Route des Croix in Melay

Park in the town hall car park and head to the starting point sign near the bus stop.
Follow the blue markings.

(S/E) Take Rue des Sports, then turn right after the Salle des Loisirs towards the Jardin du Curé.

(1) In the middle of the garden, turn left onto the grassy path and continue straight on for about 250 m. At the end, turn left, cross Place Joachim du Bellay and turn right when you reach Rue Cathelineau. Continue to the crossroads.

(2) Turn left onto Chemin de la Bretonnerie and follow it to the D756. Cross it carefully. Pass the hamlet of La Boulaie on your left, ignore the paths on the right and continue straight on to the junction.

(3) Turn left at a 90° angle. 300 m further on, the path branches off to the right. Then turn left towards La Gourdoire. Turn right just before the farmhouse, then cross the hamlet of La Gastée. Continue between the fields until you reach the tarmac road.

(4) At the T-junction, turn left then go straight on to the crossroads and take the dirt track opposite. Continue for about 800 m to the crossroads.

(5) Head left towards La Meltière. Once you have crossed it, turn left and follow the Ruisseau de Chizé. Then cross La Petite Balerie to reach a crossroads.

(6) Turn right at the T-junction and continue between the fields. You are now near the Gémo warehouse. Take the Chemin du Noyer on your right, then cross the hamlet of Le Noyer. Follow the Ruisseau de Chizé to the village of Chemillé. Cross Rue de la Quintaine and take the passage on the left to join Avenue du Général de Gaulle.

(7) Cross the avenue carefully and head straight ahead into Rue de Racapé. Follow it, turn left into Rue de Rieux, then left again into Rue du Prieuré and left once more into Rue du Chapitre.

(8) When you reach Rue Nationale, cross over to Rue des Prés, which is slightly to your left. Follow it to the entrance of the Coulvée Campsite. Continue straight on along Chemin de Coulvé until you reach the Stop sign in Coissin.

(9) At Coissin, head left until you reach the D160, then cross it. Caution: dangerous crossing, please take care. Then cross the GAEC de la Bouchetière and continue straight on for about 1 km to the Croix de Belle Tête after the pond

(10) Turn right then continue straight on, leaving the road at the following left-hand bend. Keep to the left and take the path on the left-hand side to the hamlet of l’Étang.

(11) Walk through the hamlet. Continue towards La Charpenterie and SARL Volaille Froger, then La Drajonnerie and its pond until you reach the D65.

(12) Cross the road carefully and turn right for about 50 metres. Take the Chemin du Bout du Monde on your left, then, behind the houses, take the path on the right across the fields which leads you to the crossroads before the hamlet of Bellevue.

(13) Take the road on your left and cross Bellevue heading north. After a wide left-hand bend, keep left and rejoin the Red Melay trail and the Yellow Cossé d’Anjou trail to return to the starting point. Follow the tarmac road, then at the fork turn left until you reach Rue Lucien Thomas. Follow this road until the cross

(14) Leave Rue Lucien Thomas and continue straight on through the Bocage, then turn immediately right across the fields, just before leaving Melay. Take the path between the two ponds, then follow the bank to the right and rejoin Rue des Sports and the starting totem near the bus stop (S/E).

The Jardin du Curé: this is a very old garden which long served the needs of the parish and the clergy who lived there, until 1970 when part of it was made available to the local residents. Having been partially neglected, it has been restored to its former glory since 2004: today it is a pleasant spot amidst the vegetable patch, ornamental flowers and box trees...

The Chapel of the Martyrs: The residents wished to preserve the memory of the martyrs of 1794. In 1874, they undertook the excavation of the ditch that had served as their mass grave. The bones found were placed in a tomb temporarily situated at the back of the church. In 1875, the Chapel of the Martyrs was built in the cemetery to house their relics. In 1978, a wayside shrine was erected beneath one of the chestnut trees that witnessed the tragedy, in memory of the martyrs.

La Coulée Verte Walk: This walk offers a natural immersion in the heart of Chemillé. It invites walkers to follow the Hyrôme, whose valley is now classified as an Anjou Sensitive Natural Area. Along the way, don’t miss some of the local heritage’s highlights, starting with the 12th-century Romanesque church and its restored medieval frescoes, the remains of the old ramparts, the Pont Greneau, and more...
Circular route of 5.4km – Starting at the Romanesque Church of Notre-Dame (Place Notre-Dame)

Étang de Coulvée: On the site of the Jumeau mill and its leat, a reservoir was created in 1954 to supply the town with water. Now disused, the dam reservoir has been transformed into a campsite and a pleasant leisure centre, with supervised swimming during the summer months.