Esson walks

Hiking in Suisse Normande. With blue skies, you can discover the beautiful valleys. I recommend a visit to the Bonne Nouvelle Chapel, which is open during the day and offers the opportunity to leave messages.

This is a fairly easy hike, mostly on country roads with virtually no traffic. Return via the Clécy viaduct and along the Orne. This hike can be done in the morning, with a stop for lunch at one of the open-air cafés along the Orne.

A superb walk to discover the Normandy bocage and the Orne valley. This hike takes in "le pain de sucre", "les rochers de la Houle" and "les rochers des parcs".

Circuit starting from La Pommeraie, a small authentic village in Suisse Normande, whose name comes from the word pomme (apple). In autumn, there are many chestnut trees.

Ouffières welcomes you to a large square beautifully decorated with flowers. You can then set off to discover magnificent stone houses before following the Orne River as it winds its way through the Swiss Normandy.

A very pleasant walk through the undergrowth, with the sound of small streams flowing through this magnificent forest. Lots of mushrooms in season.

The Orne valley, upstream from the city of Caen. This circuit invites you to discover both banks of the Orne River north of Thury-Harcourt. Description and route slightly out of date in places, see reviews for alternatives

Swiss Normandy: valleys, springs, streams, fir trees, small villages – everything you need to have a great day out and come home tired.

This heritage trail immerses you in medieval society alongside knights, monks and peasants. In the 11th century, in the Cinglais region, Boulon was part of the powerful seigneury of RaoulI Taisson, who built the Château de Thuit there, the seat of seigneurial power. Between forest and heritage, the Boulon discovery trail reveals traces of this medieval past. This trail is marked in blue with signs reading "Heritage Trail - Boulon in the Middle Ages".

From the banks of the cool Val la Hère stream, you will climb to the heights of Plainville and Bourg d'Ouilly, where the view is remarkable.

A charming walk combining forests, wooded paths, streams, mills, hamlets, beautiful stone buildings, fields and meadows, with a few small climbs. Very pleasant to do from spring, when the vegetation comes to life, until autumn, when it bursts into shades of yellow, ochre and red. Apart from the section from Le Pissot to the hamlet of Touchet (1 km), there are virtually no roads to walk on, although it is sometimes difficult to avoid them.

This walk, starting from the town hall in Fresney-le-Puceux, offers a lovely overview of the industrial and architectural heritage. After walking along the peaceful Laize, you will climb the sometimes steep slopes of the hillsides and discover the industrial past, mills and tanneries of this pretty valley.

A beautiful hike offering views of the Roches d'Oëtre, the village of La Forêt-Auvray, the banks of the Orne and the Normandy countryside. This hike is a slightly longer variation of the "Around La Forêt-Auvray" hike. You can start the hike at La Fouillerie (the option chosen for the description) or at La Forêt-Auvray.

If there were a paradise for hiking, the Roche d'Oëtre Sensitive Natural Area and the Rouvre Gorges would certainly be well placed! A listed site and Sensitive Natural Area in the Orne department, La Roche d'Oëtre, located in the heart of the Normandy Mountains, is a must-see site and a meeting place for lovers of wild nature and hiking.

Hike through woods, countryside, villages and rivers, from Roches d'Oëtre to Méandre de Rouvrou. From Roches d'Oëtre, follow a well-marked path that will take you through the meanders of La Rouvre.

From May-sur-Orne, cross the fields, stroll through wooded areas, follow the Laize and Orne valleys and return via Saint-André-sur-Orne.

Between paths, plains and undergrowth, this hike will delight you with its scenery. Like all hikes in the bocage, it is hilly with a good little climb. The route is very well marked with yellow signs.