Medieval Château de la Madeleine and view of the Chevreuse Valley

From the RER B station at Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, visit the 11th-century medieval castle (1030) in Chevreuse and its ramparts, with a view overlooking the Chevreuse Valley.

A day of nature, sport, excitement and gastronomy awaits you.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.02 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 72 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 72 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 153 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 74 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse station (one of the terminus stations on RER line B). Take the only exit on the right, towards Rue Ditte.

(S/E) Follow Rue Ditte to the left (west), cross the D938 and head towards Chevreuse, taking the cycle path. Continue straight ahead, ignore a road on the left and follow the wall of the Château de Coubertin on your left.

(1) At the crossroads (Ferme de Coubertin on your left), continue straight ahead on the track. After about 150 m, take thefirst path on the right. At the end, continue on the tarmac, ignore a road on your left and join a branch of the Yvette river. At the crossroads, go straight ahead and, after about 50 metres, take a footpath on the right. Cross the river and you will come to a bridge over the second branch of the Yvette.

(2) Follow the promenade with the small bridges on your left and walk along the river on your right (an old diversion canal that used to feed a mill downstream). The first building on the right, on the opposite bank, is a skin drying shed.

(3) After about 300 m (superb wash house), continue along the river. After about 50 metres, cross the river via a small bridge and then take a pedestrian passage. You will arrive at Rue de Rambouillet (D906) and follow it to the right. At the next crossroads, turn left into Rue de Dampierre (D58).

Shortly afterwards, turn right into Parc Jean Moulin. Ignore thefirst turning on the left, then turn left onto a small bridge dating from the time when there was a lake here. Then turn right onto Sente de Courqueux.

At the end, cross Rue de Versailles and take the Sentier des Remparts opposite, which climbs towards the castle. Follow this path until you reach a fork with an old ice house (a half-buried millstone construction).

(4) Take the left-hand path and leave the ice house on your right. You will come to another path. Follow it to the right and you will soon reach the castle viewpoint (drinking water available in the castle car park).

(5) Enter the castle on the left (construction began in the 11th century) for a self-guided tour: ramparts, cellars, etc. (see opening hours in the practical information section).

(6) Retrace your steps.

(5) At the castle exit, turn left. Follow the winding Chemin Jean Racine. You will rejoin the tarmac road at the first houses. Continue along Ruelle des Larris. This will take you to Rue de Versailles, which you should follow to the right. After about 20 metres, take thefirst small path on the left and go around the church on the right.

(7) At the corner, turn left onto Rue de l'Église (the church entrance is on the side, which you can visit). At the end, turn right onto Rue Lalande (a former cabaret frequented by the poet Jean Racine). At the end, follow Rue de la Division Leclerc to the right and, after about 30 metres, turn left into Ruelle du Mandar. At the end, take the bridge over the Yvette river (a superb wash house seen earlier).

(3) Follow the Promenade des Petits Ponts on the left.

(2) At the intersection you took on the way there, turn right. Follow the river on your left and cross two alleys. Continue along the canal. Go through a chicane. Please note that from this point onwards, the walkway crosses a private residence with a right of way (a sign will indicate "Private Property, No Picnics"). Some co-owners would appreciate it if you keep as quiet as possible).
In a bend to the right, note the location of the old mill that was fed by this branch of the river. Shortly afterwards, you will arrive at Rue de l'Yvette.

(8) Follow the street to the left and cross the river. At the end of the bridge, turn right and follow the river on your right. At the end of the road (chicanes, end of private property, caution: dangerous passage for pushchairs), turn right onto Rue du Moulin.

