Chapelle Saint-Blaise des Simples (Milly-la-Forêt) walks

This is the twenty-eighth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, connecting Milly-la-Forêt to the Ballancourt-sur-Essonne train station after crossing the French Gâtinais region. It is designed to follow on fromthe previous stage coming from Fontainebleau, after a night's stay there.This stage begins in the École valley, which boasts a rich heritage: Milly-la-Forêt, Moigny-sur-École, Courances and its château, and Dannemois, dear to Claude François. It continues through the fields of the Gâtinais, then the ridges and sandstone plateaus of the Grands Avaux forest, ending at Ballancourt-sur-Essonne in the valley of the same name.The stage is very beautiful but very long, and undoubtedly the most physically demanding of all those on the GR®11, especially in its second part. However, it is possible to split it in two by staying overnight and/or shorten it in several places by simplifying it.

The return journey from the Coquibus farm to Maisse station takes you through a mix of open countryside and woodland. It offers the chance to visit Milly-la-Forêt, where Cocteau “discovered the rarest thing in the world: a setting”.

This long hike takes you on a fairly comprehensive tour of the magnificent Coquibus massif: heather-covered plateaus and water holes, deciduous woods, rocks, viewpoints, the Vanne aqueduct (sandstone steps), etc.

After crossing the Rambouillet Forest in the previous stage, this section is a restful one. It takes you to Malesherbes station. This is one of the easiest stages of the GR®1. The start is at Le Vaudoué. It is the only stage of the GR®1 that does not start at a station. The hike alternates between sections in the woods and more rural sections. The first interesting sight on the route is the church in Le Vaudoué. The path then leads to the former Templar Commandery before crossing woods and fields towards the Essonne and Saint-Martin Church in Malesherbes.

A hike from station to station in the Essonne Valley. After climbing up through the Bois de Saint-Médard and crossing a cultivated plateau, you pass through the charming hamlets of Courdimanche. You walk alongside the river several times, cross a small island, and the Marais de Jarcy may be of interest to nature lovers. Several churches and a few wash houses are also along the way.

A day or a weekend in the Fontainebleau Forest, without a car, starting from Maisse station (RER D). Visit the “Cyclop”, a kinetic metal sculpture partly covered in mirrors, as tall as a seven-storey building, which stands proudly in the heart of the Milly Forest. Monumental yet hidden away, it surveys its surroundings with its single golden eye.

In the south of the Essonne department, this station-to-station hike alternates between forest paths, quiet country lanes and paths through the fields. Along the way, there is a wealth of heritage to discover: a mill, churches, a castle and a Neolithic grinding stone.

A hike from Gironville-sur-Essonne station to Boigneville station via Malesherbes, following the Essonne river on a route with very little elevation gain. Malesherbes is located on the border of Seine-et-Marne and is crossed by the Essonne river. On the agenda: castle, wash house, river, narrow streets, ponds and mills, passing through the pretty villages of Buno-Bonnevaux and Rouville, following the GR®1.

A walk mainly through woodland, from station to station, where flat sections alternate with ascents and descents. Beautiful pine forests, some heather-covered undergrowth and several boulders await you.

A hike from station to station with a significant forest component. In addition to a viewpoint, Rocher Bizet offers views of its plateau landscapes, with heathland, ponds and outcropping rocks.