From Orbrie along the Vendée

Park in the car park of the Orbrie multi-purpose hall (opposite the school)

(S/E). Head to the top right at the back of the car park towards the park information board and take the avenue lined with lime trees. At the end, turn right, cross the street, go through the zigzag barriers and climb a few steps to reach the small car park to the right of the hairdresser's. Walk up the car park, head to the right and cross Rue du Centre to reach Route de Puy Chabot opposite the doctor's surgery. There, turn left, walk past the street leading to the church and continue uphill to the next bend.

(1) Take Chemin de la Pierrière, which descends to the right, first on tarmac and then on a grassy dirt track. Ignore the first path on the right. At the three-way junction, turn right, ignoring the yellow markings indicating a left turn. Continue along this path, bordered by a small stream that runs alongside the steep meadows on the right.

(2) Turn left onto the^GRP® de Mélusine (red and yellow markings).

(3) Turn left at the road. Pass in front of the Puy Chabot driveway and continue straight ahead at the three-way junction on the road with no entry.

(4) Shortly before La Jolette, turn right onto the path that runs alongside the fields, then after a right-hand bend, start descending into the forest. Be careful, the wet rocks that line the path on the descent are very slippery!

(5) Head right, along the Vendée. Cross the footbridge.

(6) Leave the^GRP® and turn right, going around the barbed wire fence. Follow the path that runs alongside this fence to the river (not shown on the IGN map), then continue between the cliff and the river to the water treatment plant near the Mervent Dam.

(7) Here you can make a round trip to the dam, about 300 metres away. (Currently closed due to construction work; reopening scheduled for late July 2018).
Continue straight ahead on the road and immediately turn left onto the path that runs alongside the road and climbs into the forest. Please note that this path, which is not shown on the IGN map, is very rough and steep! You can stay on the road and rejoin the path once you reach the top.

Join the^GR® de Pays de Mélusine (forest path marked with a scallop shell) and take it to the left. After 600 metres, cross a small clearing and continue straight ahead on the marked path to join a cycle path (not shown on the IGN map).

(8) Take the track to the left and continue, negotiating several sharp bends on a steep downhill slope.
Stay on the track, ignoring all the paths that branch off to the left or right (note the magnificent oak trees, some of which are several hundred years old).

(9) At the bottom of the descent, turn right onto a new track that runs along the right bank of the river.
After a picnic area with parking on the right, the track becomes a small road. Pass the restaurant "Le Pot Bleu" and arrive at the D104 road.

(10) Turn left, cross the bridge and climb carefully up to Orbrie, leaving the two paths on the left and, further up on the right, Chemin des Gachets.

(11) 50 metres after Chemin des Gachets, turn right onto Chemin du Rouget. After about 500 metres, turn left. A little further on, leave Rue du Lotissement de la Noue on your left and continue along the path.

(12) About 100 metres after a vegetable garden, turn left onto Sentier des Facteurs, which enters the hedge (be careful, it is well hidden!). Bordered by hedges, it then continues between two fences until it reaches the road (Chemin de la Noue). There, turn right to reach the car park 200 metres away (S/E).

Ignore the yellow markings. Follow the yellow and red markings for the sections shared with the^GR® de Pays de Mélusine (between points (2) and (6), the forest path before point (8) and between points (9) and (10)).

Picnic areas in the park near point (S/E) and before point (10) at Pot Bleu.

Be sure to wear good walking shoes.

- The Parc de la Grotte (3.6 hectares) has some remarkable trees.
- Saint-Vincent Church.
- The wash house (Rue du Lavoir).
- The Mervent dam, also known as the Saint-Luc dam, near the point (7). Currently under construction, the road is scheduled to reopen at the end of July 2018.

More information.