Essonne walks

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.

A heritage walk in a bucolic setting, in the heart of the Hurepoix. Climb the Butte de Saint-Yon and the Bois des Roches, follow the Orge and Renarde rivers, and discover the charming church of Saint-Yon and the superb church of Saint-Sulpice.

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 on the hillsides on both banks of the Juine, alternating between cultivated fields and undergrowth. You'll discover a rich heritage along the way, including a dolmen, castle, old mill, farm buildings and beautiful houses.

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 short half-day walk. After a good walk through the woods, the route becomes more heritage-oriented with the hamlet of Vauboyen and the Maison Victor Hugo. The walk ends along the River Bièvre.

A varied walk, combining the rich heritage of Bruyères-le-Châtel with an original route along the paths of this commune, and a path through the forest, between the fields or along a vast stretch of water.

A lovely walk among ponds, marshes and, above all, birds, ducks, etc., lasting 4½ to 5 hours, or longer if you stop to watch the birds on the ponds.

A short but challenging hike in a small departmental forest with a diversity of landscapes worthy of its larger neighbour, Fontainebleau: varied undergrowth, rocky outcrops and climbing boulders, old sandstone quarries, flat rock formations, viewpoints, etc.

A circuit with varied landscapes, in the Verrières forest and along the Bièvre river. A breath of fresh air and greenery just a few kilometres from the capital.

This is a fairly short hike that allows you to discover two rigoles (small water collection channels) on the Saclay Plateau: the Rigole Domaniale and the Rigole de Favreuse. These rigoles were built in the 17th century to supply water to the Palace of Versailles. The route alternates between woods and cultivated fields, with a rich heritage in Vauhallan.

A mainly forest route with two beautiful heritage sites: at the start, the charming church of Saint-Yon and a Gallo-Roman ruin, and halfway along the route, the superb Gothic church of Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières.

A varied route through the woods, fields and meadows of the Hurepoix, with beautiful views of the Château de Baville.

A loop around the Bois de Montabé, following the edge of an old railway line, a short section across fields and ending on paths and lanes. A walk to get some fresh air in the afternoon.

From the charming village centre of Janvry, a circular route to discover two 17th-century castles. A short hike through cultivated fields and woodland.

A loop in the Chevreuse Valley, with magnificent landscapes, in a wooded and rural setting close to Paris. The first part is a walk through the woods on the plateau overlooking the Yvette Valley. The return journey, parallel to the outward route, is mainly on flat ground. Most of the walk is well shaded and flat, but there are also some fairly steep ascents and descents. The area is very popular with walkers and mountain bikers, but it is well worth a visit.

A pleasant route offering varied landscapes through the woods and fields of the Hurepoix.

A very varied hike, showcasing the best features of the Hurepois, a small natural region in the south-west of the Ile-de-France. It starts with a few villages rich in heritage: churches, a castle, a keep, wash houses, etc. It continues through meadows with numerous horses. The hike ends with a very pleasant walk through the woods.

A hike on both sides of the Rémarde River, between meadows, fields and woods in the Hurepois region. There is a castle on the route and another at the start.

The undergrowth is dotted with flowers in March and April and there are remarkable trees all along the route.

A bucolic hike where passages through woods alternate with passages between fields. Two castles, a beautiful church and a ruined medieval tower reveal themselves along the way.

A mainly forest hike during which, in an atmosphere reminiscent of the nearby Fontainebleau Forest, you pass two small peaks (the mounds) and wander through the chaos of sandstone blocks of the Rocher du Duc.

A hike that alternates between villages rich in heritage (old market hall, churches, wash houses, castle) and a trail through the Forêt des Trois Pignons dotted with sandstone rocks.

Along a clear river, a short hike in the heart of the watercress capital, discovering its rich heritage.

A varied route in a peri-urban setting, along rivers and streams and the Bassin de Saulx, and in the heart of the Rocher de Saulx departmental forest. Please note! Work around the Bassin de Saulx means that the route has been changed at the end: follow the suggested alternative route.

This hike will allow you to discover the southern part of the Rougeau Forest, which is much more rugged than the northern part. You will enjoy beautiful views of the Seine valley. You will be surprised by the bucolic Royal Pavilion estate and the Forest Guardian.

