The Robinia Circular Loop

Start from the market square in Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière: Place Henri Brives.

(S/E) Access the greenway via a zigzag staircase that climbs the embankment at the far end of the market square. Turn left onto the greenway towards Thiviers.
From the viaduct, don’t miss the view over the village.
Follow the greenway for 2 km. Shortly after the 2 km marker (to the right of the path), near a bench, a yellow signpost marks the start of a narrow path that leads into the woodland to the right of the greenway.

(1) Take this path through the woodland until you reach a road. Turn left onto the road and, before it climbs towards the hamlet of Puyriol (houses in sight), it crosses a signposted track heading towards Bordessoule on the right. Take this track to the left. It climbs through the woodland to the houses in the hamlet of La Robinie. At the top of the hill, the track gives way to a tarmac road leading to the first houses.

(2) Turn right, passing between the buildings, and take the grassy path slightly to the left which descends between fenced meadows. At the bottom of the slope, follow the path on the left which climbs back up through the woods, skirting the edge of the meadows. On emerging from the woods, another grassy path runs alongside a meadow, heading towards a few houses. It joins a road in the middle of a bend. Take this road on the left, passing the houses on your right.

(3) After the hamlet of Les Boissières, at the crossroads, turn right towards Saint-Front-la-Rivière. After the junction with the Route du Chadeuil on your left, continue to the junction with a stony track marked with yellow signposts, part of the circular Chadeuil route.

(4) Follow the gravel track to the remains of a stone monument on your right.

Yellow markings

(5) Then take a narrow path between low stone walls. Starting in the woodland and then passing through meadows, the path runs below an airfield on the right-hand side.

(6) After the airfield, turn left and, at the next two junctions, turn right towards Saint-Pardoux (towards the village). After a few houses, the path descends quite steeply, passing close to the greenway. Continue down the slope until you reach the road.

(7) Follow the D83 to the right, go under the viaduct, and at the roundabout, turn left to cross the Dronne. Carry on straight ahead along the Grand Rue de la Barre to the end of the street, then turn left towards the market square (S/E).

An easy walk.
Depending on the season, some paths may be overgrown with tall grass.

Picnic areas on the greenway (1) and at the entrance to the village, under the viaduct (7)

Sights to see along the walk:

• the 19th-century railway engineering structures (viaduct, guardrails, footbridges)
• Observe the contrast in vegetation around (5), where the limestone of the Dronne Valley supports Causse-type vegetation, accompanied by low stone walls marking out the plots.