From Chars to Bornel via the Rosne hills

Departure: Chars station, the last station in the Paris region on the Paris-Gisors branch of the Transilien J line.

The trail is marked with the red and white GR® markings, but the route deviates from this for a few kilometres in order to climb the Rosne hills.

(S) Turn left when you leave the station and walk along the tracks to Rue de Gisors. Turn left and cross the level crossing.

(1) Take the first left, Rue de l'Hôtel Dieu (after possibly making a return trip to the church located 100 m further on).

(2) At the end of the street, take the path on the right that winds between the houses and takes the stairs that lead to the D188 (Rue de l'Église) at the top. Follow the D188 to the left, which curves to the right, and almost at the end of the curve, turn left and walk along a retention basin.

(3) Turn right after the pumping station. When you reach a small road, first turn left then right to take the path that starts almost opposite. At the next junction, take the path furthest to the left.

(4) At the T-junction, turn left. Continue straight ahead on the road until you reach the gate of the Château de Saint-Cyr-sur-Chars.

(5) Continue along the road, following the park's boundary wall. When the road and the wall make a sharp right turn, continue straight ahead on the path that runs along the edge of the woods (do not take the paths on the left that lead into the woods). Continue straight ahead until you cross the D28 at a place called La Mendicité.

(6) First turn left then right to cross the road and continue on a smaller road to reach the village of Chavençon. Turn left at the entrance to the village to reach the town hall (the church is located just behind it).

(7) To head towards the Rosne hills, leave the GR® here and retrace your steps. At the fork, follow the Chemin du Haulme, which descends to the left. Continue left at the next crossroads, then continue straight on to the foot of the hills. Enter the forest and climb up a path with a few bends.

(8) After a left turn, at a fork, take a small path that branches off to the left. Join a road and follow it to the left, more or less flat, towards the east.

(9) At the buildings at the end of the road, turn sharply left, then right. Follow a path straight ahead (the highest point in Île-de-France at 216 m is slightly further east, off the route). Finish crossing the hill on its plateau by following the same path.

(10) Find the GR® and follow it downhill. Reach the hamlet of Cresnes below. In the hamlet, turn left twice, then right to follow roughly the same northward direction. Continue to the cemetery.

(11) Take a path on the right between the fields. At the end, first turn left then right and go uphill. You will arrive at a small menhir called La Pierre Fritte, located on the left-hand side at the edge of the woods.

(12) Continue straight ahead on the GR® and ignore a path on the left and one on the right. Further on, join the D508 and immediately turn left onto a path. Continue along a street. You will come out onto the D5 and follow it to the left for about ten metres.

(13) Continue straight ahead (off the GR®). After about 100 metres, turn left to cross Place du 8 Mai 1945 and reach the church.

(14) Retrace your steps.

(13) Turn left onto Rue du Mesnil. At an intersection, turn left.

(15) At the T-junction, turn left. Follow the road through the woods.

(16) As the road turns sharply right towards Heurcourt at the edge of the woods, continue straight ahead on a path back into the woods. Follow a stream for a short distance (note that the path is not always obvious here).

(17) At the T-junction, turn right. Pass in front of a wash house, climb up to the village of Berville and go past the church.

(18) Shortly afterwards, join Rue d'Heurcourt and follow it as it continues. Then turn right onto Rue des Vignes.

(19) At a fork, at the end of a right-hand bend, turn left. Pass the cemetery and a farm shed. Cross the road behind the cemetery and continue along the path opposite.

(20) After about 100 metres, take the second path on the left. Continue for 1.5 km until you reach the D188.

(21) Follow the road to the left for about 200 metres. Then turn right onto a small road (leaving the GR®11 for a moment). Take the first path on the left, between fields and then along the edge of the woods.

(22) At the intersection, turn left, enter the woods and go downhill. Then go back uphill and out of the woods. At the next intersection, rejoin the GR® and go straight ahead. Go downhill towards Margicourt and enter the village via Rue de la Croix.

(23) At the crossroads, turn right into Rue de la Couture. At the end of the tarmac road, continue along a path. At a fork, turn right. Stay on the main marked path, which winds its way, and ignore any side paths.

(24) At the crossroads, take the road on the left. Cross a stream and continue up to the next intersection. Then turn sharply right into Rue de Pontoise. When the road turns right, turn left onto a path. Climb up into the woods and join the D927.

(25) Cross the road carefully and continue along the path opposite. At a crossroads (elevation 98), continue straight ahead with the GR® on a small road. Cross a small road on the right-hand side and you will immediately arrive at the D151 in Messelan.

(26) Follow the road to the right, alongside a stud farm. When the road turns right, continue straight ahead on a field path and climb uphill. At the T-junction, turn left at the edge of the woods. You will come out onto a small road; follow it as it continues.

(27) Pass a triangular crossroads on the right and continue straight ahead on a small road, following the GR®. Climb up to an intersection at the top of the hill.

(28) Take a path that enters a wood on the right. Shortly afterwards, turn left and pass in front of a monument in tribute to those who died in the Ronquerolles maquis. Continue straight on to Montagny Prouvaire.

(29) Cross the hamlet going downhill. Take the first path on the right towards the Landrimont farm.

(30) At the farm, turn left and cross the D105. Pass under a high-voltage power line, then under the A16 motorway. Continue straight ahead and pass under a railway bridge.

(31) Immediately afterwards, turn left and follow the railway line on your left. Walk past a car park and you will find Bornel-Belle Église station on your left (E).

Return: TER, Paris-Le Tréport line.

(S) Departure from Chars station, on the Transilien J line, Paris Saint-Lazare - Pontoise - Gisors branch. This branch has fewer services than most other Transilien lines. Check theÎle de France Mobilités website for timetables.

(E) Arrival at Bornel-Belle-Église station, in the Oise department on the Hauts-de-France TER network. Service is also reduced compared to the Transilien (approximately one train to Gare du Nord every two hours on average), and the Île-de-France fare does not apply. Check the SNCF or Hauts-de-France TER websites for information.

This stage is very long (35 km), the longest of the GR® 11 stages. It can be shortened slightly by staying on the GR® 11 instead of taking the detour via the Rosne hills. It is also possible to spread the stage over two days, with accommodation around Hénonville (although there is not much choice of accommodation).

As with all other stages, make sure you have the appropriate equipment.

Hike completed on 25 May 2024 with the aim of covering the entire GR® 11.

• Saint-Sulpice Church in Chars (2).
• Château de Saint-Cyr-sur-Chars (5).
• Church of the Virgin of Chavençon (7).
• Buttes de Rosne, between (7) and (10), the highest natural point in Île-de-France at 216 m (the 'true' highest point in the region is the hill of Élancourt at 231 m, but this is made up of artificial embankments).
• TrinityChurch andHénonville Castle(14).
• Saint-Denis Church and the hilltop village of Berville (18).
• Messelan Stud Farm (26).
• War memorial to the Ronquerolles maquis (28).
• French Vexin Regional Nature Park, north-eastern section.