Ile-de-France walks

It is a short, relatively easy circuit exploring some curiosities of the forest of Fontainebleau around the Avon SNCF train station, namely the views over the Croix du Calvaire, the Sponge Rock, Denecourt Tower and fountains. One could also call it the fountain circuit.

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.

Long but very nice hike station to station in the Forest of Fontainebleau. It goes through several viewpoints, ponds, little known corners, stunning scenery.

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.

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.

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.

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.

This quite long route allows you to discover exceptional sites such as the Rempart du Restant du Long Rocher ('the rampart of the remainder of Long Rock'), Béatrix Cave and Carrosse Rock. You will also go past magnificent viewpoints, rarely visited walkways and some beautiful ponds, typical of the forest.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A lovely woodland walk with a cultural touch.

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.

Bombon is not only a church and a typical village in Plateau Briard but also a castle, and the holiday destination in 1909 for an emigrant known as Vladimir-Ilyich Ulyanov, or Lenin.

A circuit to the east of Lorrez-le-Bocage, along the Lunain in places with views of Lorrez-le-Bocage both to the south and north. The starting point is the car park in Place de la République in Lorrez-le-Bocage.

A very varied hike that combines:
- Regional Forest of the Roche-Guyon,
- A beautiful, quiet valley,
- The town of La Roche and its castle,
- and finally, a scenic route overlooking the Seine.

A beautiful walk through stunning and varied landscapes. Historic detours along the way.

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

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.

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.

A hike mostly along rivers with a connection by the slopes of the Grand Morin and Marne valleys offering beautiful views of the region. Crossing through some of the villages, including Couilly-Pont-aux-Dames and Quincy-Voisins, lets you explore some interesting elements of their architectural heritage.

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.

Depart from the Maison Forestière de Maintenon for a 16 km walk.

Walk starting from Chars SNCF station passing the Château de Saint-Cyr-sur-Chars.
On the way back to Chars there is a narrow pedestrian passage that starts with a staircase.

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.

Mostly dating from the late Middle Ages, fortified farms are a typical part of the architectural heritage of the Brie region. This walk takes you past several such farms, including the Fief de Bois-Poussin stronghold, and gives you the chance to discover the rich heritage of Nangis with its ancient fortified castle, church and market halls. The walk takes you along paths between fields and small roads with little traffic, and along the banks of the brooks that wind through this farming plain.

The very enjoyable scent of pine is everywhere. And the small sand dune that I would the "Little Dune of Pyla" is lovely.

A hike through the vast open areas of the Briarde countryside with large rolling hills and views as far as the eye can see, followed by shaded areas in the valley and on the Grand Morin hillsides. Pieces of the architectural heritage along the way, churches, mills and wash-houses, make the trip that more worthwhile.

The hike can be shortened to a 15 km walk, or split into two, one 8 km and the other 12 km (see useful information).

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.

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

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 walk through Paris exploring the Left Bank and its quartiers.

Hiking along a bend of the river Marne. The circuit follows along streams in its first part, then crosses part of the Montceaux forest. There are beautiful panoramic vistas at every break in the tree cover.

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.

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.

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.