From the heights of Badecon-le-Pin to the banks of the Creuse

This lovely walk allows you to explore the surroundings of the village of Badecon-le-Pin, including some picturesque buildings, a superb view of the Pin loop formed by the Creuse river and the Roche-Bat-L'Aigue dam.
Please note: this walk is classified as easy, but two sections (4) and (5) may be difficult for young children or people with reduced mobility (see description and practical information)

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.19 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 158 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 158 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 240 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 115 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is at the church in Badecon-le-Pin: follow the blue markings.

(S/E) Take Rue Jean Louis (RD40) to the north-east, then turn right into Rue du Château. Turn right into Rue de l'Enfer: you can admire a beautiful 12th-century house with galleries.

(1) Continue straight on to the end of Rue de l'Enfer, then turn left onto Rue du Point du Jour.
after 150 metres, turn right onto the carriageway, which ends in a tarmac road. Take the RD38c on the left towards the hamlet of Les Touchards and its water tower.

(2) Turn right at the water tower and descend to join the RD48, which you should follow to the right for 100 metres, then turn left onto a small road.

(3) Cross the Riau de Châtillon and turn right. Turn left to cross the hamlet of Châtillon. Carefully cross the RD40 to reach a path opposite.

(4) First, leave the Blue trail and descend to the left towards the viewpoint indicated, following theGRP® Val de Creuse trail. After an old wash house, take a small path on the right that leads to a superb view of the loop formed by the Creuse river at the village of Le Pin. Turn back to return to the fork.

(4) Continue straight ahead following the blue markings (or those ofthe GRP®). The path leads to a small road, which you should take on the left. At a house, continue along a path that leads into the woods.

(5) After passing under a boxwood arch and before beginning a steep descent, a path on the left leads above the Roche-Bat-l'Aigue dam. Return to the fork.

(5) Approach the descent carefully as some sections can be slippery, particularly near the stream. In spring, you may also see a waterfall (the stream is dry in summer).
Once at the bottom of the dam, follow the road that runs alongside the Creuse.

(6) After the Moulin de la Dine Jacques, turn right onto a wide path that narrows as it climbs into the woods.

(7) Leave the path on the left and continue along a sunken path that climbs up to the hamlet of Les Feuillets, which you cross via the street on the left. Go down this street to the RD48, which you take on the right.

(8) Turn right onto Rue de la Fontaine, then left to reach Place de la Mairie and the church (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 193 m - Church of Badecon-le-Pin
  2. 1 : km 0.62 - alt. 201 m - 12th-century gallery house
  3. 2 : km 1.85 - alt. 240 m - Water tower
  4. 3 : km 2.88 - alt. 207 m - Cross the Riau de Châtillon
  5. 4 : km 3.95 - alt. 195 m - Head towards the viewpoint at the Pin loop
  6. 5 : km 4.85 - alt. 157 m - La Roche-Bat-l'Aigue dam
  7. 6 : km 5.35 - alt. 115 m - Moulin de la Dine Jacques - Creuse (rivière)
  8. 7 : km 6.04 - alt. 169 m - Sunken path leading up to Les Feuillets
  9. 8 : km 6.96 - alt. 188 m - Rue de la Fontaine
  10. S/E : km 7.19 - alt. 193 m - Church of Badecon-le-Pin

Notes

Water point and toilets at the church.
Wear sturdy shoes, or even walking sticks, for the descent to the dam, which is steep and can be slippery.

Worth a visit

Under the eaves of the water tower, you can see house martins and their quarter-sphere-shaped nests.

400 metres after turning onto the small road at (3), you will see a sunken path on your right that serves as a rainwater drainage channel. The more curious and daring (wear trousers to protect against nettles!) can walk down it to admire a small old bridge, called the Pont des Bœufs, a remnant of the main access road between the hamlets of Badecon and Châtillon, and further on, Le Pin and Gargilesse.

The La Roche-Bat-l'Aigue dam is the first hydroelectric dam in the Creuse valley. It dates back to 1907 and was renovated in 1977. It owes its name to the large rock on which the water (or "aigue" in Occitan) used to flow. The stone from this rock was used to build the dam.

Other sites to discover:
- The Shirt Museum and Museum of Men's Fashion in Argenton-sur-Creuse;
- Ruins of Crozant Castle and the Sédelle Arboretum;
- Creuse Valley Museum in Eguzon;
- Espace Monet-Rollinat in Fresselines;
- Gargilesse and Saint-Benoît-du-Sault, listed among "the Most Beautiful Villages in France";
- Argentomagus Museum and Archaeological Site in Saint-Marcel;
- Water sports and outdoor activities centre on the shores of Lake Éguzon.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Fred76
Fred76

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very attractive route alternating between woodland paths and small roads. Very pleasant in warm weather. Beautiful views

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User 2876443

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Avoid this hike in rainy weather, as the descent towards the Creuse can quickly become problematic due to the very slippery ground and stones.
We did it in light drizzle. Otherwise, the scenery and route are varied. Note the beautiful 12th-century house as you leave the village at the start of the hike.

