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Parking: Park in the centre of Saint-Romain-d'Ay. Several car parks are available along the main road.
(S/E) Turn right with your back to the post office building.
Continue along the main road D6 towards the west and go down a small tarmac road on the left towards Les Claux.
Pass these few houses and take the path down towards the River Ay.
(1) Cross the Ay (ford or old Les Claux footbridge) and go up into the woods opposite.
(2) Cross a road and continue straight up towards Le Mas.
At Le Mas, cross this small hamlet on the right. Go up the small street between the houses and head north. At the exit of the hamlet, the road becomes a track and a balcony. The view opens up to the north. You will arrive at the large hamlet of Seyaret, after joining the main road 200 metres before.
(3) Cross this hamlet and turn slightly right at the exit, towards the cross at the side of the road. Be careful not to go up the small road, but cross the small hamlet of Le Col, passing under a beautiful stone arch between the houses. The path then continues through the meadows.
When you reach Petite Morlière, on your left, the slope becomes a little steeper. You will then arrive at a small pass. Descend 300 metres to reach a crossroads of several tracks in the middle of the fields.
(4) Turn left, almost 180°. The track climbs slightly towards Gayant. Leave this hamlet on your right and continue straight downhill. Cross one tarmac road, then a second. After the second road, continue down the track for 100m.
(5) Turn right at a 90° angle, along the woods. This small path joins a tarmac road. At the road, turn left downhill, then take the first right and go around a large hairpin bend.
(6) Before the first house, look for a small wall and turn right onto a path that descends steeply into the woods. Cross a small stream. Please note: in wet weather, this stream can be difficult to cross (there is no footbridge or rock to step on, so you may need to take off your shoes). Climb up opposite to a large farm. Then join the main road (D17) and follow it for 40 metres to the right.
(7) Follow the wide track (white gravel) on the left towards Royer. Continue to the cross at 535m. Turn left and continue straight on to the centre of the village of Préaux.
Just after the bar-restaurant, before the church (Place Centrale), turn left. Then go straight on through the narrow streets. This will take you above a recent housing development, which you will skirt on the right via an increasingly steep descent on a small road.
(8) Almost at the bottom of the road, continue straight ahead (green arrow on a tree) along a small path that leads into the woods. Follow this path, staying on the historic trail between the old walls and ignoring the motorcycle tracks, cross two footbridges (wooden barriers) and finally climb two hairpin bends to the hamlet of Nisson. Climb the small road for 150 metres and continue along a path on the right between two walls.
(9) Continue along this path through the woods. At the top of the small climb, look for a large isolated rock, just to the right below the path: this is where you need to turn right at a 90° angle.
(10) At the isolated rock, start the descent, with a view of the village of Saint-Romain d'Ay in the distance. Cross a road and, after another descent into the woods, you will arrive at the riverbank (the Ay)
Cross the footbridge and head to the right. The circuit then passes almost under Notre-Dame d'Ay, which is easily reached by a final climb.
(11) At the top of the climb, below Notre Dame d'Ay (there is a yellow/white marked path that starts 20 m before the entrance to Notre Dame d'Ay. It passes under a magnificent stone porch, crosses the gardens and descends to the river. Very pretty.) Then follow the Ay river for about 200 m and climb back up, partly via the Way of the Cross. You will then find yourself at the entrance to Notre Dame. Please note that this path is not on the GPS route, but it is marked (about 800 m further).
(12) At the chapel, turn left and cross the village to reach the car park (S/E).
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