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Starting point and access: Bougival station.
- Transilien - Line L, on the section between Paris Saint-Lazare and Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche via La Défense.
Take the exit on the side of platform B, in the direction of La Défense to Saint-Nom, go down the stairs at the end of the train and turn right (if arriving in the opposite direction, take the underground passage).
Red and yellow signs
(S) When you leave the station, go straight ahead (west). At the roundabout, take thesecond left onto Mail du Bois Brûlé. After about 50 metres, at the corner of a car park, turn right into the forest. Ignore the path on the left. A little further on, at a fork (not shown on the map), turn left. Ignore several paths on the right.
(1) At a three-way junction, take the path on the right. At the next junction, go straight ahead. At the T-junction, turn right, and at the next junction (plots nos. 207 and 208), go straight ahead.
No markings
At the next junction, follow a fitness trail marked with various exercise equipment on the left. Towards the end, climb slightly and finish with wooden steps.
Red and white markings
(2) At the top, first turn right then left to follow theGR®1(leaving the fitness trail on your right). Walk along the left-hand side of a fence bordering an orchard and then gardens. At the junction, follow the gravel path to the left.
No markings
(3) At the boundary between plots no. 225 and no. 223, leave theGR® for an unmarked path on the right. At the next junction, turn left.
Red and white markings
You will soon come to a small tarmac road. Follow it to the right, at the foot of a large reservoir on the left. At the end of the road, turn left. At the traffic lights, cross the N186 in two stages using the pedestrian crossing. Turn left and walk along this busy road for about 150 metres, passing a gate on the right.
(4) Then turn right and go through two gates close together, each framed by two stone pillars. Continue straight ahead on a small tarmac road which, after about 300m, turns to the right. Before a left-hand bend, turn right onto a path. At the crossroads (forest barrier on the left), continue straight ahead.
No markings
At the fork that appears immediately, take the path on the left (leaving theGR®1trail on the right going downhill; curiously, on the section that follows, theGR® trail is poorly maintained and is beginning to be overgrown with weeds). Follow this good path, ignoring a path on the right, and you will come to a roundabout at the top of a large lawn (beautiful view of the Parc de Marly).
(5) Descend to the right, preferably on the path that borders the lawn on the right. Go around two small ponds on the right and arrive at the site of the old castle (foundations still visible).
Red and yellow markings
Then turn left and go around the site of the old castle on the right. Go around a round lawn on the right and climb the stairs. Then climb a steep slope and walk along a fence on your right.
Red and white markings
At the green gate on the right, continue straight ahead on a gravel path, with theGR®1joining theGRP® (and taking over the markings). Facing a large white gate, take thesecond path on the left, along a wall (thefirst path on the left is not shown on the map). Go through a gate and leave the Parc de Marly.
(6) Continue straight ahead on a small road (leaving theGRP® trail on your right). Leave the road when it turns right and continue straight ahead on a path. Cross a road (take care) and continue on the path opposite. At the fork that appears immediately, turn left. Do the same at the next fork.
At a crossroads near a small car park on the left, turn right onto a path. Descend gently, winding your way through the undergrowth.
(7) At a three-way junction, turn left and, at the T-junction that immediately follows, turn left again. Ignore the steps on the left. Walk along a stream on your right and, at a three-way junction, turn right to cross the stream. At the crossroads, go straight ahead and climb uphill. At the following intersections, go straight ahead with the GR®.
No markings
(8) At the junction (plot no. 131), leave theGR®, turn right and descend slightly. Cross a faint path and you will soon come to a junction with a wide track.
Red and yellow markings
Follow the path to the left and rejoin the GRP®. At the next crossroads, turn right, still following the GRP®. Cross a road (
limited visibility) and continue straight ahead on a path. Further on, cross a stream, come out onto a wide path and follow it to the left for a few metres to reach a crossroads (signpost).
No markings
(9) Two paths lead straight ahead: take the one on the right, the Route Rusée (leave theGRP® on the left-hand path). Go straight ahead and cross the Étoile du Houx and then the Étoile Pavée. Continue west-northwest and go straight ahead at the successive crossroads.
(10) When you reach a railway line, take a first turn right then left downhill and leave a ruin on your left. You will come to a gravel path (ruin and antenna on the left) and follow it to the right. Go through a forest gate and continue down a small road. Turn right and, at the level crossing, you will immediately find the Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche - Forêt de Marly station (E).
To return home:
- Transilien - Line L, towards La Défense and Paris Saint-Lazare.
. At times, you find yourself on narrow paths with tall grass or in deep, silent forest (except for the crackling sounds!), which makes you feel very far from civilisation...
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