Cheptainville walks

This stage of the GR®1 is one of the most difficult on this GR®. It is 32 km long and has an elevation gain of over 400 m. It is also one of the most beautiful. Starting from Lardy, this hike takes you past magnificent monuments such as the Church of Saint-Sulpice, the Church of Saint-Yon, the Church of Sermaise and the Château de Dourdan. There are other monuments to visit in this town. Most of the route is in the countryside, with several ascents and descents into the valleys. The route passes through numerous villages of varying sizes.

A walk on the hillsides on both banks of the Juine, alternating between cultivated fields and undergrowth. You'll discover a rich heritage along the way, including a dolmen, castle, old mill, farm buildings and beautiful houses.

The final stretch follows the River Juine to its confluence with the River Essonne, which is, however, not accessible. The route alternates between built-up areas and paths through fields and woods. The Marais d’Itteville, with its ponds, reed beds and birdwatching hides, is the highlight of this walk.

A hike from station to station, mostly following the Orge river or its secondary branch, the Grande Boële, and along a few large reservoirs. There is a rich heritage to discover, in Arpajon at the start of the hike and, as a highlight, at the Basilica of Longpont.

A hike from station to station, along the Orge and its tributary, the Rémarde, as well as the Bassin de Trêvois. A small menhir and a Louis XIII-style castle add a nice touch of heritage.

Discover some geological and natural sites in the south of the Essonne department: a landscape of flat land, a sandpit and a vast marshland area that is home to many birds. This hike alternates between sections in the undergrowth, which are the most numerous, and sections between fields.

The main aim of this walk is to reach La Roche Turpin from a station (RER C). La Roche Turpin is a magnificent natural area consisting of a sandstone plateau and its slopes, covered by a beautiful forest mainly populated by oaks (including some superb specimens), chestnut trees and Scots pines.At the start, you can enjoy the path around the Bassin de Trévoix (Retenue de l'Orge). You then make a pleasant walk through the village of Bruyères-le-Châtel via a dense network of well-maintained footpaths. Next comes the beautiful forest of Bruyères-le-Châtel (although there are long straight stretches due to fences enclosing large areas).

A varied walk, combining the rich heritage of Bruyères-le-Châtel with an original route along the paths of this commune, and a path through the forest, between the fields or along a vast stretch of water.

A short hike with a slight elevation gain and two distinct sections. The first part takes place in the Bevéldère Forest, which is dotted with rocks. The belvedere offers a sweeping view of the valley. The second part takes place in the Domaine de Chamarande, with its Louis XIII-style château and numerous canals and ponds.

A mainly forest route with two beautiful heritage sites: at the start, the charming church of Saint-Yon and a Gallo-Roman ruin, and halfway along the route, the superb Gothic church of Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières.

A lovely, easy little walk that takes you along the River Orge, through two of Breuillet’s parks and offers several views of a string of ponds along the River Rémarde. A varied route with plenty of shade, easily accessible by RER.

A heritage walk in a bucolic setting, in the heart of the Hurepoix. Climb the Butte de Saint-Yon and the Bois des Roches, follow the Orge and Renarde rivers, and discover the charming church of Saint-Yon and the superb church of Saint-Sulpice.

A hike starting from a railway station (with car park for motorists), the destination of which is the superb church of Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières. Along the way, you will walk through fields, meadows and woods, and the route is enhanced by pretty rivers and an old water mill.

A few kilometres from Paris, this refreshing hike takes you through the village of Leuville-sur-Orge, along a path that runs alongside the Orge river, and to the Carouge basin in Brétigny-sur-Orge.

A walk from station to station that starts gently along the Essonne. Further on, the crossing of the Itteville marshes allows you to discover ponds and reed beds and admire the birds from the observation points provided. After passing an imposing menhir, you climb the Butte d’Itteville. You then reach the rocky outcrops of Le Sanglier. The walk ends with a stroll through the narrow streets of La Ferté-Alais.

A pleasant, varied route, without any difficulty and with very little elevation gain, which you can reach by car or on the RER C line: river, hamlets, a small lake and residential areas, with shade and places to get refreshments, accessible when the forests are off-limits.

Twenty-ninth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, linking Ballancourt-sur-Essonne to La Ferté-Alais. Although both towns are located in the Essonne valley, the proposed route passes through the plateau overlooking the valley on the east side, in the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park, to the charming village of Mondeville. The GR® then winds its way between valleys, forests dotted with sandstone boulders and agricultural plateaus. This stage is shorter than the previous ones but is not without its difficulties as it still covers steep sections of terrain similar to the Fontainebleau forest, particularly around Mondeville. The route also allows you to discover some unusual sights, such as the Roches du Père La Musique in Ballancourt.

A hilly route from station to station, mainly through farmland for the first two-thirds, then through more wooded areas. Beautiful churches and rural heritage can be found in the villages along the way. In Dourdan, the walk along the Orge river, the 12th-13th century church and the fortified castle provide a superb finishing touch.

This walk, which takes place mainly on tarmac roads, forms a transitional stage in this journey along the Juine. Passing through a few pretty villages, two old mills, a beautiful church and a geological curiosity add to the charm of this route.

