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, 300m 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, then north. Ignore the various turn-offs until you leave the forest.

(2) On leaving the forest, turn right onto the cross-road, then immediately left to continue in the same north-easterly direction, until you reach a cross-road, the Chemin de Châtillon.

(3) Turn right onto this road until you come to another crossroad, where you turn right.

No signposting

(4) At the first junction, continue straight ahead. Ignore the turn-off to the right, follow the Étang de Corcambon and then turn left at the junction to go round it.

(5) At the fork, keep right onto the straight forest track, the Route de Molandon. Pass three junctions.

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

White-red or yellow-red markings

(7) Turn left towards “la Brûlerie”, then keep to the right on the grassy path; at the fork, the main path becomes a private road. What has now become the^GR® de Pays du Gâtinais approaches a first pond (ignore the path branching off to the right), then a second, descends slightly before climbing again to meet a crossroad.

(8) At the junction, take the road on the right towards the water tower, then you’ll come to the first houses of 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, which you will leave after 200m by turning right onto a downhill path leading to a footbridge spanning the Étang du Bourg and its reed beds.

(11) Turn left at the end of the footbridge onto the forest path 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 skirting the Étang du Bourg, turn left onto the bridge crossing the pond to rejoin the cycle path running alongside the Rue Nationale, which you will follow 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 retains all its former splendour, visible from the outside, as it is not open to visitors.

On the outskirts of the town, heading towards Ouzouer-sur-Loire, lies 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.