From La Ferté-Alais to Étréchy, from Essonne to Juine

Departure from La Ferté-Alais station, on RER line D.

Red and white markings (GR®11)

(S) From the station platform, take the footbridge to the east exit (platform towards Malesherbes), opposite the main building. Take the path on the right that runs along the top of the tracks until you reach the road. Turn right, cross the bridge, cross the road junction 50 metres further on and you will come to a three-way junction.

(1) Although the GR® continues straight ahead, we suggest taking a short detour to the left, towards the church. Take Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville on the left, then the second right, Place du Château, to reach the church on the left.

(2) Go around the church and continue opposite, on Rue Augustin Bellard. Join the main street and the GR® at a car park.

(3) Take the GR® on the left, Rue Eugène Millet. Cross the Essonne and arrive at the junction with the D191, a fairly busy valley road.

(4) Follow the road to the left, crossing it carefully. Take Rue de la Croix du Pont, the first right in a residential neighbourhood. At the end of a left-hand bend, turn right onto a farm track that leads away from the houses. As you are very close to Cerny/La Ferté-Alais aerodrome, you may be able to see aircraft from the Musée Volant Salis collection, based at the aerodrome, flying overhead. Continue straight ahead on this track.

(5) Cross a small road and continue straight ahead until you enter the woods and start climbing. Pass the first crossroads once you reach the plateau and you will come to a three-way junction a few dozen metres further on.

(6) Take the path shared by the GR®1 and GR®11 trails on the left. Descend back down to the plain, take the GR® trails on the right at the T-junction. Follow the path straight ahead, alternating between woods and farmland, pass under a power line and you will come to a wider path next to the grounds of Orgemont Castle.

(7) Take the path on the left and follow its curve to the right. Cross a small road, continue straight ahead, and you will come to a perpendicular path at the edge of the woods. Turn left and then immediately right to continue to the next T-junction. Take the GR® on the left to the edge of the woods just before the departmental road, at a place called Fond de Chaude Vau.

(8) Follow the path on the right that runs along the edge of the woods (even though some maps still show the GR® trail starting opposite in the woods). Join the D191 and cross it again carefully. Take the path opposite which, after a few right and left turns, runs along the road behind the field, heading towards Boissy-le-Cuté. Reach the first houses of the village, then turn left to join another small road: this is the end of the section shared with the GR®1, which heads opposite towards Rocher Bizet, which is worth a look.

(9) The GR®11 and the route for this stage head off to the right and towards the centre of the village via Rue des Vallées. After 200 metres, turn right and follow the road to the centre and back onto the D191.

(10) After an optional detour to the right to the church (not shown on the map), continue straight ahead on Rue Margaille, which then turns left. Continue almost to the end, past the last houses on an uphill stretch.

(11) Just before the end of the road, turn right onto the path that climbs steeply into the woods. Then follow the path along the ridge for about 1500 m until you reach a road.

(12) Follow it to the right until you come to a larger road. Cross it carefully and take a path opposite and to the left, which goes into the woods, this time downhill. Cross the woods in a sandy environment, ignoring the adjacent paths, to come out on a road again 1500 m further on.

(13) Take this road to the left at an acute angle, then after 100 m, turn right again at an acute angle to follow a path for a good kilometre, which leads to a crossroads with four well-marked paths.

(14) Turn left at an acute angle and follow the path up to the plateau. You will reach the D148 at the top and the edge of the woods.

(15) Follow the road to the right for 200 metres , taking care as it is quite busy. Then turn onto the farm track that branches off to the left. Cross the fields and enter the woods to reach a small road.

(16) Continue straight ahead to begin the descent into the valley. Join Chemin des Roches, which leads down to the D17.

(17) Turn right and follow the departmental road to the roundabout. Then turn left through a small business park.

(18) Follow the path on the left before the bend in the road. Pass Moulin de Vaux, then the bridge over the Juine. Continue until you reach the main road, just before a roundabout at the entrance to Étréchy. Go around it on the right: there are safe pedestrian crossings but the road is quite busy as it leads to the slip road onto the RN20.

(19) Pass under the RN20, take Avenue d'Orléans (D146) on the right at the next roundabout to pass under the railway tracks. Continue to the next crossroads with Rue Jean Moulin.

(20) Leave the GR® trail on your left and continue straight ahead towards the station. Go straight ahead at the roundabout and the next two junctions and continue to the three-way junction.

(21) Follow Boulevard de la Gare to the right to reach the station about 500 m away (E).

(S) La Ferté-Alais station on the Malesherbes branch of the RER D. One train per hour in each direction, generally running between Juvisy and Malesherbes, so a change is necessary at Juvisy or Corbeil-Essonnes if departing from Paris. Some trains run directly from Gare de Lyon.

(E) Étréchy station on the Étampes branch of the RER C. Two trains per hour in each direction most of the time.

See theÎle-de-France Mobilités website for timetables.

Hike completed on 18 October 2025 with the aim of covering the entire GR® 11.

• Notre-Dame de la Ferté-Alais Church.
• West of the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park.
• Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens Church in Boissy-le-Cuté.
• The Essonne and Juine rivers.