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Ajou walks
Le Rouge Moulin
Shortened version of the marked route starting from Ajou, retaining the interesting views of this high valley of the Risle, its mills, including the very pretty Rouge Moulin, the charming village of Champignolles and forest passages that are enjoyable in summer. On the other hand, the 4 km to Ajou are of little interest, hence the suggestion to start from the church of Saint Aubin.
Yellow markings
New World walk in Romilly-la-Puthenaye
Far from the towns and the hustle and bustle of human activity, enjoy a bucolic stroll through the woods and meadows of Normandy.
Starting from Place de la Noë, 2 km from the village of Romilly-la-Puthenaye, the mainly forest paths offer a very pleasant walk leading to the old Moulin de Bougy mill in the Risle valley.
The Manoir du Hom in Beaumont-le-Roger
Improved version of the Blue marked route, starting from the Town Hall Square (superbly refurbished) to include a tour of the town, whose heritage is interesting and enhanced by recent developments.
Walk from the Risle to the Forest Park
Rivers, meadows, pollarded trees, sunken lanes through the bocage, forest... this peaceful walk offers a real taste of Normandy with beautiful discoveries: green landscapes, heritage sites and a park in a forest.
Short version of the Three Rivers route marked in yellow.
Unpaved paths: 75%
Surprising valley at Ferrières-Saint-Hilaire
Charentonne Valley between Bernay and Broglie. A surprising shaded valley in the middle of a grain-growing plain. You wouldn't expect this when travelling from Bernay to Broglie (D438).
In the Risle region
This route takes you along the Risle river before it flows into the Seine estuary at Berville-sur-Mer and through part of the Pays d'Ouche countryside.
In the footsteps of Pablo Neruda
A very pleasant unmarked route where you cross the Iton several times. It is also an opportunity to discover the former home of the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and the beautiful Chambray Castle along the way.
Hike around Bec-Hellouin
An easy hike around Bec-Hellouin, through forest and old monuments:
old houses, an abbey and a monastery.
The extended Les Roches route
This hike is mainly in the woods and should be done in hot weather.
The Crestot tour
A pleasant, flat walk that will allow you to discover the back of the properties in this small village in the Neubourg plain.
In the land of Vlaminck
In the centenary year of Maurice de Vlaminck's move to La Tourillière near Verneuil-sur-Avre, here is a journey through his heartland between Verneuil-sur-Avre and La Loupe. These towns are both served by railway stations that can be reached from Paris Montparnasse. Woods, fields and forests were the inspiration for many of the painter's works. With cloudy skies guaranteed, take a stroll through the landscapes that so strongly inspired this colourful, versatile artist, where he welcomed the greatest celebrities of his time.
Verneuil-sur-Avre - La Ferté-Vidame
To mark the centenary of Maurice de Vlaminck's move to La Tourillière near Rueil-la-Gadelière, a few kilometres from Verneuil-sur-Avre, recently renamed Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton, this tour offers a three-stage discovery of the region that inspired the painter.A hunter, fisherman, walker, cyclist, motorist and motorcyclist, he came to settle here to find peace and inspiration. From 1925 until his death in 1958, under an often changeable sky dotted with clouds, the painter tirelessly explored these landscapes of fields, copses and the vast forest of Senonches, in search of subjects for his many paintings.We will first go from Verneuil to La Ferté-Vidame, passing by his grave in the cemetery of Rueil, his bust sculpted by his friend Paul Belmondo in front of the town hall, and above all his home in La Tourillière, preserved in the state in which he lived.
The Charentonne ponds
A lovely, easy walk along well-marked paths. It offers a beautiful route from one pond to another.
Please note: avoid during hunting season.
Between Rueil-la-Gadelière and Saint-Martin in the footsteps of a "Fauve"
These circular loops will not take you into the bush in search of large predators, but along good paths through woods and fields on the outskirts of the Perche, in this transitional region known as the Thimerais. You will pass through the landscapes that inspired the painter Maurice de Vlaminck, who founded Fauvism in the early 20th century with his friends Derain and Matisse.Having settled in La Tourillère, near Rueil-la-Gadelière, 100 years ago, the artist fell in love with this region, which he tirelessly explored until his death in 1958 in search of places of inspiration.These circular loops starting from neighbouring villages aim to give you a feel for the landscapes "where the wind bends the trees and chases the clouds across a dark sky" that captivated the painter, reminding him of his paternal family's homeland of Flanders.This hike takes you from Rueil to Saint-Martin aux Portes de Verneuil, where the "Fauve" often visited.
From Rueil-la-Gadelière to Montigny-sur-Avre in the footsteps of a "Fauve"
The painter Maurice de Vlaminck lived near Rueil-la-Gadelière from 1925 until his death in 1958. This year marks the centenary of his arrival in the area. Six circular loops named "Sur les traces d'un Fauve" (In the footsteps of a Fauve) allow you to discover the places that inspired the painter."I liked the countryside: slightly hilly, with endless fields and meadows planted with twisted apple trees. Here and there were copses, woods and farms surrounded by thorny hedges. It was on the edge of the Perche, a region where the plains of Beauce come to an end in a series of undulations, a region that has retained the appearance that the ages have shaped. Nothing modern alters its structure or disturbs the harmony of the landscape." Maurice de Vlaminck.This circular, between Beauce and Thimerais, crosses the agricultural plain near Verneuil, following the Avre valley to Montigny and returning to Rueil-la-Gadelière through fields and copses. You can visit the Château de Montigny (open to visitors by appointment).
