From Bras de Bronne to L’Embrienne

Start from Saint-Michel-sous-Bois, small square near the church.

(S/E) Head towards the church via Rue du Plouy. At the three-way junction, turn right towards the Bois de Saint-Michel. Go through the gate (this is a local path) and follow the wide lane that runs the entire length of the woods.
It curves slightly to the right and reaches the edge of the woods (gate).
The high-resolution IGN map is perfect.

(1) On leaving the woods, follow the path on the left along the edge. Stay on this good path and turn left, still along the edge, until you reach a small descent on the right. At the bottom of the descent, turn left and follow the good path to the D129E1 at Quilen.

(2) Follow it to the right until you reach the crossroads by the church. Turn left onto Rue d’En-Haut, which shares the route with the^GR®®127. Cross the Bois de Quilen. Make sure to stay on the^GR®® and, as you climb, join the D126 at the wayside shrine.

(3) Caution here: dangerous crossing: continue straight ahead, staying on the^GR®®. At the fork, at the entrance to the woods, turn right. Stay on the GR® to cross the Bois Peuvion. Reach the exit of the woods.

(4) Follow the wide path down to a small road, which you follow for a few metres to the left.

(5) Leave the^GR®® and the road to take the lovely path straight ahead. Join a new road, which you follow to the left to climb Mont Héry with its large wayside cross at the summit. Continue to the D126.

(6) Take care here: dangerous crossing. Take the small road opposite which crosses the hamlet of Remortier. After leaving the hamlet, ignore the wide path on the right to reach a new three-way junction, after a right-hand bend, at a place called Les Treize.

(7) Leave the tarmac and take a wide path on the right. Descend the Vallée d’Hénoval, a beautiful trough-shaped valley. You’ll reach the junction with a PR®® trail^.

(8) Take this path straight ahead and follow it, keeping an eye out for the yellow markings (which are somewhat sporadic and not always clearly visible). 300 metres further on, turn right to cross the Vallée d’Hénoval (a short descent, followed by a steep climb). At the top, at the T-junction, turn left.
400 metres further on, you’ll come to a small, steeply ascending road.

(9) Take a sharp left-hand bend towards a wood. Once at the edge, the path turns left to reach a T-junction.

(10) Take the sharp right-hand bend and cross the small wood.
The path eventually turns sharply left and begins to descend. 200 metres further on, you’ll find a grassy path on the left.

(11) Take this path to reach a crossroads. Then turn right to descend (a tricky descent in its ^second half) towards Humbert. Cross the Bras de Bronne and reach the D 29.

(12) Cross it and take the lovely grassy path straight ahead which joins Rue de l'École; follow it to the right. Ignore Rue de l'Église on the right (water point in the cemetery) and, a few metres further on, turn left^, leaving the PR®® here^. A short stretch of tarmac, then a very beautiful path overlooking Humbert. Reach a crossroads.

(13) Turn right onto the very grassy path, leaving the PR®® here^. At the T-junction, go left, then immediately right. Continuing uphill, reach another T-junction at a place called Les Mortiens.

(14) Head left until you reach a small road, then turn right onto it. At the three-way junction, turn right, then right again onto the^first small road; this is the Sentier de la Neuvaine, marked in the yellow colour of the^PR®®. Before reaching the large farm, you’ll come to a wide path branching off to the left.

(15) Take this path on the left. Ignore a path on the right. Further on, a path joins from the left (hiking marker).

(16) Continue straight on for a few more metres until you reach a place called Le Chêne (at the end of the rapeseed field in May 2026).

(17) Turn left, along the edge of the fields, following the signpost arrow (2026: it has disappeared or is barely visible). Difficult path in May 2026; I walked as close as possible to the rapeseed. Note: This section along the edge of the fields can be a bit tricky but it’s short. See practical information
Further on, turn left, following the barbed wire, to find a path on the right a little further on.

(18) Follow this path (very grassy at the start, but with magnificent views!) ignoring all the turnings to the right, until you find a path on the left.

(19) Take this path and reach a small road. Follow it to the left, leaving Embry on your right. Reach a fork.

(20) Leave the road and take the path opposite. A long path that leads to a T-junction, at a place called La Renardière, after a steep climb.

(21) Turn right to reach another T-junction, at a place called Calinge.

(22) Turn left to reach a small road, which you follow to the left, to reach the Saint-Wandrille junction.

(23) Then take the^first road on the right. Pass in front of the isolated farm at Hautefeuille. Shortly afterwards, the road turns right. Then take the barely visible path (but very clear in May 2026) opposite. You’ll soon reach a three-way junction; continue downhill to the right.

Enter the undergrowth; the path becomes a little clearer, but you may occasionally have to weave your way through brambles and nettles. Continue downhill until you reach the small road. Follow it to the left (the grassy verge is quite comfortable) and join the D129. Then turn left to quickly reach the starting car park, near the church of Saint-Michel-sous-Bois (S/E).

Good walking shoes and poles seem essential to me.

It’s a very demanding route, so don’t forget to bring water and snacks.
Water point in Humbert cemetery, by the church: the tap is against the church wall on the left.

At point (17), if the path seems too difficult, you can head back to (16) and follow the main path to the right to reach (21). But that’s a bit of a shame!

A route through the heart of the countryside: I find the scenery absolutely stunning and you may spot some wildlife along the way.