(1) At the junction you took on the way there, follow the cycle path to the left. Continue straight ahead. At the end, cross the D938, continue opposite, into Rue Ditte and you will immediately find the Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse station on your right (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 81 m - Gare de Saint-Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse
  2. 1 : km 1.18 - alt. 80 m - Crossroads - Fondation de Coubertin
  3. 2 : km 2.26 - alt. 79 m - Bridge over the - Yvette (l')
  4. 3 : km 2.58 - alt. 78 m - Wash house - Intersection
  5. 4 : km 3.27 - alt. 115 m - Icebox - Fork
  6. 5 : km 3.42 - alt. 151 m - Château belvedere
  7. 6 : km 3.51 - alt. 145 m - Château de la Madeleine
  8. 7 : km 4.1 - alt. 89 m - Église Saint-Martin (Chevreuse)
  9. 8 : km 5.3 - alt. 76 m - Bridge over the - Yvette (l')
  10. S/E : km 7.02 - alt. 81 m - Gare de Saint-Rémy-Lès-Chevreuse

Notes

Train timetable (RER B): check the Transilien website.

Two drinking water points:
- château de la Madeleine car park
- at the corner of Rue de la Division Leclerc and Ruelle du Mandar
Toilets at Château de la Madeleine.

Bars, restaurants and shops near the station (S/E).

Local cheese and dairy products at the Ferme de Coubertin. Opening hours: 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (except July and August) and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Visiting hours for the Château de la Madeleine.

Worth a visit

Historic buildings:
- Free visit of the ramparts of the Château de la Madeleine in Chevreuse and the cellars (11th century)
- Saint Martin Church in Chevreuse (11th century)
- Wash house (tannery)
- Skin drying room: cultural activities (concerts, exhibitions, etc.) with free admission
- The cabaret: art exhibitions
- Walk along the small bridges

Activities for children:
- Visit to the animals at the Coubertin farm
- Syrup maker "L'alchimiste" on the terrace on Rue Lalande

Other:
- Beehives and rock gardens

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 29 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
EVASIONXTINE
EVASIONXTINE

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I was familiar with the route to Chevreuse (a pleasant path along the Yvette river) but not the climb up to the castle – it was difficult to find the right path in the park and the climb was challenging for a short distance at the end – but the castle was interesting and the views were splendid

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Gif2
Gif2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant and easy walk

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User 14513031
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We followed the route as suggested by Visorando along the cycle path, but we couldn't find the route to follow the Yvette, which was a bit disappointing, but the easy and pleasant ride made us forget about the Yvette. One small comment: there are no signs.
Thank you for the information about the walks.

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PhA
PhA

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Short hike, partly urban, allowing you to discover Saint Rémy lès Chevreuse, the banks of the Yvette River and the Château de la Madeleine. (use of gpx)

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User 25808132

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very clear and comprehensive information sheet!

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Nidoiseau
Nidoiseau

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant hike but unclear directions in the village of Chevreuse for climbing up to the Château de la Madeleine

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David Guennier
David Guennier

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

Hello,

Regarding the proposed hiking route, we noticed that a significant portion of it runs along roads, mostly paved, rather than in natural surroundings such as forests, which is what we were expecting.

Kind regards,

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Flaneurcurieux
Flaneurcurieux

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The return loop along a departmental road is uninteresting

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paciwar
paciwar

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful hike, very pleasant walk along the little bridges. I must have taken the wrong path at point 4, turning left... Thank goodness for the map on my phone, because the climb up to the castle was quite difficult... Other than that, a very pleasant walk. A wonderful discovery of the town of Chevreuse

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remamaro
remamaro

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very good route for a family outing – no need to be particularly fit. The section through the forest is quite short, but overall it's a lovely route with a pleasant stretch through the small town, along the river, through the castle and into the forest.
The start from the station is convenient, but if you come by car, you can shorten the beginning and end a little, as these are not the most pleasant parts (passage on the cycle path)

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Jeanne Blanche
Jeanne Blanche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Easy flat start. Very pleasant, shaded walkway with small bridges and beautiful view of the castle

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Echel
Echel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

MAGICAL! However, the start and end of the hike (St Rémy des Chevreuses) are a bit boring when following the departmental road.

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3x60
3x60
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a lovely walk for three sixty-somethings

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jlernould
jlernould

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful 7 km hike. Pleasant climb up to the castle.
Lucky us, there's medieval entertainment this Sunday!
And in the second half, a bucolic trail along the Yvette River.
Not to mention the exhibition at the skin drying shed.
Thank you.

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Rose7514
Rose7514

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's worth taking the time to stop at the castle, which offers views of the valley. A lovely walk.

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