La Croix de Marcouville
Cette agréable randonnée vous permettra de découvrir ce petit coin de Normandie un peu méconnu car loin des lieux touristiques. On croise en chemin le joli Château de la Mésangère, un bel étang perdu en forêt mais surtout le Chêne à la Vierge de la Mésangère. Cet arbre remarquable est assurément l'un des plus beaux (si ce n'est le plus beau) de toute la région.
Dué route in Saint-Germain-de-Pasquier
L'Oison was formerly known as Le Bec, Le Becquet (from the Norse bekkr meaning stream), but also Le Dué or Douet (from the Celtic four meaning running water). Discover beautiful Norman houses as well as around twenty species of wild orchids growing in the valley, which is classified as a natural area of faunistic and floristic interest.
The Fontaine Sainte-Clothilde, a miraculous spring, was for a long time a popular place of pilgrimage for the healing of all kinds of ailments. It is said that it gave strength to children who were slow to walk, who were then immersed in the very cold water of the spring.
Along the Avre between Dampierre and Acon
Starting from a charming church, this is a short hike focused on water in the Avre Valley, on the border between Normandy and Île-de-France.
Along the Avre and in the Bois des Brouillets
Starting from the charming church of Acon, on the border between Normandy and Île-de-France, the route first takes you through the Avre valley and follows the river for a good distance. Then, higher up, it passes through a forest of oak and birch trees with fern undergrowth. This is a relatively short hike, but it can be extended by following another route that starts and ends at the same point.
Circular Boissy-lès-Perche in the footsteps of a "Fauve"
The painter Maurice de Vlaminck lived here, near Rueil-la-Gadelière, from 1925 until his death in 1958. This year marks the centenary of his arrival. A three-day itinerary already allows you to cross his country from the Verneuil-sur-Avre station to the La Loupe station. Walkers who are unable to undertake this crossing can take one or more of the short circulars "In the footsteps of a Fauve". These allow you to discover, in detail, the landscapes that inspired the painter. This one, starting from Boissy-lès-Perche, follows the valley of the Ruisseau de Buternay. After crossing the ponds near the Chapelle de Réveillon, it flows towards the Avre, joined by other streams. Their courses, partly underground, reappear at the source of the Vigne, where their waters are collected and carried to Paris via a 100 km aqueduct.Landscapes of cereal fields cut by the stream, wide horizons from which you can soon see the bell tower of the church of Verneuil.
The Saint-Louis Collegiate Church and the small town hall of Saint-Germain-de-Pasquier
Starting from La Saussaye, the path quickly opens up onto alternating undergrowth and small country lanes. The route allows you to enjoy a peaceful, green rural environment. After a pleasant warm-up, you reach Saint-Germain-de-Pasquier, a charming Norman village known for having the smallest town hall in France: with a surface area of around 8 m² (2.7 metres by 3), it is indeed one of the smallest town halls in France, listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It is housed in the former Sainte-Clotilde chapel, which was deconsecrated at the beginning of the 20th century and converted by a naval architect accustomed to small spaces. A short photo break is a must before continuing on to the Saint-Louis Collegiate Church, a beautiful building whose architecture combines simplicity and elegance.
Normandy bocage in Bailleul-La-Vallée
A shaded walk in the Calonne valley and the Rau de l'Abbesse. This walk will allow you to discover pretty traditional houses and old stud farms.
Circular Beauche via Boulay Saint-Clair in the footsteps of a "Fauve"
The painter Maurice de Vlaminck lived near Rueil-la-Gadelière from 1925 until his death in 1958. This year marks the centenary of his arrival in the area. A three-day itinerary already allows you to explore his homeland from Verneuil-sur-Avre to La Loupe. Walkers who are unable to undertake this crossing can take one or more of the short circulars "In the footsteps of a Fauve". These allow you to discover in detail the places that inspired the painter."Beauche is the village next to the hamlet of La Tourillière. Its origins are lost in the mists of time. One cannot imagine that its pleasant, wholesome appearance has ever changed. The spire of its bell tower pierces the clouds. It can be seen from far away because Beauche is built on flat ground in the plain..." Vlaminck.Starting from Beauche, this short route through fields and woods skirts the Château du Boulay Saint-Clair. On the way back, it passes by the Benne pond, which has recently been restored by the municipality of Rueil-la-Gadelière.
Circular Saint-Lubin-de-Cravant in the footsteps of a "Fauve"
These circulars will not take you into the bush in search of large predators, but along good paths through woods and fields on the outskirts of the Perche, in this transitional region known as the Thimerais. You will pass through the landscapes that inspired the painter Maurice de Vlaminck, who founded Fauvism at the beginning of the 20th century with his friends Derain and Matisse.Having settled in La Tourillère, near Rueil-la-Gadelière, 100 years ago, the artist fell in love with this region, which he tirelessly explored until his death in 1958 in search of places of inspiration.These circular loops take you through the landscapes "where the wind bends the trees and chases the clouds across a dark sky" that captivated the painter.This route starts in Saint-Lubin de Cravant, where the church inspired the painter. It follows the Meuvette valley, which was once canalised. The Avre Aqueduct crosses the valley on imposing arches. It supplies Paris with drinking water.
The Quatre Bancs crossroads in the Bord-Louviers Forest
Autumn hike in a forest environment, mainly consisting of large avenues called forest roads. The avenues and paths are covered with a carpet of russet, ochre and golden leaves. The air is cooler, ideal for walking, filled with the smells of damp earth, mushrooms and wood.
Circular in the Bord-Louviers forest
Circular loop in the Bord-Louviers forest via the old Route d'Elbeuf. This is a season when the forest seems both alive and peaceful, with animals bustling about before winter, mushrooms sprouting from the ground and trees losing their leaves.