Route of the Chapel of La Tête Ronde

Discover Menou and its Chapelle de la Tête Ronde chapel, overlooking the village.

Details

129360
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 164 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 159 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 382 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 235 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Menou (58210)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.366656° / E 3.27851°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2522SB, 2622SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Blue markings

(S/E) From the church square, turn left onto the D117. Pass the weighbridge (on the right) and the presbytery well (on the left) and join the D33. Turn right and continue for 100 metres.

(1) At the junction of the D33 and D19, head towards La Chapelle - Corvol-l'Orgueilleux.
Take the first road on the right, towards the cemetery. Follow the wall and, after the cemetery, take the dirt track opposite which leads towards the forest. The track turns right then left as it descends.
Turn left at a right angle and walk along the woods on your right. Continue to the next crossroads.

(2) Take the leftmost path, which descends for 500 metres, and on the left you will see the Source de Touffoux.

(3). Continue on the right, walking alongside the forest.
At the Châpe reservoir, turn left and cross the dyke (path) of this former pond towards the D19.

(4) When you reach the D19, turn left and walk past the memorial stone. After about 100 metres, turn back to see the ruins of the Moulin de Châpe mill.

(5) Set off again, cross the D19 and take the dirt track opposite, then after 20 metres, turn left. Walk along the forest on your right, then leave the path that climbs to the right.
Continue along the forest, then enter it. Walk 300 metres and take an uphill path on the left. After 200 metres, follow it to the right and you will reach the D117.
On your right, you will see a calvary and a bench. Turn left onto the D117 towards Les Bardins.

(6) At the exit of the hamlet, take the first road on the right (opposite the well). Follow the path uphill and pass to the left of the wooden cross at the crossroads. At the pylon, take the path on the left, pass a hand pump on the right and take the stone path.
Walk for about 600 metres, ignoring the first path on the right.

(7) Turn right onto the second dirt track (opposite the metal shed below on the left). Go uphill, walk alongside the forest on the left, enter the forest and follow the path on the left. Continue straight ahead and, at the end of the path, turn left and walk along the edge of the cliff.

(8) At the D511 road, turn left. Then take the first left and climb up to the Chapelle de Tête Ronde chapel.

(9) Retrace your steps and then take the D511 on the left towards Menou. At the crossroads, in the large bend, leave the road and follow the stone path opposite.

At La Monarderie, turn right onto the D33. Cross straight ahead and return to Place de l'Église (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 300 m - Place de l'Église de Menou
  2. 1 : km 0.44 - alt. 287 m - On the left towards La Chapelle-Saint-André
  3. 2 : km 2.91 - alt. 281 m - Descend on the left.
  4. 3 : km 3.24 - alt. 245 m - Source de Touffoux
  5. 4 : km 3.75 - alt. 236 m - On the left and stele on the right
  6. 5 : km 4.06 - alt. 238 m - Old mill in Châpe
  7. 6 : km 6.28 - alt. 299 m - Turn right at the well.
  8. 7 : km 7.31 - alt. 307 m - Stone path on the right
  9. 8 : km 8.49 - alt. 362 m - At the road, turn left.
  10. 9 : km 9.29 - alt. 355 m - Notre-Dame de Lourdes de Tête Ronde à Menou
  11. S/E : km 10.81 - alt. 298 m - Église Saint-Siméon de Menou

Notes

It is marked in blue, but the markings are very modest, and the colour blue is not very suitable in the forest.

Worth a visit

The Châpe reservoir
Fed by two springs, it helped to power the Châpe mill, of which only a few ruins remain. When released, the water from the reservoir helped to float timber in the direction of Chapelle-Saint-André. Another reservoir existed in Corbelin.

The Châpe memorial
It commemorates fourteen members of the Charles Péguy Free Corps who were killed by German troops on 4 and 5 July 1944. A few days later, on 8 July 1944, ten other members of the same resistance group were killed in Les Grands Bois.

