Courances Castle – Milly-la-Forêt in the Gâtinais Regional Nature Park

Head to Courances, south of Dannemois. Go to Rue du Château and use the car park opposite the main entrance to Courances Castle.

(S/E) From the car park, opposite the main entrance to Courances Castle, turn left into Rue du Château and, at the first junction, turn right into Rue de l’Abreuvoir. At the T-junction, turn left into Rue du Moulin, then right into Place du Général de Gaulle. Pass in front of the church and continue along Rue du Petit Paris.

(1) After the sharp left-hand bend, turn right onto a track immediately after passing a wall. Carry on straight ahead without leaving the track until you reach the D948 at the edge of the forest. Turn right, enter Moigny-sur-École via the Grande Rue and proceed to the^first junction.

(2) Turn left onto Rue à Moissy. Ignore Rue de Cochet on the left, then turn left onto Rue Adonis Rousseau and carry on straight ahead without leaving the road. At the Fork in the road, turn right onto Rue de Cochet and carry on straight ahead

(3) At the 90° left-hand bend, carry on straight ahead on the cycle path, then at the Y-junction, continue on the cycle path to the right. At the Rocade Nord, cross the road in two stages , taking care of the traffic, and once on the other side, turn left. At the next junction, turn right onto Rue Louis Pasteur and enter Milly-la-Forêt.

(4) At the second four-way junction, turn left onto Rue Léopold Bédu, cross Rue Saint-Laurent, then turn right onto Boulevard du Gouverneur Félix Éboué. At the end of the street, turn left onto Rue Saint-Pierre, ride past the church on your right and continue straight on along Rue Langlois.

(5) At the junction with the small car park, turn right, then immediately left into Rue Grande Rue. At the T-junction, turn right with the flow of traffic, then left into Rue Jean Cocteau.

(6) At the star-shaped junction, take the^third lane on the right onto Rue de l’Hermite. Cross Route de Nemours, then Route de Fontainebleau , taking care with the traffic; at the Y-junction that follows, take the left-hand lane, Rue de Paray. After number 32, carry on straight ahead without leaving the lane, which then turns 90° to the left and leads to the Rocade Nord.

(7) Just before the ring road, turn right, pass a wood on your right and arrive at the Croix Saint-Antoine. Turn 90° to the right onto the Chemin de Milly à Coquibus. At the Y-junction, continue along the left-hand lane, the Chemin de Milly à Coquibus. Continue straight on without leaving the lane until you reach the Carrefour de Coquibus.

(8) Carry on straight ahead without leaving the path, then at the Y-junction, turn left onto the Chemin des Côtes Courances, taking care on the fairly steep descent along a stony path.

(9) At the road, turn left and carry on straight ahead without leaving the path, which is shared with cars.

(10) At the D372, cross the road , taking care of the traffic, and continue straight ahead along Rue de la Borde, CV1, into Courances. At the^first junction, turn right onto Rue des Tilleuls, then at the next multi-way junction, cross Rue de la Grande Rouge and, immediately afterwards, turn left onto Rue du Château. You’ll reach the main entrance to the château on your left; turn right to reach the car park (S/E).

Picnic area
Between (7) and (8), after the junction with the Chemin des Grands Longs Vaux
After (9).
(3) A few benches on the right-hand side along the cycle path.
Between (4) and (5), benches at the Church of Notre-Dame de l’Assomption.

There are no shelters or drinking fountains along the route. These can be found in the hamlets, villages and towns you pass through.

Important notice
Due to the time of year, there is a hunting zone on Fridays between (9) and (10) on the right-hand side.

No special equipment is required, other than that needed for cycling.

Ride completed on Friday 3 February 2023.

(S/E) Courances Castle
Open for visits from the^first weekend in April to the^first weekend in November, every weekend and on public holidays from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

After (S/E), Rue du Petit Paris: Saint-Étienne Church – Le Lavoir.

After (1), the watercress beds at a place called l’École.

After the (3), access to the Le Cyclop site.
The site is open to visitors from April to October, every weekend and from Wednesday to Sunday in July and August, between 10.30 am and 6.30 pm. Entry to the outdoor area is free. Entry to the interior is subject to a charge and is by guided tour only.

Between (4) and (6) in Milly-la-Forêt: The wash house at the end of Boulevard Félix Éboué – Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Church – Jean Cocteau’s House – The Market Hall (currently undergoing renovation).