Etang du Moulin au renard walks

This is the upstream section of this series of three walks dedicated to the Bièvre. A very pleasant route along the river and its ponds, in a setting that is mostly bucolic. A walk from station to station, the length of which can be adapted according to conditions or preference.

This route allows you to discover both the Minière ponds, upstream of the Bièvre river, and to pass close to the Palace of Versailles by crossing the Parc des Suisses. It is also a route through the Versailles National Forest, allowing you to enjoy a pleasant walk along the Bièvre. It is a route for all seasons, as the landscape changes with the weather.

A pleasant walk through the forest and along the Minière ponds.

The Bièvre Valley is undoubtedly one of the best places for hiking in the region. Indeed, in summer it is a succession of ponds and lush green landscapes. This hike takes you through the most interesting part of the valley, featuring a succession of five remarkable ponds. You can then round off your day with a visit to Versailles, adding a touch of history to the route.

A stroll around the picturesque ponds of the Bièvre springs. Beautiful landscapes full of relief on the ponds, mallards, moorhens, gulls, etc. Silence, perhaps a stag with beautiful antlers and does. The Minière ponds consist of several bodies of water: the Moulin à Renard Pond, the Minière Pond and the Val d'Or Pond. These ponds, nestled in the forest of Versailles, cover a total area of 25 hectares at an average altitude of 110 metres and a maximum depth of 15 metres. The source of the Bièvre is located upstream from the ponds, in the nearby hamlet of Bouviers. After a 32.8-kilometre journey, the Bièvre flows into the Seine in Paris.

This marked GR® route around the Île-de-France region (with a few forays into neighbouring departments and regions) complements its "little brother", the GR®1, by forming a circular route around Paris, generally with a slightly larger radius. It follows the same overall pattern: first, a radial section starting from Paris (more precisely from the Pont d'Austerlitz, near the former confluence of the Bièvre and the Seine), going up the entire Bièvre valley, then continuing to Villiers-Saint-Frédéric, in the Yvelines. From there, it is a circular route that loops around the Île-de-France region, close to its borders with neighbouring regions. The route passes through beautiful regions, often untouched by intensive urbanisation, regional nature parks and other protected natural areas, and takes in some architectural wonders.

Second stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, from Massy to Saint-Cyr l'École, behind Versailles.This stage, more bucolic than the previous one, consists of continuing up the Bièvre river in its valley, where it is almost entirely in the open air. Arriving near its source in Guyancourt, the GR® leaves the valley and continues towards Saint-Cyr-l'École.