Circular Maisdon-sur-Sévre to Aigrefeuille

Park on the Place des Tilleuls behind the church in Maisdon-sur-Sèvre.

(S/E) Go around the church on the right, then take the first street on the right (Rue de la Mairie - D74). The first street on the left will then be the right one. When it turns left, leave it and go slightly down the road on the right; after about 150 metres, this will lead to a path that goes straight ahead, leaving the housing estate on the right. Turn right to go around the houses. Follow this green corridor at the back of the housing estate. You will arrive at a street corner, but continue, leaving the houses on your right, until you reach a small road. Take this road, turning left.

(1) Leave the small road and take the path opposite, then turn right to walk alongside the woods. Cross some vineyards and continue between the farm on your right and the motorhome parking area. You will reach a crossroads with several directions.

(2) Head north (left). Do not take the D74 towards Saint-Fiacre, but take the road on the right for a few metres, then take the path that starts on the left, to the right of the sign describing the places served by this small road. Walk straight ahead until you reach a small wood.

(3) In the middle of the woods, turn left. Then cross the D74 (small calvary) and head towards the Moulin des Landes.

(4) Turn right and continue almost straight ahead until you reach the road. Do not cross it, but follow it on the left. At the wayside cross, go down the Côte de la Roche on the right, cross Les Sauzes, veering left to join the D58.

(5) Descend to the right.
Please note that this is one of two short sections where there is some traffic and little verge to take shelter. Please be careful.
Leave the small road that climbs left towards La Pépière, then cross the bridge over the Maine. Climb back up towards La Turmelière and admire the magnificent residence on the right. Once you have passed the fire hydrant, climb up the very small road that quickly appears on the left, makes a first turn right then a second turn left and ends after 500m at a wood near the hamlet of Beau Laurier.

(6) On the left, you will see a "Chasse gardée" sign and the start of a path protected by a turnstile. This path leads down a steep slope to the beautiful Maine valley. It is supposed to lead to Haute Rivière. In reality, continue downhill and a small bridge will take you to the edge of the Maine, which you should follow south-east. This is no longer really a path, even though there are still a few turnstiles, but a very grassy trail, sometimes with large sections lined with nettles. Many trees have fallen into the river and their stumps have damaged the path. But this valley is superb. The river bends and then heads due south.

(7) The path veers sharply to the right, leaving the banks of the Maine to climb the hillside through a wood. Continue south to the village of La Trélitière. Find a path to the left that leads to a rocky promontory offering a beautiful view of the valley and Aigrefeuille in the distance to the right.

(8) Retrace your steps back to the village and take the street on the left for a few metres, then turn left again just before house number 36 (photo). Once you have passed the last houses, the path begins to descend and then turns sharply east (left).

(9) Look carefully for the start of the path on the right, which crosses a small stream with multiple branches (depending on the season). The path climbs uphill and joins a larger carriage road that turns 90° to the right. At this bend, just after two letterboxes, a small path begins on the left, which leads to the banks of the Maine River and a picnic area.

Continue along the path, leaving the vehicle access road on your right. Then climb to the right until you reach a signpost and descend towards the footbridge on the left. Cross the Maine via the narrow Moulin Reusard footbridge.

(10) Head right, quickly leaving the banks of the Maine behind to climb up a very pleasant path on the hillside. Further on, ignore the small path on the right, which is not marked on the map and offers a difficult 400-metre route, and continue to the left. You will then arrive at the Fourère farm, which you will pass on your right. A new path appears 150 metres further on the right, leading to a place called "Bernard", but continue straight on to La Pégerie.

(11) Turn left towards Le Pâtis. Ignore the path leading off to the left and continue until you reach a signposted crossroads. Then descend to the left towards Moulin Reusard. You will arrive at the banks of the Maine at the crossroads you passed earlier.

(10) Turn right towards the north, following the river. Reach Moulin des Epinettes and continue along the Maine.

(12) Ignore the path on the right and continue along the river. You will come to a crossroads with a picnic table at the edge.

(13) Take the^GRP® Sèvre et Maine Boucle du Vignoble trail here. It leaves the riverbed and climbs through woods until it reaches a stream, which you cross over large stones (ford) to meet another path that you take to the left. Continue up a steep climb that leads to the vineyards via a turnstile.

(14) A sign (respecting private property) instructs you to climb to the right to go around the vineyard plot, turning left at the top. Continue straight ahead; the path then turns 90° to the left between the vines, then descends into a wood.

(15) Leave the "Circuit Soif de Nature" on the right and continue downhill. The path turns right towards the Maine and quickly rejoins the "Route Soif de Nature" which runs along the banks of the river. Continue, ignoring the paths leading off to the right, following the signs for "Route Soif de Nature". Leave the riverbank and climb into a wood to reach the village of La Pépière.

(16) Take the road on the left, then turn right between the houses and continue straight on to the village of La Grenaudière.

(17) Leave the road when it turns left and take the path opposite. Cross the vineyards without changing direction until you come to a small road, which you should take to the left. After 100 metres, cross the D58 between the woods on the right and the vineyards on the left. Take the first path on the right to reach the village of Le Gast.

(18): Take the road turning right towards La Bimboire to rejoin the D58 at a place called La Bimboire.

(19): Turn left towards Maisdon-sur-Sèvre.
Be careful of traffic. At the entrance to the village, look for a pedestrian crossing sign on the right and a 100m no-entry sign for vehicles; take this path, then turn left to join the D7, cross it and immediately turn right onto Basse Rue. You will come out at the side of the church. Turn right to return to the starting point (S/E).

(7 and 10) Picnic tables: four at (7) and one at (10).

Variations: you can shorten the route in two places:
- From (1), instead of turning right to follow the woods, continue straight ahead, then turn left for 20 metres and then right. You will then cross a farm track; take it to the left. This will take you to the calvary before the descent to Les Sauzes, saving you about 2.5 km.
- From (13), at the end of the Moulin Reusard footbridge, turn left immediately and follow the Maine river towards the Moulin des Epinettes, which shortens the route by about 2 km.
Combining the two variants reduces the length of the route to approximately 16.5 km.