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Park in the Étang de la Provostière car park located north-west of Riaillé.
(S/E) Take the path that extends from the car park (north-west). After about 100 metres, at the memorial stone erected in memory of Canadian airmen who fell in battle, turn right towards the wooden barriers to begin the tour of the Étang de la Provostière. Ignore the path on the left (towards Rigole des Ajeaux) and continue straight on the main path, marked Étang de la Provostière – arrival 4.7 km. Pass a road on your left, then a path, and continue along the lake. Cross the wooden footbridge, then turn left at the end. You will then follow a wider path lined with meadows, which will take you to the D18 road.
(1) Turn right onto the path running parallel to the road. After crossing a small stream via a wooden footbridge, turn right again (yellow signpost – 2.9 km to go). A few hundred metres further on, the pond reappears on your right.
(2) Take a short detour of about 30 metres to the right to reach the observatory. From there, you can observe the many species of birds that have made their home on this pond.
Return to the main path, leave a path on your left, then a road, and continue along the water. Join a road at the hamlet of La Provostière.
(3) Turn right towards the car park, immediately after the Auberge de l'Écluse sign, turn left, following the Rigole des Ajeaux on its left bank until you reach a bridge over this stream.
(4) Here you have two options:
- to shorten the route by about 3 kilometres, cross the bridge on your right and take the gravel path opposite that goes uphill, marked La rigole des Ajeaux - 5.6 km.
- to do the full route, continue along the left bank. Pass a new bridge on your right, then, 100 metres further on, you will come to a crossroads.
(5) Leave the wide path and take a small trail on the right, continuing along the canal. Cross the small road leading to Haute Tisonnière, thenyou will come out onto the D41 road.
(6) Cross it and take the path opposite. Join the road leading to the houses of Les Ajeaux.
(7) Turn left onto the road leading to La Malmandière. At the first crossroads, veer slightly to the right, then at the second, turn left until you reach La Malmandière.
(8) After the first houses, take the path on the left. At the end of the path, an electricity pole marks the descent: follow it, cross a road, then continue to the crossroads you passed on the way there, the one with the wide path.
(5) Opposite, take this wide path in the opposite direction to return to the crossroads of the alternative route described above.
(4) Turn left onto the stony path (start of the alternative route) which climbs towards Haute Tisonnière, turn right onto the road and pass in front of a beautiful farmhouse. Turn right to reach the crossroads of the road leading to La Tisonnière.
(9) Keep left at the bend and take the path on the right. You will then reach the edge of the forest.
(10) Turn right (signposted Rigole des Ajeaux variant – arrival at 1.1 km) to return to the starting point via a pleasant path through the woods. You will then arrive at the Étang de la Provostière car park (S/E).
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