From Morainvilliers to Zola's house

A hilly route from village to village, with views of Paris and La Défense.

Details

405359
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.32 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 817 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 820 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 561 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 72 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park by the town hall and church in Morainvilliers, at the end of Rue de la Vallée Maria.

(S/E) Head towards the roundabout you passed on arrival by car. Then go straight on along Rue de la Vallée Maria. Follow this street until you reach Rue des Longs Sillons.

(1) Just after this street, turn right onto the path, which is an old railway line. Follow the first grassy path that veers slightly to the left (Chemin de Poissy) until you reach a path without grass. This path is a doubleGR®®, theGR®®1and theGR®®26(marked in white and red).

(2) Take this path on the left. Follow it until you reach the road (D113). Cross carefully and continue straight ahead along Rue Sainte-Anne, which passes under the motorway, towards Bures. Continue along this street to the centre of Bures, with the pink “château” on your left.

(3) At the roundabout, turn right into Rue du Centre, then right again into Rue de l’Hermitage.

(4) At the top of the hill, continue straight on along Rue de Bures, pass two streets on your left, then turn left after the bus shelter onto Rue de la Clémenterie until you reach the D154.
Cross it using the pedestrian crossings at the roundabout and continue straight on along Rue de la Clémenterie, which becomes Allée du Coteau. You can admire the pretty little valley on the right and the view of La Défense.

(5) At the horse statue, turn left, cross Rue de Breteuil and turn right onto Chemin de la Tuilerie. Pass Chemin du Bosquet on your left.

(6) At the T-junction, turn left onto Chemin de la Côte.

(7) At the next junction, turn right onto the Chemin du Raidillon (aptly named), which descends towards the centre of Villennes.

(8) Then turn left onto Rue du Maréchal Leclerc.

(9) Turn right onto Rue Michel Giraux.

(10) Turn left onto Avenue du Maréchal Foch. This street becomes Rue de Verdun (there is a logic to this).
After the town hall, turn right to pass in front of a wash house, head towards the railway line and continue to the church. 100 metres on, after the church, is Émile Zola’s former home.

The route continues by turning left before the church to head up Rue Buquet. At the T-junction, turn right onto Rue Pierre Curie.

(11) Turn into the first street going uphill on the left. Shortly after the bend, turn right onto Chemin des Galères (you couldn’t make it up). Stay on the tarmac road, Chemin des Longs Boyaux. This leads to the D154.

(12) Just before the D154, turn left onto Rue des Saules. At the next junction, turn right to join the D154. Cross it carefully and continue straight on along Chemin de Marsinval.

(13) At the first bend, you’ll find a red and white signposted path (GR®®1) branching off to the left. Take this path and follow the markings until you reach Rue de Brezolles, which joins Rue de l’Ermitage, the road you took on the way out.

(4) Cross the street and take the small path which is slightly set back to the left. Do not take the tarmac road directly opposite, which is a dead end, even for pedestrians.
Follow this path down to Rue du Val Joli. Turn right onto this street, which continues as Rue du Chemin Creux, until you reach Rue Sainte-Anne, which you took on the way out.
Follow this street to the right until you reach the centre of Bures.

(3) At the roundabout, unlike on the way there, turn left onto Rue de la Croix de l’Orme. Continue straight on, cross the motorway via the bridge over it, then the D113, and head up Rue de la Vallée Maria to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 381 ft - Car park at the town hall and church
  2. 1 : mi 0.48 - alt. 315 ft - Former railway line
  3. 2 : mi 1.48 - alt. 276 ft - Chemin du Moulin à Vent
  4. 3 : mi 2.22 - alt. 423 ft - Roundabout in the centre of Bures
  5. 4 : mi 2.52 - alt. 489 ft - Junction of Rue de l’Ermitage and Rue de Bures
  6. 5 : mi 3.57 - alt. 358 ft - Statue of a horse
  7. 6 : mi 3.78 - alt. 295 ft - Chemin de la Côte
  8. 7 : mi 3.98 - alt. 282 ft - Chemin du Raidillon
  9. 8 : mi 4.15 - alt. 141 ft - Rue du Maréchal Leclerc
  10. 9 : mi 4.29 - alt. 112 ft - Rue Michel Giraux
  11. 10 : mi 4.4 - alt. 72 ft - Avenue du Maréchal Foch
  12. 11 : mi 5.22 - alt. 164 ft - Rue de Breteuil
  13. 12 : mi 5.89 - alt. 272 ft - Rue des Saules
  14. 13 : mi 6.36 - alt. 404 ft - GR1 at the bend in the Chemin de Marsinval
  15. S/E : mi 9.32 - alt. 381 ft - Car park at the town hall and church

Worth a visit

At the start of the route, you can see the church of Morainvilliers. If it is open, a quick look inside is a must.
In Médan, you can see the house where Émile Zola lived. It is closed to the public and is set to house a Dreyfus museum in 2018.
Also in Médan, at 43 Rue Pierre Curie, you can admire the château immortalised by Paul Cézanne; this former hunting lodge preserves the memory of Ronsard and the poets of the Pléiade, of King Henry IV and his love affair with the beautiful Gabrielle d’Estrées, as well as that of the Belgian poet Maurice Maeterlinck.
The château’s website: Château de Médan.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 23 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
3.9 / 5
fdhellemmes
fdhellemmes

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I only did part of your route: "visorando-de-morainvilliers-a-la-maison-de-zola", covering 10-9...5-4-13-12-11-10, which is about 10km and very pleasant. Return via Villennes-sur-Seine station. Note the pretty Dr Fauvel park at Villennes station and the beautiful chestnut trees in the forest passage (go there in early October to enjoy them!). Be careful when crossing the D154 between points 12 and 13. It's fine when you're alone, but it's quite dangerous in a group. Thank you in any case.

