Country:
District:
Park in the part of the car park closest to the bridge, as this part of the car park is not in the blue zone.
(S/E) Leave the car park towards the bridge, then cross Boulevard Carnot carefully using the zebra crossing opposite No. 1. First turn left then right to reach Rue du 71e Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pieds (no street sign), where a sign indicates a footpath.
(1) Follow Rue du 71e Bataillon de Chasseurs à Pieds to the right.
Pass Place du Cordon de Loire and take the underpass on the left that leads to the left bank of the Loire.
(2) Turn right, follow a paved section at first, then the small path that runs along the Loire, marked with yellow and redGRP® signs. You will reach a picnic area located between two rows of lime trees.
Continue along this path, ignoring all side paths. Walk for about 3,500 metres to reach the Courpain Sensitive Natural Area (former Les Varennes quarries).
At the eastern end of this enclosure, a small grassy path leads to an observatory on the other side of the lake.
(3) Continue south-east and join the Levée de la Loire. Turn left and continue until you pass the high-voltage power lines, then in the right-hand bend, leave the dyke on the left. Pass the picnic area, negotiate a small climb to rejoin the Levée de la Loire, and follow it to the left.
Leave the Route de Tigy on your right and continue along the Levée de la Loire heading east towards Châteaunef-sur-Loire, following the yellow and red markings.
Pass two ponds on your right, then a 18D marker. From this marker, continue for another 200 metres to reach a path descending on the left-hand side.
(4) Take the descending path, continue along a wooded area, then enter the woods. Pass a pond on your right and below the path. As soon as you pass the pond, take a first right then left, passing a first path on your left and then a second on your right.
Leave the wooded area and continue along a large field. Enter another wooded area where you can see a few abandoned huts. Reach the Route des Vallées and follow it to the left to reach the Route de Châteauneuf-sur-Loire.
(5) Turn left and carefully follow the road along the hard shoulder. Cross the bridge (caution: the pavement becomes very narrow at the cable anchors, less than 40 cm).
(6) Turn left onto Rampe du Haut Quai towards Piscine and Terres du Château, then take a right turn to follow Quai Barrault. When you reach a height restriction gate, turn right onto Rue Paul Carpentier. Continue to the entrance of Terres du Château.
(7) Enter Terres du Château through the entrance with large stone pillars, marked with white and red signs.
Pass a tennis court on your right and a football stadium on your left.
Take the stairs leading to the bridge over the moat and continue up the stairs opposite to reach the castle esplanade (Town Hall). Walk past the front of the castle and turn left at the end.
(8) Follow Allée de Lamballe, passing the Orangery on your right and the old castle greenhouses. You will reach an inverted Y-shaped intersection.
(9) Turn left and follow the path downhill signposted Retour Aire de Jeux (Return to Playground), ignoring the small side paths, and you will reach an X-shaped intersection just before the playground.
Turn right and walk about 70 metres to reach a small path going up to the right, marked with a sign for Rhododendrons.
(10) Take the Rhododendrons path and, at the next intersection, follow the sign for Temple de l'Amour. You will reach an inverted Y-shaped intersection. Follow the path downhill to the left, then turn right towards Temple de l'Amour.
Walk along the waterway, ignoring all the small side paths and a small footbridge. You will reach the Allée de Lamballe. Pass a wooden bridge on your left (marked Château retour) and continue straight ahead towards the Loire and Temple de l'Amour, following the white and red markings. You will reach the Temple de l'Amour.
(11) Pass the Temple de l'Amour and follow the signs for the Loire, marked in white and red. Pass a small path on your right marked Passage en sous-bois.
Take a series of wooden footbridges, passing a wooden bridge on your left (this bridge offers a pretty view of the waterway). Follow the signs for Loire Porte Ouest.
Go around the Miroir d'Eau on the right and continue towards Loire Porte Ouest. Pass the barriers on the right that give access to the Porte Ouest and follow the signs for Loire Porte des Mariniers, reaching an inverted Y-junction.
(12) Turn right and go through the Porte des Mariniers, which gives access to the Levée de la Loire on the right bank. Follow the Levée de la Loire south-west, ignoring all side paths, following the white-red markings, and reach marker 18D.
(13) Pass marker 18D. Ignore a path on your left and another on your right, then take the path on your left just before an electricity pylon.
(14) Turn left and continue along this path between the Loire and the ponds. Ignore all side paths.
(15) After the first pond, ignore the path on the right and continue straight ahead along the path blocked by four large stones. Ignore all paths on the right and left.
After a series of ponds, the path reaches a Y-shaped intersection. Continue straight ahead on a grassy path.
(16) Follow the small path on the left, marked in white and red, and join a wider path. Turn left and cross a small bridge over the Ruisseau de l'Anche stream. Shortly afterwards, the path leaves the forest and runs alongside a large plain.
Pass the hamlets of L'Orme Pinon, La Roche aux Moines, Faujuif, Le Grand Clos and Les Dords on your right. Go through a green chicane and continue down the path. Cross another small bridge and pass a green barrier on your right. You will reach a Y-shaped intersection.
(17) Turn left at a large rock. The path passes by a fitness trail. Pass a staircase and a fountain on your right and begin a steep climb.
Shortly before the highest point, you will reach a less steep path.
(18) Continue straight ahead, passing a path on your right, then go through a chicane. You will reach the Quai de la Crèche and continue to the bridge on the Saint-Denis-de-l'Hôtel side.
(19) Turn left, cross the bridge and reach the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Difficult 
