Bièvres (Essonne) walks

Hike connecting Igny (Essonne) to the Palace of Versailles. The route follows the Bievre, and 80% of the route is on roads through forests. A calm, cool walk with scenery that will leave you with a unique souvenir.

A hike which is mostly in the forest, with lovely sections along the Mérantaise river and the ditches which run down from the Saclay Plateau.

A walk of many faces! On forest tracks interspersed with paths through the city, you follow an old railway line with a tunnel and viaduct, finishing along the course of the river Yvette. A walk to enjoy at any time of year.

Hike around Epinay sur Orge (a small town south of Paris) from the train station of the RER C.
It follows paths and quiet streets, heads through Bois des Templiers and follows the courses of three rivers: the Orge, the Rouillon and the Yvette. A trail through the Bois des Templiers with views of an old stone bridge with three arches of the ancient Templar Commandery of the eleventh century.

The upstream part of this series of three hikes devoted to the Bièvre river. A very pleasant walk along the river and its bodies of water, in a mostly rural setting. A hike from station to station, which can be used to adjust the length depending on the weather conditions or desires of the hikers.

A walk through Paris exploring the Left Bank and its quartiers.

Le Quartier Latin is a labyrinth of streets, each as important as the next, as there is a strong history behind. The Sainte-Geneviève Mountain is home to several prestigious schools, and the presence of numerous students adds to the atmosphere of this magnificent suburb.

A beautiful hike to discover the beautiful sights of the Chevreuse valley: the Chatillonmill, the castle of Dampierre, the blacksmith’s, the villages of Fourcherolles, Senlisse and Choisel, Méridon castle, the village of Chevreuse and its small bridges along the Yvette, and Château de la Madeleine.

An urban circular walk in search of the French Revolution routes in two Parisian sites: the Bastille, whose capture had a very strong symbolic impact, and the Odéon suburb, where several key figures of the period lived, worked and gathered, including Marat and Danton. It's also an opportunity to discover the signs of other insurrectionary episodes (July 1830, May 1968) and a superb heritage ranging from the Gallo-Roman to the Middle Ages period.

This walk starts in Crosne, goes through the Grange Forest and then through the town of Yerres before reaching Park Caillebotte where the painter lived. The walk goes along the Yerres River and finishes by going alongside the communal gardens in Villeneuve-Saint-Georges.

At the heart of the Chevreuse Valley Natural Park, a hike that allows you to wander through a protected natural site with a trail laid out by the Park. In the Bois de Maincourt, one can see ancient sandstone quarries. The course of the river Yvette, which the trail follows on the way back, finally allows a patrimonial approach with old mills and old washhouses.

This hike mostly takes place along the Yerres, a tributary of the Seine, and also includes a section in the Forest of Senart and an urban section. There you can enjoy the charm of this river and the beautiful houses around it, admire two ancient watermills and come cross no fewer than four standing stones along the way.

A lovely woodland walk with a cultural touch.

A walk in the larger Val d'Oise forest, located only 20 kilometres north of Paris. Chestnut trees are plentiful in this hilly area with ponds and historical sites. A walk to the southwest border will let you discover some interesting features of the local heritage.

The Massif des Trois Pignons is situated on the edge of Fontainebleau forest. The walk takes you past the Rocher des Guetteurs, the Sables du Cul du Chien, the Diplodocus, and the Rocher de la Tortue.

A course over hills, with beautiful views of the Massif des Trois Pignons. Passages on platières in the middle of the moor with an unobstructed view, interspersed with passages in undergrowth and amid boulders. A varied, rather sporty hike.
N.B. The drop is probably underestimated: expect something more in the order of 300 metres.

Fontainebleau forest is one of the most beautiful French forests thanks to its varied landscapes and, in particular, its sandstone blocks. This hike circles the Apremont gorges along the Colinet-Denecourt path N°6 and lets you enjoy it in all its beauty and fragility, the latter due both to natural erosion and human use, and is near the Paris region.

A pretty hike in the Massif des Trois Pignons, on the edge of Fontainebleau forest.

A straight-forward loop around Commeny passing the Perchay and Chaussée Julus Caesar.

The French Vexin region has numerous megalithic sites dating from the late third millennium B.C. This walk gives you the chance to visit a dolmen in a perfect state of preservation. As you stroll through the fields and woods, you will also be able to see some lovely churches and castles.

As the name suggests, is this route ascends 25 mounds that form a circuit of the of the Trois Pignons forest. A hike amid the rocks that makes an excellent training run before mountain hikes in the summer.
N.B. The elevation is underestimated: between 800 and 900 metres total cumulative change in altitude. It’s difficult to find a larger change in altitude in the Ile-de-France, unless you want to take the steps up and down the Eiffel Tower three times on the trot. Expect to be walking for 6 to 7 hours.

Starting from an old retreat which has been visited since the 11th century, this hike allows you to explore the Gorges de Franchard and the surrounding areas. Winding through rocks and several rock shelters such as the well-known Antre des Druides.
N.B. The difference in altitude is probably higher than stated: roughly 100 metres and a 2 hour walk.

From the Ermitage de Franchard, this is a very varied hike which will take you past old sandstone quarries, the Gorges du Houx and the charming Mare aux Pigeons. On the route are several vast viewing points, numerous spectacular rocks and the curious Grotte du Serment cave.

N.B. The elevation and the time shown appear to be under-estimated: count on about 250 meters and 4 hours of walking.

A hike in a forest in Picardy where the pines loom large. There are also beautiful sites covered in heather and sandstone blocks. The soil, often sandy, allows for hiking in winter without difficulty.