Around the Jeune Autise in Maillezais

de fr

This path between the "wet" and "dry" marshes, passing by a characteristic feature of the marsh (the Aqueduct), will take you from the Romanesque church to the majestic Abbey of Saint-Pierre de Maillezais.

Details

n°935847
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.17 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 14 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 14 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 16 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 2 m
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Photos

maillé aqueduct
The Jeune Autise
Former Abbey of Saint Pierre de Maillezais

Description of the walk

Park in the car park on the south side of Maillezais church.

(S/E) Take Rue du Champ de Foire towards Maillé. (D15) heading south-west. Walk carefully for about 1 km.

(1) Turn right onto the small road, and after a left-hand bend, you will arrive at Bout de la Levée.

(2) Just before the houses in the hamlet, turn right onto Chemin de la Levée de la Bourse de Chay, which runs alongside the stream of the same name. Continue for about 3.5 km (grassy path, some sections of which may be muddy in wet weather).

(3) After the first bridge, pass the lock on your right (see the information panels about this structure, known as the Aqueduct).
Then continue right towards Maillezais on the cycle path for about 4 km. This Levée du Bois Dieu separates the wet marsh from the dry marsh.

(4) When you reach the D68 road, turn right and carefully follow the road towards Maillezais.

(5) Pass in front of the Old Abbey and continue towards the centre of Maillezais.

(6) Turn right onto Rue de l'Abbaye and continue to the crossroads 200 metres ahead, then turn right, pass the church entrance and continue to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 16 m - Car park to the south of the - Èglise Saint-Nicolas (Maillezais)
  2. 1 : km 1.03 - alt. 14 m - Turn right towards Bout de la Levée
  3. 2 : km 1.27 - alt. 5 m - Path on the right before the houses
  4. 3 : km 5.06 - alt. 2 m - Crossing the lock - Aqueduc de Maillé
  5. 4 : km 9.39 - alt. 4 m - Turn right at the D68. Towards the young - Autise (rivière)
  6. 5 : km 10.38 - alt. 5 m - Abbaye Saint-Pierre de Maillezais
  7. 6 : km 10.92 - alt. 6 m - Fork to the right Rue de l'Abbaye
  8. S/E : km 11.17 - alt. 16 m - Car park to the south of the church

Notes

Yellow marked route.

The section of the route between points (2) and (3) is on a grassy path that can be very muddy depending on the season.
It is advisable to wear suitable footwear.

Take care on the D15 and D68 roads.

Worth a visit

An obstacle to the spreading of floodwaters in the drained marsh, the levee is carefully maintained: profiling, planting and stone filling. Bordered by two parallel canals, it is regularly dotted with small, low houses: huts. The hut dwellers were responsible for maintaining a section of the dike.

(3) The Aqueduct: this structure allows two canals to cross. The waters of the Jeune Autize (wet marsh) are drained into the Sèvre Niortaise without flowing into the Vix canal (dry marsh).

The former Abbey of Saint-Pierre: One of the most powerful monasteries in Poitou (11th and 16th centuries).

(S/E)The Romanesque Church of Saint-Nicolas was built around 1140 and restored in the 19th century.

The Abbey pier offers guided tours of the marsh.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 19 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
Piba
Piba

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The first quarter of an hour of the hike is indeed dangerous but unavoidable to reach the dyke. The end of the route runs alongside the D68 on a recently well-secured path. This dyke (necessarily straight) and the Maillé aqueduct are very important elements in understanding the drainage works carried out on the marsh. A minimum amount of preparation is required to appreciate the site. The history of the aqueduct (dating back to the 17th century) and its importance were perfectly explained on signs that have since become illegible. What a shame!

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SEVERIN Sylvie
SEVERIN Sylvie

Yes, I understand! You have to be careful. Best regards

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jlfaure
jlfaure

It is difficult to find another possible route around Maillezais

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SEVERIN Sylvie
SEVERIN Sylvie

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello. Very dangerous route at the start and end. Not suitable for groups or children. Monotonous route on the way there as there is no visibility of the coves due to excessive vegetation. Return route is a never-ending limestone path, but with a view of the coves. Not impressed with this route. Sorry!

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Diégo17
Diégo17

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk with magnificent scenery.
However, it would be beneficial to provide footpaths along the side of the country roads where possible.
Consider mowing the vegetation on part of the embankment where the path runs.

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emelinecy
emelinecy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike but very muddy parish-specific to Brittany terrain during wet weather throughout the first part. Two 1 km sections of road where you have to watch out for traffic

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isabellebl
isabellebl

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful and pleasant walk in the marshes, except for the initial and final sections where you walk along a fairly busy road. You then walk along the grassy and muddy path of the dyke separating the wet marshes from the dry marshes.

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ma7jo6be
ma7jo6be

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Starting out on the road and returning by road as well seemed unfeasible with a group.
The section along the Bourse de Chay marsh is very pleasant, but the return journey along the Bois Dieu marsh is much less interesting. Ultimately, two long straights and two sections of unpaved road detract greatly from the appeal of the route.

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jholvoet
jholvoet

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Two sections of road, each over 1 km long, at the start and finish, are very unpleasant, stressful and even dangerous, and should not be attempted with children. There are no facilities for pedestrians; you have to walk along the side of the road, which is not very wide and quite busy. Special mention for the arrival on the D15, where you walk along a sloping embankment with brambles, with cars passing at 70 km/h just 50 cm from walkers .
The route is rather monotonous. Maillezais is very nice with its abbey and landing stages, as is the lock, but the rest of the route doesn't offer much to see as it is lined with trees. Nevertheless, you can still make out the canals.

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michele gay
michele gay

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Pleasant route (done in the sunshine), flat terrain with no difficulties, take care at the start and end of the hike when crossing roads, rewarded by the arrival at Maillezais Abbey

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Faniemln
Faniemln

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Hello, the start at Maillezais Abbey is very beautiful, but the route is unremarkable... nothing to see... There is a path between the two banks that is fairly well maintained, but EDF poles are wedged into tree branches and held in place by the Holy Spirit, which is very dangerous... we often find ourselves on the road ⚠️ it's super dangerous... apart from the abbey, unfortunately there is nothing else to see... We are disappointed.

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140869
140869

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

very pleasant walk in the marshes, but unremarkable and very simple

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noelle martin
noelle martin
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A bit monotonous; however, the aqueduct and its design are very interesting to discover. There are some pretty passages with canals and pollarded ash trees. Allows you to see the wet marsh and the dry marsh. Lots of pretty flowers, especially goat orchids.

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randonnée79270
randonnée79270

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Lovely walk in glorious sunshine

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larochenet
larochenet

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hike on Christmas Day: the sun was shining! Despite a slightly muddy section, the trail is still passable and this hike is very enjoyable and pleasant. Immerse yourself in nature with birds and deer in the largely flooded marsh. We would happily do it again.

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