Parcours de découverte - Circuit rouge

The start of this tour is right in front of the Basilica of Notre Dame du Chêne! A major place of pilgrimage...

This Basilica has a long history... It was once a chapel that was demolished and rebuilt. Legend has it that at the end of the 15th century, the parish priest of the village of Vion placed a statuette of the Virgin Mary and Child in a niche in a very old oak tree. A century later, the Virgin Mary appeared in the niche. Inside, paintings in the Basilica's choir retrace this history. A shop tells the story of the Basilica.
You will hike along the Landes, a migration zone, which before the revolution was covered in water in winter and remained uncultivated in summer. This land once belonged to the De Rougé du Bois Dauphin family. Today, the land is rented only to the residents of Vion.
You will continue on to the hamlet of Saint-Julien, which is thought to have been the original centre of the parish of Vion. Remains of the Saint-Julien church are still visible.
At the entrance to the village, you will pass La Croix Blanche, an old stone cross that is very common in the region.
In the village of Vion, you'll discover the Neo-Gothic church of Saint Aubin. Inside, you'll find paintings, stained glass windows and modillions (architectural elements used to support a cornice).