Long traverse Île-de-France · Center and Loire Valley · Burgundy
GR13GR13 From the Gâtinais to the Morvan
From the Fontainebleau forest to the wooded hills of the Morvan, the GR13 crosses five departments, passing Vézelay and its basilica, then Mont Beuvray and Bibracte.
451 km 280.2 mi21 stages6,450 m 21,161 ft ascentHigh point 899 m 2,949 ftFontainebleau → Signal de Mont
From Fontainebleau to Signal de Mont, over 451 km.
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Elevation profile: from 61 m to 899 m over 450.9 km.
The GR13 at a glance
The GR13, “from the Gâtinais to the Morvan”, links Fontainebleau, in Seine-et-Marne, to Bourbon-Lancy, in Saône-et-Loire. It crosses five departments: Seine-et-Marne, Loiret, Yonne, Nièvre and Saône-et-Loire. Less well known than the Ways of St James it meets at Vézelay, it takes you from the great forest of the Île-de-France to the countryside of the Gâtinais and the Yonne, then to the wooded granite hills of the Morvan.
The path starts in the Fontainebleau forest, a massif of more than 22,000 hectares classified as a protection forest, then reaches Larchant, Nemours and Château-Landon, in the Gâtinais. It passes through Montargis, crosses the Yonne to Auxerre and heads up the Cure valley towards Vézelay, a sanctuary town listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, whose Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine is a masterpiece of Romanesque art. It is also the starting point of the Vézelay route to Santiago de Compostela, the GR654.
Beyond Vézelay, the GR13 enters the Morvan Regional Nature Park. It passes the Lac des Settons and the Saut de Gouloux, then crosses the Bibracte – Morvan des Sommets Grand Site de France, from Roussillon-en-Morvan to Millay, by way of the archaeological site of Bibracte, on Mont Beuvray (821 m). It then heads south to finish at Bourbon-Lancy.
The terrain stays moderate in the Gâtinais and the Yonne and becomes steeper in the Morvan, which is more wooded and hilly. Accessible by train at the start, the path is easy to split into sections of a few days, from Avallon to Vézelay or around the Lac des Settons.
Highlights
The start in the Fontainebleau forest, accessible from Paris-Gare de Lyon on Transilien line R.
The small towns of the Gâtinais, from Larchant to Nemours and Château-Landon, then Montargis.
Vézelay and its Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, the starting point of the Vézelay route to Santiago.
The lakes, rivers and forests of the Morvan Regional Nature Park, from the Lac des Settons to the Saut de Gouloux.
Mont Beuvray and the archaeological site of Bibracte, at the heart of a Grand Site de France.
A traverse of five departments, from the Île-de-France to southern Burgundy.
Practical information
Start
Fontainebleau
The GR13 starts from Fontainebleau: Fontainebleau-Avon station is served by Transilien line R from Paris-Gare de Lyon. Bois-le-Roi station, on the same line, also gives access to the forest.
Finish
Signal de Mont
Région Allier coach line B04 links Bourbon-Lancy to Moulins-sur-Allier SNCF station; check the schedules before setting off, as some services run on demand only.
When to go
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From late spring to early fall, the long days make the forest stages in the Morvan easier. In summer, the Fontainebleau forest is exposed to wildfires: the July 2026 fire led to its closure by prefectoral order, and burned sectors remain off limits. In fall and winter, find out about hunting drives.
Difficulty
Moderate
No technical difficulty. The Gâtinais and the Yonne are fairly flat; the Morvan, more wooded and hilly, calls for more stamina, especially towards Mont Beuvray (821 m).
Accommodation
1 refuge, 8 gîtes, 20 B&Bs, and 27 hotels
Hotels, B&Bs, gîtes and campgrounds can be found in the towns and villages along the way, such as Fontainebleau, Nemours, Montargis, Auxerre and Vézelay. In the Morvan, book your nights between the villages in advance. In the Fontainebleau forest, only three bivouac areas set up by the ONF accept tents, for one night at most.
Rules to know
In the Fontainebleau state forest, classified as a protection forest, camping is forbidden outside the three ONF bivouac areas (one night, twenty tents at most) and fires are strictly forbidden. Since the fires of July 2026, the burned areas and a buffer zone have remained closed by prefectoral order. Elsewhere, camping is only allowed with the consent of whoever has the use of the land (Urban Planning Code, article R111-32).
Water and supplies
The stations on line R make it easy to get in and out of the Fontainebleau forest. In the Morvan, find out which shops are open before each stage and set off with water for the day. In the forest, trees weakened by the 2026 fire may fall long afterwards: stay on the open paths.
The GR13 on the map
The 21 stages
TrekGR stage plan: each stage ends where you can sleep. Actual walking time excluding breaks (DIN 33466 standard).
GR1 et GR13 en forêt de Fontainebleau : zones brûlées interdites par arrêté préfectoral depuis les incendies de l'été 2026. Contournez les secteurs fermés.
Before setting off, check the map of open and closed sectors published by the ONF for the Fontainebleau forest since the 2026 fires.
In the forest, turn back if you hear forestry work and watch out for falling branches.
For a first taste, the FFRandonnée suggests a weekend from Avallon to Vézelay via the Cousin valley.
Allow time in Vézelay for the basilica and on Mont Beuvray for the archaeological site of Bibracte.
During the hunting season, find out about any hunting drives under way and wear visible clothing in the forest.
Follow the diversions set up by the departmental committees, such as the one at the Saut de Gouloux during the 2025 tree felling.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the GR13 start?
In Fontainebleau, in Seine-et-Marne, according to MonGR. The path first crosses the state forest, which you can reach from Fontainebleau-Avon and Bois-le-Roi stations on Transilien line R, then heads for Larchant and Nemours, in the Gâtinais.
Does the GR13 end at Mont Beuvray or at Bourbon-Lancy?
At Bourbon-Lancy, in Saône-et-Loire. Mont Beuvray and the site of Bibracte are a highlight: the GR13 crosses the Grand Site de France between Roussillon-en-Morvan and Millay (Bibracte), then continues south to Bourbon-Lancy. This site’s route, taken from OpenStreetMap, stops at the Signal de Mont, about 7 km from Bourbon-Lancy: the last section is not yet mapped there as a GR.
Does the GR13 go through Vézelay?
Yes. The path reaches Vézelay, at the foot of the Morvan, and its Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, the starting point of the Vézelay route (GR654) to Santiago de Compostela. The FFRandonnée also suggests getting there from Avallon in two days, via the Cousin valley.
Is the GR13 open in the Fontainebleau forest after the 2026 fires?
The fires that broke out on July 12 and 13, 2026 affected nearly 2,000 hectares and were declared extinguished on August 29. Since August 22, most of the massif has reopened, but the burned areas and a buffer zone remain off limits by prefectoral order. The Faisanderie sector, which the GR13 crosses near Fontainebleau, was affected: check the ONF map before setting off.
Which topoguide should you use for the GR13?
The FFRandonnée publishes the “Tour et traversée du Morvan – GR13” topoguide, which describes the traverse of the Morvan and several loops of a few days. For the section between Fontainebleau and Vézelay, the route can be viewed on MonGR.
Can you bivouac along the GR13?
In the Fontainebleau forest, only on the three ONF bivouac areas, for one night and without fires. Elsewhere, camping is allowed away from public roads with the consent of whoever has the use of the land (article R111-32 of the Urban Planning Code), unless banned locally.
Route: OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation: IGN’s RGE ALTI®, one point every 50 m. Text checked on November 12, 2026.
Other GR trails: Île-de-France, Center and Loire Valley
