“Fleur de Lys Violette” circular walk: Manufacture – Chemin Noir – Canal de l’Est

Departure from the historic estate of the Manufacture Royale de Bains. Free car park on the estate.

(S/E) Enter the estate, walk past the exhibition and the restaurant, then head up towards the chapel.

(1) Turn left beneath the house of Julie Victoire Daubié, France’s first female bachelore, who was born on the estate, and enter the woods. Walk for about a hundred metres, visit the ice house on the left and join a road.

(2) Follow this small forest road, known as "le Chemin Noir", to the left, heading north. At the D64, turn left and you will soon find a path on the right.

(3) Take this path, enter the woods and continue until you reach a straight cross-path, an ancient Roman road.

(4) Turn left onto this, head down to the A-road and cross the bridge over the Coney.

(5) Between the two bridges, head down to the right and join the “Voie Bleue” cycle path which runs alongside the Canal de l’Est. Turn left, follow the canal southwards and reach Lock No. 31.

(6) Continue straight ahead on the towpath, between the river and the canal, until you reach a small road.

(7) Turn left, heading north-east, cross the small wooden bridge over the Coney and then, at the three-way junction ahead, keep left to reach the Manufacture Royale (S/E).

Free parking at the entrance to the estate. Reserved for tourists visiting the estate or restaurant customers

Free self-guided tour, chapel, grounds, exhibition.

Guided tours on the^2nd and^4th Friday of every month at 2.30 pm.

Catering available from March to October, 9am to 6pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays).

Toilets, drinking water, accommodation.