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Park in the Passeur trail car park, near the port of Gimouille on the canal alongside the Loire.
(S/E) Leave the car park and turn right to take the start of the Sentier du Passeur trail. Turn right again to reach the edge of the canal and follow it to the left.
(1) Turn right to cross the bridge over the canal, then immediately turn left to continue along the tarmac towpath (marked GR® White and Red).
Continue to the entrance to the canal bridge where you will find two information boards: one on the "La Loire en Bourgogne" cycle route and one on the Bec d'Allier (aerial photo and hiking routes).
(2) Cross the Allier via the canal bridge. After the double lock at Guétin, take Rue des Écluses on the right, in front of the canal bridge inn, following the signs for "le Bec d'Allier". See the old photos of the village and the flood scale from 1866. Continue along Rue des Pêcheurs and join the roundabout on the D976.
(3) Go around the roundabout on the left, pass under the "1.8 m" bar on the right and join the Allier via the wide path. This is the start of the Bec d'Allier trail (green markings and signs): information about this "Cher sensitive natural area" trail is available at the green hut on the left.
Follow this trail along the Allier with several numbered information panels. Panel 5 is right at the Bec d'Allier (confluence of the Allier and Loire rivers).
(4) Continue along a grassy path that winds between the Loire and the dyke (green markings).
Then turn left towards the dyke, pass sign 6 and join the tarmac road on the dyke (the Bec d'Allier levee) just at the old mill.
(5) Take this road on the left for about 300 metres, returning towards the village of Le Guétin.
Turn right onto the small road that goes downhill, Rue de la Chaume. After 200 metres, turn left onto a grassy path and follow it to a T-junction.
Turn right to join the tarmac road at a place called Le Crot du Cheval (old wind turbine). Turn left onto this road and walk to the canal (La Chaume) at Cuffy.
(6) Do not cross the bridge over the canal. Follow the towpath to the left (south). Pass Le Colombier, then reach the junction of the canal with the supply channel.
(7) Continue straight ahead, keeping the canal on your right. Continue to the departmental road and the canal bridge. Cross the bridge again.
(2) At the end of the bridge, leave the GR® and descend to the left via the Chemin du Passeur (shown in light blue on one of the signs near the canal bridge). Follow the signs for the Chemin du Passeur "towards the observatory - circular".
(8) Just before reaching the D976, at a small car park, turn left then right to pass under the road bridge. Then follow the signs for "observatory 45 minutes", then "observatory 30 minutes" on the path that winds along the right bank of the Allier with several information panels on the flora and fauna.
Cross a stream over a small wooden bridge, walk along a meadow on your right, pass a first observatory near the sandy cliff - be careful, danger! Continue to the main observatory located just at the confluence of the Allier and Loire rivers.
(9) Take the time to climb up there, then continue along the path to the right, following the signs for "bourg de Gimouille par Saint-Jacques". This path, which is not shown on the map, runs along the edge of the woods and alongside a meadow.
Go around the first wooden barrier, cross the Bouëlle stream over a small stone bridge, go through a second barrier, and continue to the end of the forest path, which then joins the GR®654.
(10) Go around a wooden barrier near a sign showing the route of the hike. Turn right onto thisGR® trail, which is one of the routes to Compostela (wide path between the fields). Follow this path to the end, which passes in front of the Gimouille cemetery and a farm before joining the D976.
(11) Cross the road with great caution as there is no protected crossing. Continue opposite on the C1, which supports theGR® trail, towards Gimouille. The road passes over the canal to reach a roundabout with the new war memorial on the esplanade on the left.
Turn right, walk past the church and head for the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
