Dampierre-en-Burly and its ponds

Start from the car park near the church in Dampierre-en-Burly.

(S/E) From the church square, head down the small street towards Rue Nationale, which itself descends around the Étang du Bourg, at the foot of the fortifications. To do this, take the wide cycle path that runs alongside Rue Nationale, overlooking the lake. Pass the first turn-off on the right, then cross two side streets and pass the Circus Museum.

Red-and-white markings

(1) Turn right onto the first street, 300 metres after the museum, then right again after about a hundred metres, onto a path leading into the forest. This path curves to the left, then heads north-east, and then north. Ignore the various turn-offs until you leave the forest.

(2) On leaving the woodland, turn right onto the cross-road, then immediately left to resume the north-easterly direction, until you come to a side street, the Chemin de Châtillon.

(3) Turn right onto this road and continue until you come to another cross-street, which you should take to the right.

No signposting

(4) At the first junction, carry on straight ahead. Ignore the turn-off to the right, walk alongside the Étang de Corcambon, then turn left at the junction to go round it.

(5) At the fork in the road, keep to the right onto the straight forest track, the Route de Molandon. Pass three crossroads.

(6) Take the hairpin bend to the right at the fourth junction. This new straight track joins the^GR®®3at a junction marked by a tarmac road branching off to the left. Ignore this and carry on straight ahead to the next junction, 300 metres away.

White-red or yellow-red markings

(7) Turn left towards “la Brûlerie”, then keep to the right onto the grassy path; at the Fork in the road, the main path becomes a private road. What has now become the^GR®® de Pays du Gâtinais approaches a first pond (pass the turn-off on the right), then a second one; it descends slightly before climbing again and joining a cross-road.

(8) At the junction, take the road on the right towards the water tower; you will then come to the first houses in Dampierre.

(9) Turn right shortly after the municipal swimming pool onto the Route de Corcambon. Pass the Rue de la Carmerie on your left.

(10) At the next junction, turn left onto Rue d’en Bas; after 200 metres, turn right onto a downhill path leading to a footbridge spanning the Étang du Bourg and its reed beds.

(11) At the end of the footbridge, turn left onto the forest track running alongside the Étang du Bourg, following it whilst enjoying the superb view of Dampierre and its castle.

(12) At the end of the path, still running alongside the Étang du Bourg, cross the bridge over the pond on the left to rejoin the cycle path that runs alongside the Rue Nationale; take this path to the left to return to the starting point of the walk at the foot of Dampierre Church (S/E).

Starting from the village of Dampierre-en-Burly, the route follows the wide cycle path running alongside the D952 main road (Rue de Gien) for 1.2 km at the start and 300 m at the finish. To avoid the disruption caused by lorries and to fully enjoy the superb views of the ponds and Dampierre Castle, it is best to visit on Sundays and public holidays rather than on other days of the week (when lorry traffic is reduced).

In the Orléans National Forest, access to the paths is restricted; a barrier and a sign remind visitors that they are reserved for authorised users. A passageway for walkers on the side allows you to bypass the barrier.

Overlooking the pond in the town centre stands Dampierre Castle. Built in the 17th century on the site of an older castle, it was renovated in the 19th century and listed as a historic monument on 6 March 1928. It now retains all its former splendour, visible from the outside, as it is not open to the public.

On the outskirts of the town, heading towards Ouzouer-sur-Loire, there is a unique attraction: the Museum of the Circus and Illusion. Families can discover the world of the circus through a collection of sets and costumes that once belonged to the great names of the industry.