Les Bords de l'Yonne et la Forêt de Joigny
The Yonne river wraps around the southern edge of Sens in wide, lazy curves flanked by poplar-lined towpaths and gravel beaches where locals swim in summer. A few kilometres downstream, the landscape opens into the Forêt de Joigny, a mixed oak and hornbeam forest threaded with waymarked trails that feels a world away from the cathedral square.
Walking and Cycling the Towpath
The towpath (chemin de halage) running south from Sens along the left bank of the Yonne is flat, traffic-free and consistently beautiful — great blue herons stand motionless in the shallows, kingfishers flash electric blue between the willows, and the occasional péniché (canal barge) slides past in total silence.
The path connects to the long-distance cycling route La Scandibérique (EuroVelo 3), which follows the Yonne valley south toward Joigny and Auxerre. Even a 10 km out-and-back ride gives you a vivid sense of the river landscape that defined this trading city for two millennia.
Swimming and Picnicking
The gravel beach at the Île d'Amour, a small river island accessible by footbridge on the southern edge of Sens, is a genuine local secret: families picnic here on summer weekends, children paddle in the shallows, and the cathedral towers are visible above the tree line. It costs nothing and feels like a private discovery.
In July and August, water temperatures in the Yonne reach a comfortable 20–22°C. There are no lifeguards, so exercise the usual caution with children and currents near the main channel.
Into the Forêt de Joigny
Drive or cycle 15 km south on the D943 and the Forêt de Joigny begins in earnest — 4,500 hectares of managed state forest with marked trails ranging from 4 km family loops to 18 km half-day circuits. Roe deer, red squirrels and woodpeckers are regular sightings in the quieter morning hours.
The ONF (Office National des Forêts) posts downloadable trail maps on its website. The Sentier des Chênes Centenaires (Trail of the Centenarian Oaks) is the most scenic route, passing through stands of oak that were already old when the cathedral was built.
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