Bessé-sur-Braye walks

The Braye, celebrated in song by Ronsard, meets the Loir here. Whilst Bessé-sur-Braye is best known to locals for its thriving paper industry, this village in the Calais region is also home to a Renaissance gem, the Château de Courtanvaux, which is said to have hosted Henry IV. Its large wooded park is open to the public all year round, and serves as the starting point for this walk, which also takes you through lovely countryside along a small tarmac road.

A pleasant little walk through woods and vineyards.

Situated between the Loir and the rock on the hillside, this route allows you to discover a picturesque natural heritage, typical of the Loir Valley and its troglodyte dwellings.

A hike through two valleys. It passes through the hamlet of Saint-Fraimbault and its restored chapel.

A very beautiful walk along the Boulon Valley.

Pleasant walk except at the start. Beautiful valleys and woods.

This route will take you from the world of vineyards to the defence line of the Saint-Rimay Tunnel. From cellars to blockhouses, you will also discover two restoration projects led by the Résurgence association along the way. A beautiful view of the Loir valley will accompany you for much of your journey.

Bouloire is nestled in the heart of a vast, hilly agricultural region crossed by the Dué and Tortue rivers. Human presence along the ancient road between Le Mans and Orléans is attested to by a coin dating back to the Merovingian period. Its name comes either from a Celtic place name meaning "fortification" or from an etymology meaning "between two coasts ". The town centre is rich in ancient architectural heritage. The Church of Saint-Georges, destroyed by a fire that ravaged the village in 1680, bears the coat of arms of Marshal Guillaume Testu de Balincourt, who enabled its reconstruction. The town's coat of arms is also linked to this figure.

Rated as easy, this hike crosses the Vibraye Forest. To make it a circular route, allow about 3 hours and do not leave the marked trail, which is public. Unlike the forest, which is private, the route is marked with round signs 10 cm in diameter reminiscent of the work of the forge. You are in the Haut Maine region. In the Middle Ages, this region was home to a significant metallurgical industry, made possible by the presence of iron ore, extracted from flint clay and quartz sand, as well as the large quantities of wood needed for the forges. The forest was managed by cutting down coppice wood every 18 years to renew the resource. The dominant species is oak, but the forest also consists of aspens, birches, chestnuts and pines. This pleasant route describes a craft activity through the display boards scattered around the former mining sites.

Lovely views over the Vendôme area and the Loir Valley.

La Ville-aux-Clercs offers four walking routes that are also suitable for mountain bikes: here is the Red route in the heart of the Perche Vendômois region.

Hillside route along the riverbanks, on foot or by mountain bike. Some of the hill climbs are a bit steep. Take your time to enjoy the route.

This route owes its name to the shape of its route, which evokes the silhouette of a leprechaun for dreamers. It offers a path between Jalais, a bocage plain on the Soulitré side, and the Huisne valley.

This hike allows you to discover Montmirail, a "small town of character", and its green countryside through woods and sunken paths.

Picking these delicious little fruits is a great excuse for a getaway through the fields and woods of this countryside in northern Touraine.

The village of Duneau is located in a dominant position on the left bank of the Huisne, on a route that has been highly sought-after since prehistoric times. The Pierre Fiche menhir and the Pierre Couverte dolmen, dating from the Neolithic period (around 4000 BC), bear witness to this. These are the only visible archaeological remains among many others covering the periods of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

The route is fairly hilly, often through woods, around the two Petites Choisilles streams. A passage on the heights offers a pretty view of the village of Nouzilly and its wooded hills.

A pleasant walk that begins along the Étang de Nouzilly and then takes you through numerous wooded areas.

This route through fields and forests will allow you to discover numerous ponds, as well as the Château de Rochefort and the charming hamlet of La Roche Bourdeil.

The route through the countryside around Tuffé takes us to the Château de Chéronne and the church of Saint-Denis-des-Coudrais. The Chéronne, which feeds the Tuffé lake, crosses and recrosses the sunken paths several times. This route is best enjoyed in good weather as the dirt tracks can be quite wet.