Poplar grove route in Villevêque

Route marked in green.

Please note: this hike is not accessible during periods of flooding.

Starting point: free car park at Engrenage-Moulin in Villevêque.

(S/E) Head towards the beach.

(1) Cross a shaded rest area and keep the Loir river on your right. Walk behind the pirate ship. At the edge of the Loir, follow the path on the left. At the barrier, take the path on the left until you reach the tarmac road "Les Connillaux".

(2) Turn right, continue along the gravel path and arrive at a three-way junction.

(3) Ignore the path on the left, turn right and continue to the end.

(4) At the end of the road, take the path on the left under the poplar trees, then take the path on the right. At the crossroads at the end of the road, turn left and you will come to a fork.

(5) Turn right and pass two forks to reach a third.

(6) Follow the gravel path that turns 90° to the right and then join a path leading to the railway line on the left. Facing the railway line, turn left and follow it.

(7) At the next intersection, turn left onto the path that leads back to the trail you took on the way there.

(6) Continue straight ahead, in the opposite direction to the outward journey, until you reach the fork you passed earlier.

(5) Take Chemin du Cormeray on the right, a path that leads to a small tarmac road.

(8) Take it to the left until you quickly come to a gravel path on the left. Continue straight ahead. The Craon fountain is on the right. You will come to a fork with a tarmac road.

(9) Turn onto the leftmost path and then turn right onto a new gravel path. Continue straight ahead until you reach a crossroads on the way there.

(3) Continue to the right, in the opposite direction to the outward journey, until you reach the fork you passed earlier.

(2) Turn right and climb the steep Connillaux hill until you reach the main road in Villevêque (D192).

(10) Turn left onto the pavement on the left. On the left are the last vineyards in the commune, then the Villevêque castle museum. If the park is open, enter and walk down through the castle grounds until you reach the banks of the Loir. If not, take Rue du Pavé just after the castle on the left. At the bottom of the castle grounds, walk along the Loir to the right to return to the car park (S/E).

Please note: this hike is not accessible during periods of flooding.

Facilities available.
- Picnic tables at Villevêque beach.
- Barbecues.
- Benches.

Practical information.
- Public transport stop located less than 500 m from the departure points.
- Cycle path.
- Toilets at the Engrenage-Moulin car park.
Route marked in green.

Tourist attractions.
- Villevêque Castle Museum: a^12th-century fortress, it displays works bequeathed by the Duclaux family in 2002 to the city of Angers to serve as an annex to the Museum of Fine Arts. Important collection of artworks from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
- Engrenage-Moulin de Villevêque: for eight centuries, the three mills in the commune produced oil, paper and flour. Today, only the Moulin de Froment and the Grand Moulin remain, both of which are used to generate electricity.
- Fontaine de Craon: in^{the 15th} century, King René attempted to channel water from Villevêque to the Château d'Angers to create fountains in the gardens. The work was unsuccessful, but today the Fontaine de Craon stands as a testament to this ingenious attempt.