The Church of Saint-Siméon
12th, 16th, 17th and 19th centuries. Since the 13th century, it has been the place of worship for Nanvigne (the name given to the parish before Armand-François de Menou obtained the fiefdom's elevation to a marquisate in 1697 and renamed it Menou). The dukes and marquises had their own private chapel with separate access from the nave.

The Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes in Tête Ronde
This chapel, located at the top of the Tête Ronde hill (one of the highest points in the region), was built between 1872 and 1875, in accordance with a vow made by the inhabitants who promised to build it if the Prussians invading France spared their village. Inside, the famous poster artist Charles Loupot (1892-1962) painted a series of frescoes evoking the existence of the Virgin Mary.

The Touffoux spring
It is also known as the "Châpe spring". For a long time, the inhabitants of the region came to draw its water, which is very low in minerals and renowned for its quality. Touffoux was a hamlet that no longer exists.

There are many wells in this commune, where records from earlier times highlight the scarcity of water and the death of villagers and livestock.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Nanar 58
Nanar 58

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike in a beautiful part of Nièvre. The route is not difficult. The hiking trail is in excellent condition. Definitely worth doing.

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Nanar 58
Nanar 58

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike in a beautiful part of Nièvre. The route is not difficult. The hiking trail is rated "excellent" in terms of maintenance

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Stéphanie R.
Stéphanie R.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route through unspoilt, peaceful countryside. The Touffoux spring is incredibly clear. There are two cleverly placed glasses and a stone painted with a curious pattern. Do the locals have a habit of gathering here? Perhaps there's a legend to be perpetuated? As for the chapel, the highlight of the tour, it is surprising. It has been beautifully renovated and the interior is surprisingly modern. However, the ruins of the Moulin de Châpe are a little disappointing, as they are really nothing more than ruins. It is not easy to preserve all of our countryside's heritage. But overall, the tour is really enjoyable and relaxing.

Regarding the route: although the description is clear, there is a difficulty at the Vallée Noire fork: the path no longer exists, so the GPS was very useful for finding our way on this "off-trail" section. Without the app, I would surely have ended up taking a long detour.

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maudile
maudile

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

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Lncd
Lncd

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, pleasant with beautiful, varied and exotic landscapes. The terrain was passable despite the rain in the previous days. This hike must be magnificent in fine weather.

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MARTDomi
MARTDomi

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 19, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk. Lots of pleasant undergrowth at this time of year. Lots to see if you keep your eyes open.

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Belle2019
Belle2019

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb woodland walk, small hamlets, paths, with a beautiful view of Menou and its surroundings towards the chapel – everything we love.
Go and do it, you won't be disappointed.

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bcr
bcr

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Well-marked route, varied landscapes, several points of interest

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visorandu
visorandu

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Beautiful hike on 26 May 2019.

Video coming soon with 70 photos.

Beautiful weather.

Tasting fresh water at the spring.

Thank you.

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traîné.pattes
traîné.pattes
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Beautiful hike
Unlike last year, the path to the second part was clear.
This allowed us to reach the chapel at the top of the hill.
"A magnificent place"
And complete the route.
We will happily do this walk again.
The only issue is that the markings are not visible everywhere.

The slowpokes of Clamecy

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traîné.pattes
traîné.pattes

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello
I started this hike with friends, but didn't finish it!
After the memorial (on the D 19), we got stuck!
The path we were supposed to take wasn't clear, so it wasn't visible and, more importantly, there were no markings.
We finally found it by following the route on our phones. It was overgrown with grass and brambles!
We turned back!
It's a shame, as it promised to be a beautiful hike.
But we'll do it again as soon as the path is cleared!!!
The slowpokes

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POULIN Gérard
POULIN Gérard ★

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 01, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This route, taken with a group, was exciting for all members. The picnic area on the Tête Ronde hill allowed us to take a break and, above all, admire the village of Menou. The hamlets we passed through are full of flowers at this time of year. The heritage is interesting (numerous wells, hand pumps, weighbridge, church, chapel, castle).
I took the liberty of adjusting the description by adding some significant details.
The signage in place is poor, so it is best to rely on the text.

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