Circular route around Mars-sur-Allier

A circular loop around Mars-sur-Allier, on flat terrain, offering the chance to see cranes or storks at certain times of the year.

Details

1817040
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.55 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 13 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 13 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 594 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 577 ft

Description of the walk

Car park near the church at Mars-sur-Allier.

(S/E) With your back to the church, turn right onto the path leading to the Allier.

(1) Stay on the tarmac road, cross the bridge over the Ruisseau du Pont Aubert and continue to the end of the road. Then take the Nièvre Departmental Council’s ZNIEFF trail and follow it.

(2) Take the Chemin de terre du Crot Noir and return to the road.

(1) Continue left along the tarmac path. Follow it to the junction with the Chemin de Murthiau.

(3) Turn right and join the Route de l’Église; take this to the left until you reach the entrance to the hamlet of La Saulaie. At the three-way junction, turn right onto the Chemin de la Saulaie.

(4) Follow Route du Veudre to the right, passing through the hamlets of Chateauneuf and Le Buis.

(5) On leaving Le Buis, turn left onto Chemin de Chailloux, until you reach the junction with Route de Dhéré (D108).
Pass the hamlet of Les Chailloux on your right, follow the road to the left and pass through the hamlet of Limonet.

(6) At a place called Les Gachats, cross the D133 and continue straight ahead along Chemin du Champ Pagenot.

(7) At the hamlet of Prémartin, follow Chemin du Champ Pagenot to the left, cross the hamlet of Champ Pagenot and then turn right onto the D134, Route de Saincaize.

(8) At the three-way junction, turn left onto Chemin de Murthiau, cross this hamlet and rejoin the route you have already taken.

(3) Continue towards the church at Mars-sur-Allier and turn right to reach the car park near the church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 591 ft - Car park near the church at Mars-sur-Allier
  2. 1 : mi 0.41 - alt. 587 ft - Straight on towards the bridge - Allier (rivière)
  3. 2 : mi 1.35 - alt. 584 ft - Crot Noir dirt track
  4. 3 : mi 2.14 - alt. 591 ft - Junction with the Chemin de Murthiau
  5. 4 : mi 2.69 - alt. 587 ft - Junction with the Chemin de la Saulaie
  6. 5 : mi 2.96 - alt. 591 ft - Junction with the Chemin de Chailloux
  7. 6 : mi 3.84 - alt. 591 ft - Junction with the RD133
  8. 7 : mi 4.17 - alt. 587 ft - The hamlet of Prémartin
  9. 8 : mi 4.97 - alt. 587 ft - Junction with the Chemin de Murthiau
  10. S/E : mi 5.55 - alt. 591 ft - Car park near the church at Mars-sur-Allier

Notes

Binoculars may be useful for birdwatching.

Worth a visit

Don’t miss the church at Mars-sur-Allier: Romanesque capitals and tympanum.

In March, the storks return
In winter, flocks of cranes that spend the winter on the banks of the Allier.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
Gruneland
Gruneland

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An interesting walk.
Varied scenery: meadows, woods along the Allier, a sprawling village with characterful and historic buildings.
Several storks in the meadows.

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chantal30031960
chantal30031960

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A really nice walk.
The description should mention the church.
An indication of the distance to point 3 would be useful, as we took the first path on the right, which turned out to be a dead end.
Everything else is very well signposted!
We saw a whole ‘field’ of storks!!!!!!

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bédache
bédache

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing

A flat walk in a flat countryside.
The first part follows the “stork trail”. We didn’t see any storks or signs of beavers, but we did spot five great egrets. Then there’s a stretch of road – certainly quiet, but not exactly thrilling, at least for us. We actually cut it short because we were getting bored.
The route’s greatest merit is simply that it exists and offers a route in an area where there aren’t many, at least on this side of the River Allier.

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frvrro26
frvrro26

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant walk

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