Discover some geological and natural sites in the south of the Essonne department: a landscape of flat land, a sandpit and a vast marshland area that is home to many birds. This hike alternates between sections in the undergrowth, which are the most numerous, and sections between fields.

This loop allows you to discover the old villages of Saint-Fiacre and Auvers-Saint-Georges (in the same commune), the hillsides and the magnificent and little-known site of the Butte du Puits. Allow 16 km and 5 hours, including time spent at the site

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.

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.

In the heart of the Hurepoix, a hike to discover the Château de Courson (16th-17th centuries) and the church of Saint-Maurice-Montcouronne (12th-16th centuries). A route through fields and woods, dotted with a few streams.

This route goes around the Coquibus Massif, in a little-known and little-used area that is generally shaded. There are some beautiful views of the Courance Plain to the north and the forest to the south. The Vanne Aqueduct and the Cent Marches are the main points of interest.

An original way to get to the Château de Courances: on foot! This short hike goes around the outside of the park, with the first half rich in heritage (churches, mill, wash house, etc.) and the second half more bucolic, ending on an educational trail dedicated to fruit trees.

This hike will allow you to discover a wide variety of landscapes on a relatively short route, as well as some historical remains along the way.

A forest route that alternates between wide paths under tall trees and winding trails in the undergrowth that require a good sense of direction. At the end of the route, a beautiful isolated pond is a great place to stop.

A beautiful, challenging hike with elevation gain, along trails and paths, away from the main forest roads. A good training route. Be careful, this is a complex route that is relatively difficult to navigate. If you are quiet enough, you may come across deer. This route is best in summer (or all year round if you don't mind water and mud).

A lovely woodland walk with a cultural touch.

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 beautiful deciduous forest. A pleasant walk on dry ground, mostly on wide paths. A very short walk, accessible to all, for a breath of fresh air in the morning or afternoon.

Hike in the Yvette Valley offering beautiful views of the plain with its market gardens and requiring some effort thanks to the steep wooded hillsides covered in particular by the Rocher de Saulx national forest.

An easy hike that alternates between the Forest of Sénart, the banks of the Seine and some beautiful estates such as the Ermitage de Sénart, where Nadar lived, and the Parc du Grand Veneur in Soisy-sur-Seine. Please note the opening hours of the public garden. In addition, the park is closed during storms.

Starting from the headquarters of a former Templar commandery, this loop trail takes you to the source of the Chalouette River. The route is mostly cool and shaded, offering a glimpse of a rich heritage.

A short, varied and easy hike. Streams, meadows, forests, housing estates and fields, and of course the basilica of Longpont, are the ingredients of this walk just a few kilometres from Paris.

A short hike that alternates between forest and fields, with a pleasant route on a plateau. You can see a Neolithic polishing stone and an old sandstone quarry.

Discover Dourdan and its national forest.

The route is mainly through forest, with a few small sandstone rocks in places, starting from the centre of Milly-la-Forêt with its rich heritage (church, wash houses, castle).

Une longue randonnée avec le joli village de Beauvais, des sous-bois comme la forêt des Grands Avaux, les très beaux Rocher du Duc et Roches aux Dames avec leurs points de vue, qui rappellent Fontainebleau, la Tour du Buisson et les 100 marches de l'aqueduc de la Vanne et du Loing à Champcueil. Les (*) dans le descriptif renvoient à la rubrique "Pendant la randonnée ou à proximité"

A rural and wooded route in the Hurepois region, with some beautiful views from the Butte de Tous Vents or the heights of Mal Acquis.

A long walk through forests, ponds and the banks of the Orge river, passing through the beautiful villages of Sainte-Mesme and Saint-Martin de Bréthancourt. Includes a visit to Dourdan, which you cross via parks and walking trails along the Orge river or the old fortifications, avoiding the suburbs and their buildings.

This hike is certainly the most "aquatic" of those that can be undertaken along the Essonne. Indeed, numerous ponds punctuate the route: ponds for fishing or other forms of leisure; ponds and marshes that make up a protected natural area, a source of biodiversity and a place to observe wildlife.