Thirty-first stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, linking Étréchy in the Juine Valley to Saint-Chéron in the Orge Valley, via the Renarde Valley. It winds its way through the Hurepoix and the southern edge of the Beauce, offering varied landscapes, from plateaus to valleys and fields to forests. It is notable for its numerous ascents and descents between plateaus and valleys.

This walk from station to station leaves the Juine valley and climbs higher. After leaving the small town of Étréchy, the first part of the walk takes place mainly amongst cultivated fields. From the village of Mauchamps, the route becomes more varied and runs partly through woodland. There are several beautiful churches to see in Étréchy, Mauchamps and Torfou, not to mention the superb church of Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières, for which a detour is suggested.

During this walk, which alternates between open plains and copses, you will see the Virgin Mary, old quarries and another little surprise.

This loop allows you to discover the old villages of Saint-Fiacre and Auvers-Saint-Georges (in the same commune), the hillsides and the magnificent and little-known site of the Butte du Puits. Allow 16 km and 5 hours, including time spent at the site

A route between town, fields and forest, during which you will have the opportunity to discover some of the points of interest in the commune of Ballancourt-sur-Essonne.

A bucolic hike where passages through woods alternate with passages between fields. Two castles, a beautiful church and a ruined medieval tower reveal themselves along the way.

This route between fields and woods will take you through the village of Villeneuve-sur-Auvers and lead you to a beautiful plateau in the commune of Boissy-le-Cuté.

A route, ideal for lockdown, along the footpaths of Villagexpo and the Allée de la Bouloie in Saint-Michel-sur-Orge, within a one-kilometre radius of the Villagexpo, Genêts and Fontaine de l’Orme neighbourhoods.

In 1465, Louis XI and Charles the Bold clashed at Montlhéry. This hike takes you to some of the historic sites in Essonne that witnessed this confrontation (Leuville, Montlhéry Castle, the battlefield, etc.). The return route takes you via Longpont Basilica.

A short, varied and easy hike. Streams, meadows, forests, housing estates and fields, and of course the basilica of Longpont, are the ingredients of this walk just a few kilometres from Paris.

From the Essonne Valley to the Juine Valley through woods and fields, passing by the Pierre Levée in Janville-sur-Juine and the Chamarande viewpoint. A route almost entirely on paths with beautiful views in the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park.

A very short walk consisting of a circular in the forest and a circular in open terrain. Worth seeing: several remarkable trees (oak, plane trees), wetland vegetation and a small built heritage site on the theme of water.

This hike is certainly the most "aquatic" of those that can be undertaken along the Essonne. Indeed, numerous ponds punctuate the route: ponds for fishing or other forms of leisure; ponds and marshes that make up a protected natural area, a source of biodiversity and a place to observe wildlife.

A varied walk, from station to station. After the footpaths and the church at Cerny, the route becomes predominantly woodland. It winds through the Bois Charron and climbs up the hill of La Roche Cornue, dotted with boulders. After a pleasant walk through the Bois de Miséry, you return to the Essonne valley and its villages.

Thirtieth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, linking La Ferté-Alais, in the Essonne valley, to Étréchy, in the Juine valley, through the western part of the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park. It consists of continuing the crossing of the Essonne, between agricultural landscapes, small forest ranges and more imposing valleys. A relatively short stage without any major difficulties, before the next two, which will be a little longer.

A hike that alternates between pleasant paths along the water's edge and urban passages. The Tower of Montlhéry, which offers a beautiful panorama, and the Basilica of Longpont, the destinations of this hike, are beautiful reminders of the Middle Ages in Île-de-France.

A beautiful deciduous forest. A pleasant walk on dry ground, mostly on wide paths. A very short walk, accessible to all, for a breath of fresh air in the morning or afternoon.

This route, which is half urban and half forest, focuses on footpaths. Along the way, you can visit the Russian cemetery (no dogs allowed), see an elephant, cross the Bois des Trous, admire the majestic keep and its flower beds, and be sure to visit the miraculous cave of Sainte Geneviève... An easy walk and a good time guaranteed.

Follow paths and small roads from D'Huison-Longeville to La Ferté-Alais, meandering along the water’s edge, through villages and across the hillsides of La Ferté-Alais, passing the educational farm. You pass through D'Huison, Cerny, La Ferté-Alais and Guigneville.

This is a short 6.5km route combining two of the four routes suggested on the Huison-Longueville municipal website.

This route, in the heart of Gatinais Park, will allow you to discover the village with its restored wash house, 12th-century church and forest paths.

A circular route that alternates between ascents and descents in the undergrowth, crossing a cultivated plateau and walking through a residential area. A detour allows you to visit a Neolithic polisher.

A beautiful hike through fields and woods, with no tarmac roads or houses (or almost none). Varied landscapes, valley, woods, forest, rocks, horse stud farm, pine forest, with lovely picnic spots. A great breath of fresh air!

A short but pleasant walk through the plains and woods, passing through La Brosse.

From the charming village centre of Janvry, a circular route to discover two 17th-century castles. A short hike through cultivated fields and woodland.