Activity

 

The Tour du Gros-de-Vaud is a five-stage walking route, ideal for exploring the region. Around 70 kilometres long, this walking route is divided into five stages. It forms a loop around Echallens, passing through countryside, forests and rural villages. Following a variety of paths, it offers a comprehensive overview of the Gros-de-Vaud district and its heritage.

Stage 3: from Vufflens-la-Ville to Assens

Distance: 13.75 km
Duration: approx. 3
hours 40 minutes Total ascent: 330 m
Total descent: 120 m
Highest point of the stage: 620 m
Lowest point of the stage: 400 m


Vufflens-la-Ville We take the train to Vufflens-la-Ville CFF station, the starting point of this third stage. We then cross the Venoge and follow its course for about a hundred metres. This is undoubtedly the perfect spot to read Jean-Villard Gilles’s most famous poem: *La Venoge*. “We have a lovely little canton: calves, cows, sheep…”

Mex As we leave the village of Vufflens-la-Ville, we emerge onto a wide plain which we cross along a farm track. Before us stands Mex Castle, built in the early 15th century. Strange as it may seem, the castle’s recent history has helped to preserve this beautiful agricultural plain. In 1948, the castle’s owner – who was an aviation enthusiast – obtained permission from the Federal Aviation Office in Bern to use his own field as a private airfield. In the 1970s, the planned route for the Lausanne–Yverdon motorway was set to run directly beneath the château. The Federal Office of Civil Aviation opposed this route, as this private airstrip, although rarely used, still served as an emergency landing site. It was permanently closed at the end of the 1970s. In the meantime, the motorway’s route was altered to run to the east of the village.

Sullens Walking up the hill through the ‘Bois Bahud’, we reach Sullens, the birthplace of the writer and poet Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz. It’s too good an opportunity to pass up: sit down on a bench and re-read the text that appears in most Vaud family record books, ‘Le temps des engrangements’. Written in 1941 by C. F. Ramuz, this text was commissioned by State Councillor Antoine Vodoz.

Bioley-Orjulaz After passing through the Bournens forest (where we come across a magnificent totem pole carved by the artist Jean-Jacques Bula), the route leads to the Bioley-Orjulaz gravel pit. This quarry has been the scene of numerous battles between those in favour of its expansion and environmental campaigners, who ultimately prevailed in January 2006. Today, its partial conversion is creating pioneer zones that provide habitats for rare ground-nesting birds. If we keep quiet, we can spot skylarks, buntings, wheatears and little ringed plovers. This sensitive site is currently under ecological monitoring.

Boussens Located to the south of the gravel pit, straddling the municipality of Boussens, Lake Coffy (or L’Ecoffey) was created in 1972 as an ecological compensation measure for the gravel pit. This 1.2-hectare lake is now protected by dense vegetation. A visit to the area is always rewarded with fascinating sightings. Herons, birds of prey, snakes, hedgehogs and foxes are all found in abundance foraging around the lake. Unfortunately, there are few accessible vantage points for wildlife watching. It is important to respect the surrounding farmland if you wish to reach the lakeside.

Assens The walk continues through the Bois d’Orjulaz and ends at the LEB station in the village of Assens. A visit to the village offers several points of interest. In particular, you can visit the Assens cultural centre, which hosts various temporary exhibitions.

Routes created by Thierry Duperrut
, qualified
mountain guide. Email: thierry@montagne-rando.ch
In collaboration with Echallens Région Tourisme

Link to Stage 1
Link to Stage 2
Link to Stage 4
Link to Stage 5