Circular route between Échemiré and Cheviré-le-Rouge

The starting point is at the car park on the D766, very close to the restaurant Le Petit Baugeois. You’ll find a sign describing the walking routes starting from Echemiré.

Red markings

(S/E) Head east and follow the D766. After about fifty metres, turn left onto the D211.

(1) At the junction shortly afterwards, go straight on. Follow the road for about 1.3 km (this isn’t the most pleasant part of the walk...). Pass the turn-off for Montchauvon on your right and, after about 100 metres, you’ll find the Chemin de Montchausserie on your left.

(2) Opposite this, turn right onto a very pretty path which you follow for 700 m until you reach a road. Continue to the right along the Route des Bois Clairs until the left-hand bend, then take the path that leads straight on to the Menhir du Coq (information sign).

(3) Carry on straight ahead and make sure you don’t miss the turn-off to the left 600 metres further on. Pay attention – it’s tempting to carry on straight ahead. Follow this path to reach the tarmac road at Les Moinetries.

(4) Cross a small road and continue almost straight on along a downhill path which can be very wet or even slippery (take care). Join the D211 (with greenhouses opposite) and follow it to the left for about 200 m. Then take the path on the right, at the edge of the woods. Walk between a field on your left and a pond on your right (don’t miss the oak tree planted during the reign of Louis XIV).

(5) At the far end of the pond, turn left and walk alongside the Gadon stream on your right. After about 400 metres, take a footbridge on the right to cross the Gadon. Ignore a path on the left and you’ll come to a track leading to a farm building on the right: then head slightly to the left.

(6) As you approach the Château de la Roussière, take the^first path on the right. At the access track to the Chesnaie farm, continue straight ahead along the track, which widens, until you reach your destination. After about 600 m, you’ll reach a junction (sign for “variant 13.5 km”; entrance to the Cheviré-le-Rouge estate).

Yellow markings

(7) Take the path on the right and follow it for about 1.5 km until you reach a crossroad (D18).

(8) First turn right then left to cross the road (take care) and join a path. At the three-way junction ahead, turn right. Leave the woodland and follow the edge of the woodland on your left. At the crossroads (marker 93), go straight on.

(9) At the junction where a field meets the woodland, turn left and enter the woodland. After crossing through the woodland, you’ll emerge onto a small road; follow it to the right to quickly reach a fork in the road.

(10) Turn left and walk through the hamlet of Les Caves. Cross a stream and continue along the road which passes through the hamlets of Bouis and Le Petit Bois Jard. Walk alongside a woodland on your right until you reach a sharp right-hand turn, which leads to a crossroads (marked by a cross).

(11) Take the Chemin de l’Humesle towards the hamlet of the same name. Carry on straight ahead (north then north-north-west) until you reach a small road.

(12) Turn left onto it, pass by the foot of the water tower and head towards a wayside cross.

(13) Turn left onto a lovely sunken path and carry on straight on until you reach Cheviré-le-Rouge. Walk past the cemetery and you’ll come to a four-way junction at number 7. Turn right, walk past a car park on your right and, at the end of the street, turn left.

No further signposting

(14) At the D18, first turn left then right and follow the D82 towards Jarzé. Cross the D109 and continue along Rue des Langottières.

(15) At the junction, turn right and walk past an old washhouse. Carry on straight ahead and head downhill until you reach a fork in the path with a pond on your right. Turn left and ignore the signposting, as two routes are marked in yellow and you risk significantly lengthening the route. At the next three-way junction in the road, carry straight on along Route des Barbotières. Walk past a^first small wood on your right, then a^second.

Yellow markings

(16) Then follow a path on the left. Pass the turn-off for the hamlet of La Godinière on your left. Cross the D82 and continue straight ahead along the Route du Point du Jour.

(17) At the three-way junction, keep right. Walk through a woodland. You’ll come to a junction (D511) once you’ve left the woodland.

No further signposting

(18) The yellow signpost suggests turning left: ignore it, cross the D511 and carry on straight ahead along the Route des Orgeries. Pass the Lande d’Esvières, ignore the Route de la Galbouchère on the left and you’ll reach a three-way junction.

Red signposting

(19) Turn right onto Chemin des Pins. Just after the “Le Brossay” lodge, take a beautiful downhill path on the left. Before that, take in the views of the Loir Valley on the right (Durtal) and, in the distance, the Loire Valley on the left. You’ll be able to admire it further on. Behind the ruins, turn right.

(20) At the T-junction, turn left, then turn right at the next fork. Ignore a path on the right and carry on straight ahead until you reach a wood. Turn left, following the edge of the wood, and join a small road.

(21) Follow the road to the right for about fifty metres, then turn left onto the path leading to some hamlets and look for the start of a footpath heading into the woods on the right, just past the field on your right. Follow this path until you reach a rather basic orientation board ; from here you can see the village of Échemiré and, in the distance, the hillsides on the left bank of the Loire.

(22) Continue downhill to a small road. Follow it to the left, ignoring a turn-off to the left and then one to the right. Walk alongside a copse on your right.

(23) At the edge of the copse, take a path on the right. You’ll come to a wide path through the woodland; follow it as it continues. The path soon gives way to a tarmac road. You’ll reach a crossroads with a wayside cross in the hamlet of the Red Cross.

(24) Carry on straight ahead for about 200 m, then turn left just after the farm. At the next fork, turn right. Walk alongside the Gadon on your right.

(25) At the crossroads, cross the Gadon via a small footbridge. At the T-junction, turn right. Ignore a path coming from the right and head towards the village of Échemiré.

Then head for the car park on the D766 in Échemiré (S/E).

(S/E) Toilets.
Shelter at the wash house in Cheviré-le-Rouge.
No refreshments along the route.
Red signposting provided by the municipality of Baugé-en-Anjou.

(14) In Cheviré-le-Rouge, you can take a short detour to see the church and the old houses around it.