne and the Nivernais Canal. This route takes place mainly on the V55 and V51, also known as the Tour de Bourgogne à Vélo. To begin your historical journey in Clamecy, you can visit the Bois Flottage Ecomuseum, to fully immerse yourself in the history of the route.