From Nanteuil-sur-Marne to Château-Thierry

(S) On leaving Nanteuil-Saâcy station, follow the^GR®14A(red and white markings) to the left (east). After running alongside the railway line, the path veers right between the fields and then turns left. Turn right at the edge of the woods. As you approach the road, turn left. You will arrive at the foot of Citry church.

(1) Turn left towards the railway line. Before the tunnel, take the path on the right and follow the railway line. At the second tunnel, follow the road to the right.

(2) Cross the small square and turn right onto Rue Michaud. At the end of the tarmac, follow the path which immediately turns left into the vineyards. At the T-junction, head diagonally left.

(3) At the next junction, go straight on and, at the fork that appears immediately, turn right. Enter the hamlet of Villaré via Rue de la Croix. Ignore a street on the left and then one on the right, and you’ll arrive at the foot of the water tower.

(4) Turn left twice and head east. Just before the road, veer slightly left. Cross the road and continue along the street opposite. At the fork, turn right onto Rue du Moulin à Vent.

(5) At the end, turn right onto a path that descends into a wood.

(6) Turn right (south-east) onto the embankment of the Dhuis underground aqueduct. Follow the aqueduct along the contour line, staying on the^GR® (red and white markings). Cross the D82 road.

(7) At a crossroads, leave the aqueduct, turn right uphill and pass the ruins of the Baronnerie farm (still following the^GR®). Go round the Marie farm on the left and head down into the woods.

(8) Take the first path on the right and continue along the edge of the woods. Carry on through the fields to the hamlet of Les Gravelles. Then head diagonally left downhill.

(9) We come to the Dhuis aqueduct and follow it to the right.

(10) Just before the D11, leave the aqueduct and take the path on the left. Pass below the cemetery and go straight on. At the junction, follow the Grande Rue to Nogent-l’Artaud station.

(11) Cross the Marne and immediately turn right to follow the river. After about a hundred metres, turn left into Rue du Bac. Cross the D969 then first turn left then right to follow Rue de Montoizelle. Head north along Chemin des Hiriots, passing a pumping station on the right and then a reservoir on the left (still following the red and white markings, between the vineyards).

(12) At the second junction, turn right. At the second junction (T-junction), turn right again, heading downhill through the vineyards.

(13) At the second junction, follow the Chemin des Maintenons to the left through the vineyards. Cross a small road and continue along Rue des Traversaines. At the end, turn left twice and head uphill to a reservoir.

(14) Leave the road and turn right onto the Murger Veron (still following the^GR®14). At the next junction, continue straight ahead. Head north-north-east through the vineyards.

(15) Continue straight on (north) through the Bois de Romeny, ignoring the various side paths.

(16) Head back down to the right (^GR® markings). Cross the D969 and follow it to the right (beware of fast-moving traffic). After about 150m, take a path on the left leading to the right bank of the Marne.

(17) Walk along the river on your right, ignoring all the paths branching off to the left.

(18) Just before the road bridge, take a sharp left-hand bend. Then head diagonally to the right and climb into the village via Rue du Bac. Cross the D969 and continue straight ahead into Rue de Gramont. Cross Rue de Derrière les Murs on the right-hand side.

(19) After about twenty metres, turn right onto a vineyard track, “Les Dons” (follow the^GR®11A). Ignore a turn-off on the right. At the next junction, turn left, uphill between the vines, then ignore a turn-off on the left.

(20) At the T-junction, turn right. At the next junction, continue straight on. Head north, follow the red and white markings and ignore all side paths.

(21) At the junction of tarmac roads, turn left. Keep heading north-north-west along the tarmac road.

(22) At the end, at a crossroads, take the path on the right (north). At two closely following junctions, go straight on and cross through the vineyards again.

(23) At the T-junction, turn right. At the next junction, follow the Chemin des Godaux to the left. Ignore two turnings on the right and, at the crossroads, take the Rue de l'Abbaye straight ahead.

(24) At the junction at the foot of the church in Essomess-sur-Marne, turn left onto Rue du Jeu d'Arc. After about a hundred metres, take a small road on the right. Cross the Ru des Rochets and follow it to the right. Behind the school, turn left. At the next junction, turn left, leaving Rue de la Cote 204 on your left.

(25) Turn right at the next crossroads, then immediately left to head up towards the top of the vineyard.

(26) At the crossroads, turn right along the edge of the vineyards. Just before the end of a vineyard, turn left, then right with the path. Then go round the American monument on the right (memorial site, views).

(27) Follow the Chemin des Henry to the right and head down towards Courteau, following the signposts. You’ll come out onto a street; follow it to the left for about forty metres.

(28) At the T-junction, turn right twice and follow Rue de Courteau. At the crossroads, go straight on. At the fork that appears shortly afterwards, turn left onto Rue du Bas Courteau and cross the D1003. Take the first left and, at the fork, follow Rue Quentin Roosevelt to the right. Take the first right, Rue Vieille.

(29) At the end, turn left into Rue de la Mare Aubry. At the end, follow Avenue de Paris to the right. After about 40 metres, turn right onto the Ru Ganache path. At the end, follow Avenue d’Essomes to the right. After about 100 metres, turn left onto Rue de la Marne.

(30) Follow the towpath to the left and walk alongside the Marne on your right. Continue along the Promenade Docteur Jean Naudin. Pass a roundabout (post office) and continue along the Marne to the bridge.

(31) Cross the bridge over a branch of the Marne and step onto an island. Immediately turn left onto Quai Galbraith. At the eastern end of the island, cross a second branch of the Marne via a footbridge. Immediately turn right onto Quai Dupuy Delizy.

(32) After about a hundred metres, turn left onto Rue des Bains. When you reach Avenue de la République, first turn right then left to cross (carefully) the avenue and take Avenue Wilson. Continue straight on to Château-Thierry station (E).

Shops in Saâcy-sur-Marne, Nogent l'Artaud, Essomes-sur-Marne and Château-Thierry.
Make sure you bring plenty of water; the route is exposed to the sun and temperatures can be high in summer.

Pays Fertois Tourist Office; 5 Grande Place 77640 Jouarre; contact: 01 60 22 64 54
Les Portes de la Champagne Tourist Office: 2 Place des États Unis, 02400 Château-Thierry
contact: 03 23 83 51 14

https://www.chambres-hotes.fr/; https://www.cybevasion.fr/; https://www.gites-de-france.com/fr; https://www.airbnb.fr; https://www.campingfrance.com; https://www.camping.fr

From Château-Thierry station:
- Transilien Line P, towards Meaux and Paris-Est.
- TER and Intercités lines towards Reims and Strasbourg.

We continue to follow the Marne, which reveals villages with richly decorated churches, reflecting the devotion of the inhabitants of Brie on the border with the Aisne.
The route winds along the Marne between the cool towpaths and the windswept heights overlooking the valley.
Citry-sur-Marne: The village square, where we can admire the distinctive layout of a Brie village (castle, church, town hall, Brie-style houses). The vineyards.
Pavant: Farmhouse, dovecote and church.
Nogent l’Artaud: castle, station, banks of the Marne.
Azy-sur-Marne: church, banks of the Marne.
Château-Thierry: American Memorial, banks of the Marne, Jean de la Fontaine’s house, medieval castle.