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Annabelle barzeele
Annabelle barzeele

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

Avoid this hike in spring or after heavy rain. Otherwise, the scenery is magnificent. We got lost at the viewpoint (which we shouldn't have taken). On the sections along the Riau and up to the hamlet of Les Feuillets, we were covered in mud and water. We'll do it again in summer (when it's dry)

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FabJorando
FabJorando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike today under a hot sun, and we worked up quite a sweat on some sections... It's definitely best to be warned about points 4 and 5, which can be tricky and difficult if it has rained. Beautiful views, a pleasant route through the undergrowth, along meadows and through hamlets. There's a bit of road walking but it's fine. We also got lost between points 3 and 4, which made the route a little longer... The maintenance of the paths leaves something to be desired in places, and between the nettles and brambles, we regretted not wearing trousers... But overall, it was an interesting hike that we enjoyed.

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lolo36
lolo36

Hello. Maintaining the paths is indeed becoming increasingly problematic. It must be acknowledged that the current weather is not helping, and there is a growing trend towards late mowing for the sake of biodiversity...
To respond more specifically to P'tit M, there is indeed another blue-marked trail that passes through Le Pin and starts from the Belvédère de la Boucle du Pin viewpoint on the D40. I suppose that at the (4), you may have descended too far and reached the Creuse...
Sorry for this setback.
Despite everything, I wish you all the best for your hikes in the Indre.
Best regards, Lolo36.

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mecAno36!
mecAno36!

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

Beautiful hike, but the paths are not maintained and somewhat overgrown with brambles and nettles (especially between Châtillon and La Boucle du Pin)

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P'tit M
P'tit M

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

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

The route is not maintained, so wear waterproof hiking boots as the paths are very wet. Please note that there are no viewpoints to see after passing the D40 (do not leave the blue route as you may find yourself on another route) because we mistakenly followed and caught up with another blue route, which added an extra hour and a half to our walk. Otherwise, it is a very beautiful circuit.

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Marion4178
Marion4178
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route.
The first part does not offer much shade but remains pleasant despite walking on the road.
The second part is shaded and very natural.
A delight!

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lolo36
lolo36
• Edited:

Hello Erdeag. I have amended the description, but the difficulty of the descent to the dam along the waterfall is clearly mentioned twice, in bold type (in the description and in the information section). I agree that it would be advisable to classify this section of the hike as moderately difficult. However, Visorando's criteria must also be taken into account, and the vast majority of the hike is easy.
All the best and thank you for your feedback.

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Erdeag
Erdeag

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It would be preferable to mention the moderate level of difficulty with regard to the passages near the La Roche bat L'Aigue dam. A certain level of walking ability is required to navigate between the stones and rocks and maintain balance on very narrow paths.

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toutguigui
toutguigui

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

Unfortunately, there was a lot of road. The end of the route was nice; we extended it by going down to the river, which the dogs enjoyed!

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Johnjohn36
Johnjohn36

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

First of all, I would like to thank the people who designed this trail and those who maintain it. No worries, the signage is perfect, and there is plenty of shade. However, the path to the viewpoint and the descent to the waterfall are not suitable for all walkers. I think the "easy" rating is an understatement. You don't need to be particularly fit to walk the trail, but elderly people, those with reduced mobility or those with young children may find it difficult.

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Jean-claude Mercier
Jean-claude Mercier

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

This hike can be dangerous on the descent to the dam in wet weather and is "a bit mountainous" for young children or people who are not very fit.
The old winegrowers' houses in the village of Badecon deserve to be showcased.
A must for any fit hiker

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Jean-claude Mercier
Jean-claude Mercier

This short walk can be extended (2 km?) by passing through La Grange from point 207, then Les Chocats. Avoid the D40 by taking a path on the left to come out opposite the Pin loop (viewpoint +++)
Descend towards the Creuse via a steep path and, after a steep climb, rejoin the original route on the right.

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JANOU
JANOU
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We met some pilgrims on the Way of St James (a middle-aged couple and a young man from Belgium who had warned us and thought we were brave to tackle the section he had just completed) on the very stretch that caused us problems in relation to the presentation of this hike.
1. Either it should not be described as easy, or there should be a clear warning about the difficult, even dangerous, nature of the famous steep section.
2. Furthermore, there are no longer any landmarks with the famous boxwood.
When you reach marker 3 (path opposite), it's unclear and impossible to find.
We had to retrace our steps and ask for directions.

Conclusion: it's true that the hike is fairly easy overall and that, for the most part, the blue trail is well marked.
But be careful: there is a very steep section, which is difficult for young hikers or those of a certain age.

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