La Ferté-Alais walks

This hike is certainly the most "aquatic" of those that can be undertaken along the Essonne. Indeed, numerous ponds punctuate the route: ponds for fishing or other forms of leisure; ponds and marshes that make up a protected natural area, a source of biodiversity and a place to observe wildlife.

Thirtieth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, linking La Ferté-Alais, in the Essonne valley, to Étréchy, in the Juine valley, through the western part of the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park. It consists of continuing the crossing of the Essonne, between agricultural landscapes, small forest ranges and more imposing valleys. A relatively short stage without any major difficulties, before the next two, which will be a little longer.

A route between town, fields and forest, during which you will have the opportunity to discover some of the points of interest in the commune of Ballancourt-sur-Essonne.

This is a short 6.5km route combining two of the four routes suggested on the Huison-Longueville municipal website.

This route, in the heart of Gatinais Park, will allow you to discover the village with its restored wash house, 12th-century church and forest paths.

Discover some geological and natural sites in the south of the Essonne department: a landscape of flat land, a sandpit and a vast marshland area that is home to many birds. This hike alternates between sections in the undergrowth, which are the most numerous, and sections between fields.

Twenty-ninth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, linking Ballancourt-sur-Essonne to La Ferté-Alais. Although both towns are located in the Essonne valley, the proposed route passes through the plateau overlooking the valley on the east side, in the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park, to the charming village of Mondeville. The GR® then winds its way between valleys, forests dotted with sandstone boulders and agricultural plateaus. This stage is shorter than the previous ones but is not without its difficulties as it still covers steep sections of terrain similar to the Fontainebleau forest, particularly around Mondeville. The route also allows you to discover some unusual sights, such as the Roches du Père La Musique in Ballancourt.

This route between fields and woods will take you through the village of Villeneuve-sur-Auvers and lead you to a beautiful plateau in the commune of Boissy-le-Cuté.

A hike from station to station with a significant forest component. In addition to a viewpoint, Rocher Bizet offers views of its plateau landscapes, with heathland, ponds and outcropping rocks.

This is an easy walk, meandering along the Essonne and the watercress beds, then the Pasloup marshes.

This hike, which is not particularly difficult, takes place mainly in the woods, which is very pleasant in summer.

A circular loop through the fields and woodlands between Champcueil, Soisy-sur-École and Nainville-les-Roches, following part of the GR®11 trail. It nevertheless includes some beautiful terrain, such as the Grand Tertre and the Crête des Rochers du Duc in the Grands Avaux forest, offering stunning views of the surrounding area and even as far as Paris on a clear day.

Alternating between dirt tracks, undergrowth and small roads, passing through the Coudray forest, the Bois d'Épignon, the Garenne de la Padôle and the Bois de la Valette, crossing the village of Mondeville and its church.

This hike will allow you to discover a wide variety of landscapes on a relatively short route, as well as some historical remains along the way.

A walk on the hillsides on both banks of the Juine, alternating between cultivated fields and undergrowth. You'll discover a rich heritage along the way, including a dolmen, castle, old mill, farm buildings and beautiful houses.

This stage of the GR®1 is one of the most difficult on this GR®. It is 32 km long and has an elevation gain of over 400 m. It is also one of the most beautiful. Starting from Lardy, this hike takes you past magnificent monuments such as the Church of Saint-Sulpice, the Church of Saint-Yon, the Church of Sermaise and the Château de Dourdan. There are other monuments to visit in this town. Most of the route is in the countryside, with several ascents and descents into the valleys. The route passes through numerous villages of varying sizes.

A short but challenging hike in a small departmental forest with a diversity of landscapes worthy of its larger neighbour, Fontainebleau: varied undergrowth, rocky outcrops and climbing boulders, old sandstone quarries, flat rock formations, viewpoints, etc.

A loop that starts with a steep climb between the rocks, then alternates between forest and plateau sections and shorter sections between fields. After a stretch along the edge of the woods, the hike ends on the wide grassy bank of the underground aqueduct of La Vanne and Le Loing.

This mountain bike ride takes you through part of the Gâtinais region, with oak and pine forests to the north and rolling farmland typical of the Beauce region to the south. You will pass through several villages typical of the region and follow the Essonne valley, which is fairly unobtrusive but whose hillsides will give your calves a good workout.

In addition to fields and woods, this hike passes through three villages: Dannemois, where Claude François had his second home (Le Moulin), Courances and its château, and Moigny-sur-École.

A short hike that alternates between forest and fields, with a pleasant route on a plateau. You can see a Neolithic polishing stone and an old sandstone quarry.

An original way to get to the Château de Courances: on foot! This short hike goes around the outside of the park, with the first half rich in heritage (churches, mill, wash house, etc.) and the second half more bucolic, ending on an educational trail dedicated to fruit trees.

A lovely walk among ponds, marshes and, above all, birds, ducks, etc., lasting 4½ to 5 hours, or longer if you stop to watch the birds on the ponds.

Through the valleys and hillsides of the Gatinais and across several beautiful villages, this hike takes you to two beautiful Romanesque churches and one of the best-preserved fortified castles in the Île-de-France region.

A hike from station to station in the Essonne Valley. After climbing up through the Bois de Saint-Médard and crossing a cultivated plateau, you pass through the charming hamlets of Courdimanche. You walk alongside the river several times, cross a small island, and the Marais de Jarcy may be of interest to nature lovers. Several churches and a few wash houses are also along the way.

This last stage of the journey along the Essonne offers many opportunities to play leapfrog with the river. It is obviously the stage with the most urban sections. The town of Corbeil-Essonnes reveals its rich religious, civil and industrial heritage.

A short hike between Puiselet-le-Marais and Bouville through woods and fields. Superb views of the South Essonne countryside.

The route is mainly through forest, with a few small sandstone rocks in places, starting from the centre of Milly-la-Forêt with its rich heritage (church, wash houses, castle).

A hike that alternates between villages rich in heritage (old market hall, churches, wash houses, castle) and a trail through the Forêt des Trois Pignons dotted with sandstone rocks.

This is the twenty-eighth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, connecting Milly-la-Forêt to the Ballancourt-sur-Essonne train station after crossing the French Gâtinais region. It is designed to follow on fromthe previous stage coming from Fontainebleau, after a night's stay there.This stage begins in the École valley, which boasts a rich heritage: Milly-la-Forêt, Moigny-sur-École, Courances and its château, and Dannemois, dear to Claude François. It continues through the fields of the Gâtinais, then the ridges and sandstone plateaus of the Grands Avaux forest, ending at Ballancourt-sur-Essonne in the valley of the same name.The stage is very beautiful but very long, and undoubtedly the most physically demanding of all those on the GR®11, especially in its second part. However, it is possible to split it in two by staying overnight and/or shorten it in several places by simplifying it.

A hike from station to station, mostly following the Orge river or its secondary branch, the Grande Boële, and along a few large reservoirs. There is a rich heritage to discover, in Arpajon at the start of the hike and, as a highlight, at the Basilica of Longpont.

A hike from station to station, along the Orge and its tributary, the Rémarde, as well as the Bassin de Trêvois. A small menhir and a Louis XIII-style castle add a nice touch of heritage.