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User 11313547

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

hello, I walked from Bures to Zola's house. There are many very narrow pavements, and the Chemin du Raidillon is not signposted. You have to take it in the wrong direction. At number 12, it is not Rue des Saules but Rue des Aulnes. Crossing the D154 is indeed dangerous
sorry for these negative but constructive comments for future users!
otherwise, it's an urban but pleasant walk
best regards

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alainlh
alainlh

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Overall, this is a rather uninteresting route because the proximity of roads, especially in the first part of the Normandy motorway, creates almost constant background noise... You often pass through villages on asphalt roads.
From the start to the village of Bures, you cross the plain on very muddy paths (it had rained during the night).
The highlight of the hike is the visit halfway along the route to Zola's house and Medan Castle (... but it can only be visited once a month and by appointment... check in advance).

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Flandre Claude
Flandre Claude

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I went on this very interesting snow hike, with a varied route alternating between villages, plains and snow-covered woods.

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lannequin
lannequin

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

a little disappointed by the very urban landscapes
the departure point in Morainvilliers is of no particular interest, except perhaps for the church car park, where it is easy to park.
However, it's worth doing if, like us, you're passing through the area
otherwise, there are more interesting places to visit along the GR1 and GR26 trails
Thanks to the author of the hike for taking the trouble to put it online.

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PatBnd
PatBnd

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I only did half of the hike from Morainvilliers because of limited daylight in the afternoon. The second part will have to wait for another time. From 1 to 2, I almost missed the GR and then took a parallel path without paying too much attention, before catching up with the circuit. There was mud at this time of year and with the incessant rain of the last few weeks. Passing under the motorway, I had to watch out for cars at a point where there was no pavement before entering Bures and discovering the village. Return to Morainvilliers at nightfall and another small mistake on my part along the way, but nothing serious. A peaceful walk between villages and countryside where you meet few people.

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ovil
ovil

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 01, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

We set off from Nézel station and reached the starting point by following the GR 26 trail, then returned via Villennes from Médan.
We took the first path without grass (point 1) and it wasn't the right one. We arrived at the D 113, then crossed the woods opposite to reach a field path and found the road that crosses the motorway and leads to Bures, where we found the route again.
There was a lot of road, especially as we didn't take the return route, which seems a little "greener".
The church in Médan is being restored and is surrounded by hoardings, so there is only Zola's house to see.
As already mentioned, the traffic lights on the D 154 no longer exist; there is now a roundabout and a pedestrian crossing.

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daniel92800
daniel92800

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello,
the walk was a bit disappointing because it was very urban.

It might also be worth mentioning that Zola's house is on Rue Pasteur.
be careful at point 7 because it is easy to miss the Raidillon path, and the yellow markings do not seem to be well positioned.

Kind regards.

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Agnès78
Agnès78

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thank you and well done for the accurate directions. For your information, the "Clémenterie traffic lights" (point 4) are now a roundabout (this is fairly recent). Also, I think a quick tour of Villennes town centre would allow you to see the village and its beautiful Romanesque church (which is open all day, unlike the others). A lovely walk, even if there is a bit too much tarmac.

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RICO92250
RICO92250

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, but a bit too much road despite a gentle start through the fields

The Maison Émile Zola just off the route after the church in Medan is undergoing renovation... so it won't be open to visitors for a while! The villages we pass through are very pleasant, but there's not much greenery to be seen. Fortunately, we cross through a wood where we can cool off before reaching the village of Bures.
Thank you for sharing this hike!

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Domdom
Domdom

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views.
We had a picnic on the banks of the Seine, as the restaurant "Le Moulin Rouge" was closed (Covid-19), so we took advantage of the boat access point.
So we strayed from the route.
The Émile Zola House was closed and poorly signposted. The Morainvilliers Church was closed.
Too many roads, we didn't pay enough attention to the description.

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gmevel
gmevel

Hello,

Following your comments, I have:

  • Added information about the Château de Médan in the section "During the hike or nearby". The château does not seem to have been visited by Emile Zola, but other famous figures and the newspaper "Combat" have.
  • Changed Ermitage to Hermitage (the IGN map also has the wrong spelling)
  • Changed Boquet to Buquet.

Thank you for your help

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isavlb91
isavlb91

Hello,
This is the Château de Medan, located on Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, a street parallel to the street where Emile Zola's house is located.
Regarding spelling errors, in (4) Rue de l'Ermitage is Rue de l'Hermitage
In point (10), Rue de Boquet is actually Rue de Buquet

I also regretted not seeing the Seine, but that was not the purpose of this walk
Best regards
Isabelle

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gmevel
gmevel

Hello isavlb91,

I am the author of this hike.
To help improve the description of this route, could you please specify:

  • where the castle you mention is located
  • which streets have misspelled names.

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isavlb91
isavlb91

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

It's a shame that the tour doesn't pass by the small Renaissance castle where Emile Zola lived.
Some streets are misspelled

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