Start: Houdain, small car park at the entrance to Rue du 19 mars 1962.
(S/E) Take the D341 (Rue de la Gare) towards Divion, cross the Lawe. Ignore Rue des Tourbières and turn left into the small road just beyond. Turn right and join Rue du Sergent Magrot, which you follow to the left. Climb the staircase and continue straight ahead to reach a 2nd set of stairs which should not be climbed.
(1) When you reach the staircase, turn left and follow it for over 5km, passing Beugin, la Comté, then Bajus.
(2) At Bajus station, continue straight ahead, still on the cavalier, through the Petit Bois de Houdain to reach a crossroads where you will find the GR® 127 (white and red markings).
(3) Leave the path and follow the GR® to the left. At the crossroads, take the wide track opposite and follow it to a reservoir.
(4) Leave the GR® and continue straight ahead. After 400m, take the track on the left and reach a T-junction. Turn right. At the next junction, go straight ahead (ponds on the left) and reach another T. Turn right again to reach a small road.
Follow it to the left, cross the Lawe and join the D86. Enter Magnicourt-en-Comté. Follow the D86 opposite and, a few metres further on, leave it to take the road opposite. Cross a stream.
(6) Turn right into the 1 road. At the farmhouse, turn left and follow this wide track up to the heights of La Comté. Ignore the side roads. It's a long climb, but not too difficult, and deer often cross paths. Reach the D74.
(7) Follow the road for a few metres, to the left, before taking the wide track opposite. At the T-junction, turn right, then immediately left to enter the steeply-sloping undergrowth (stones, limestone, beware especially in wet weather).
At the fork, take either right or left (perhaps easier on the right?). At the end of the wood, join a wide track which leads downhill to the D86. Follow it to the right, and at the stop sign, turn left and cross the Lawe.
Turn right towards the stadium. Turn right to join the Lawe and follow its banks. At the end of the road, turn left, passing behind the cage to reach the stadium entrance. Turn right into Rue du Moulin. Cross the Lawe again (lovely waterfall) to reach the D86. After 200m, turn left uphill to reach a crossroads. Go straight ahead on the GR® and continue for 100m.
(9) Take the path on the left. This beautiful downhill path (difficult in wet weather) veers to the right and reaches a crossroads. Continue straight ahead, slightly uphill, on fresh tarmac. 200m further on, turn left to join the Chaussée Brunehaut.
(10) Follow it to the right, then take the 1st° path on the left, which bends to the left before joining the tarmac, near a large shed.
(11) Turn right onto the track and continue as far as La Brette. Follow it to the right, cross it (footbridge) and immediately turn left.
(12) Come to a 2nd footbridge, which you must not cross. Follow the Brette (on the right bank) to reach the Rue du Château, which you should follow until you reach the D341. Turn slightly right into a small street which soon becomes a footpath. Continue uphill (steeply) to reach the tarmac near the D01 (large roundabout).
(13) Turn left, go straight on (do not go towards the roundabout). At fork, go straight ahead (Rue du Bois des Tours). Shortly afterwards, turn left into the woods on a good path. You'll soon come to a fork in the road, where you turn left onto a smaller path. At the next fork, turn left again towards the church. The path runs alongside the road, then bends to the right to reach a crossroads. Turn left towards the house and join Rue du Bois des Tours. Follow this to the left and you'll reach Rue Jean Jaurès.
(14) Cross it (be careful!) and take the small street opposite. At the crossroads, turn left and drive down to the car park (S/E).