From Bois de Cise to Ault via the coastal path

A route along the coastal path between the Bois de Cise and Ault. A magnificent hike along this incredibly beautiful cliff, returning via a hiking trail that takes us to the Bois de Cise with its traditional and modern villas. A gem of the Picardy coast, a green oasis, a true paradise for plant lovers. A natural woodland on the coast of the English Channel.

Details

9231996
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.95 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 226 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 221 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 92 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 8 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Ault (80460)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 50.087864° / E 1.426224°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2107OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Find a place to park around Square Pomeranz or up the D940E (free).

(S/E) From your parking spot, take the Route des Mouettes to the antenna to pick up the coastal path, which starts on the left. Follow the yellow arrow signs for "sentier littoral" (coastal path).

(1) From there, follow the path along the cliff to the Ault viewpoint, staying as close to the coast as possible. Take Rue de la République, turn left, then right, and continue along Rue Saint-Valéry, which leads to the viewpoint.

(2) From the viewpoint, continue straight along the coast to Avenue du Casino.

(3) Before reaching the leisure park, turn right to go up Avenue du Casino and take the stairs to the back of the Chapel of Notre-Dame d'Onival.

(4) After the chapel, turn right to go down Boulevard du Phare or Rue Gauchy and go around the semaphore.

(5) Join or continue along Rue du Phare and, just after the intersection, take the stairs on the right to reach Rue de Paris.

(6) Turn right onto Rue du Moulin, which goes around the castle.

(7) At the crossroads, turn left onto Rue Charles Brehamet until you reach the steps leading up to the castle.

(8) At this point, in front of the Porte du Moulinet (stairs leading up to the castle), either go down the alley on the right or follow the street to reach Grande Rue, towards the Church of Saint-Pierre d'Ault (route).

(9) From the church, turn left to go up Rue d'Eu and, further on, turn right onto Rue du Bois de Cise until you reach the end.

(10) Continue along the stone and dirt path to Bois de Cise. When you reach Bois de Cise, at the intersection of the road, turn left to reach the Sainte-Édith Chapel in Bois de Cise.

(11) From the chapel, follow Chemin du Paradis to catch up with and cross the D940E

(12) Walk along the Bois de Cise via the PR®. You will find numerous perpendicular paths that join the D940E. Continue to the viewpoint. From the viewpoint, turn around and take the Allée du Muguet on the left (marked route) or wander through the streets to return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 43 m - Square or along the D940E
  2. 1 : km 0.83 - alt. 69 m - Start of the coastal path
  3. 2 : km 3.27 - alt. 38 m - Belvédère Viewpoint
  4. 3 : km 3.91 - alt. 18 m - Avenue du Casino
  5. 4 : km 4.16 - alt. 62 m - Chapel of Notre-Dame d'Onival
  6. 5 : km 4.46 - alt. 63 m - Rue du Phare
  7. 6 : km 4.77 - alt. 69 m - Rue du Moulin
  8. 7 : km 5.11 - alt. 48 m - Rue Charles Brehamet
  9. 8 : km 5.32 - alt. 40 m - Porte du Moulinet
  10. 9 : km 5.6 - alt. 22 m - St-Pierre d'Ault Church
  11. 10 : km 6.43 - alt. 77 m - Junction path
  12. 11 : km 8.24 - alt. 81 m - Chapel of St. Edith in the Bois de Cise
  13. 12 : km 9.04 - alt. 90 m - D940E
  14. S/E : km 10.95 - alt. 42 m - Square or along the D940E

Notes

A very beautiful route, but in rainy weather, be sure to wear good shoes as the "Vals" passage can be slippery. Of course, being on the coast, it may be windy. Consider bringing binoculars. There are many stairs in Ault.

Worth a visit

The Bois de Cise is remarkable.

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

4.7 / 5
Based on 18 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 5117114

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An interesting and varied route. Not too many walkers at this time of year

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User 17890776

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Top...

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Lukowiak Michel
Lukowiak Michel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike. Nature reminds us that we must respect it!

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Maryvonne Ponty
Maryvonne Ponty

This is a trail we walked in the spring. It's very pretty, with beautiful views of the sea and the beginning of the Bay of Somme. It's fairly well described. However, apart from the Bois de Cise, there aren't many trees, so don't walk it when the sun is too strong!

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User 26830943

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike is more enjoyable when done in the opposite direction to better manage two difficult sections of the coastal path.

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Maryvonne Ponty
Maryvonne Ponty

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk with views of the sea and the entrance to the Baie de Somme. And a peaceful stroll through the Bois de Cise woods.

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mail123
mail123

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant route to enjoy in good weather

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Marc 62
Marc 62

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent scenery, especially when the sun is shining.
It gets quite steep at times...
Very beautiful hike

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Bucky 35
Bucky 35

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike that combines nature and sightseeing. The ideal weather added to the enjoyment of the hike! A must-see site!

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Minneapolis
Minneapolis

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike that is somewhat difficult in rainy weather.

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lyskawa
lyskawa

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

hello,
beautiful route, beautiful weather with sea breeze and mist, beautiful view of the woods of CISE ET AULT.
In AULT, go down to the church square towards the shops. Rue EU is on the far left when looking towards the sea.
There are few people on the trail. At junction 80, a cement path leads directly to AULT SUPER for bicycles.
Best regards

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mrping
mrping

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Possibility to shorten the route: upon entering Bois de Cise, do not turn left but continue straight ahead via small stairways leading down to the road at the starting point

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Geraldine76
Geraldine76

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant hike in cool, overcast weather. The cliff section and the Cize woods are very nice.
There is a slight incline and a few steps in Ault.
The first part along the cliff is likely to be muddy and slippery in rainy weather or after rain.
The stroll through the streets of Ault is not very interesting and can therefore be shortened.

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Molière
Molière

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We followed the coastal path from Mers-les-Bains to Ault.
There were two significant inclines, which must be tricky in rainy weather (this wasn't the case for us).
There is a ladder to climb over a fence, but you can also crouch down and crawl under it without any difficulty.
Very exposed to the wind and rain, if it rains. We are on a cliff.
A pleasant route with several very interesting viewpoints over the cliffs.
Three hours there and back at a leisurely pace (about 10 km)

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Joh
Joh
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It's a very pleasant walk, but be careful:
- the slopes are quite steep in places and can be very slippery in wet weather
- you have to climb small ladders to cross the pastures
- and DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED: dogs are not allowed on the coastal path, even on a lead. I wish I'd known this before arriving with my dog after a little over an hour's drive. It would be good to add this to the information in the description
- the second part of the coastal path is currently closed for works (it may be possible to bypass it via the town, but I didn't see the point )
- there are numerous steps

So I started this walk by parking near the square. Parking is free, but in my opinion, it must fill up quickly on weekends and during high season. The coastal path is well away from the edge of the cliff, so there's no danger for those who are afraid of heights. It passes through various pastures (there were no animals when I was there and few people, which is why I allowed myself to walk through with my dog on a leash, of course). It's pleasant and windy! When I arrived in Ault, I didn't continue because of the roadworks (and the dog ban), so I went straight to point 9. You find yourself in fields with the sea in the distance on your right. You then arrive in the Bois de Cise with its pretty properties. I didn't go to the viewpoint at the end either (also no dogs allowed). There weren't many people on this Monday outside the season and school holidays, but I think it's usually very busy. In short, it's a nice walk that I'll do again one day when the roadworks are finished, but unfortunately without my dog.

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