From La Ferté-Vidame to Tourouvre

(S) Near the Tourist Office, take Rue du Temple and Avenue du Général Leclerc to the Bassin de Mousseuse, then take the very wide grassy path that runs alongside the ponds on your left. About 500 m further on, ignore the path that turns left and continue straight ahead along the small tarmac road. Take the^second footbridge over the ditch and continue left on the tarmac for 50 m, then straight on along the dirt and grass path to the Maison du Garde, at Rond Montpensier (incorrectly named Rond Victoire on IGN maps).

(1) Turn right and follow the D24 for 1 km until you reach a lane on the left just before Rond Saint-Simon (signposted "Chemin de Promenade").

(2) Turn left and follow the yellow markings. Please note that the forest is private and only a few paths are open to hikers. 100 m further on, cross a large railway line (Ligne de la Chapelle-Fortin) and then another, before coming out onto the D317.1.

(3) Cross and continue opposite at the edge of the forest, then across the plain to Haut-Coudray.

(4) Take the path on the left towards Bois Impérial.

(5) It would be a shame to pass so close to the pretty Réveillon chapel without seeing it. We therefore recommend that you take the D3172 on the right at the crossroads for a few dozen metres. Then turn back and take the path on the right towards Bois Impérial. Walk along the Étang du Buternay lake (the "Private property" signs nailed to the trees at the entrance to the path only apply to the undergrowth, not the path itself, which is public).

(6) Once you have passed the pond by about 200 metres, leave the yellow markings and take a path on the right which, 50 metres further on, crosses a stream via a footbridge. This path marks the boundary between the Orne and Eure-et-Loir departments and, on leaving the woods, crosses the grassy runway of a small aerodrome.

(7) 250 metres further on, at the junction with a dirt track, turn left. Cross Chanteloup, where the path becomes tarmac. Continue to the D11. Cross the D11 and continue straight ahead on the small tarmac path through La Livarderie. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead on a dirt track that passes in front of La Josserie and joins the D3173.

(8) Turn right and pass the hamlet of Luxerot.

(9) At the exit, take the first path (grassy) on the left. At the next fork, turn right to reach La Hardellière. At the road, turn right and continue for about 150 m.

(10) Take the path that dips down to the left. At the pond (a lovely spot for a break), cross the car park and take the D11 to the left to enter Marchainville. Turn right onto Rue de la Forge.

(11) At the foot of the church, follow the D243 to the right, which climbs past the cemetery. Pass Bois-Marié on your right.

(12) About 100 m further on, turn left onto the path through the fields, which becomes tarmac at Fossé Neuf. At the stop sign, go straight on and continue to the left-hand bend.

(13) Leave the road and take the path on the right (an old Roman road known as the Chartres road) and follow it straight ahead for 2 km. Cross the D609 and continue opposite, towards La Butte de Brotz.

(14) About 200 m further on, take the path on the right which descends towards Moulin de Brotz (Brasserie Guinguette) and runs alongside a pond. Continue straight ahead to reach the two mill buildings (at this point you will join the GR®22).

(15) Follow the GR®22 signs on the left along the Roman road. After a footbridge over a stream, the path veers to the right. This section is often flooded. Make your way through the undergrowth, pass by the Oie Blanche and continue to a fork in the road about 400 m further on.

(16) Leave the GR®22 trail and follow the path down to the right. Follow the blue mountain bike signs to the Perche forest. Cross the D617 and pass a pond on your right.

(17) Follow the natural path on the left and, after 400 m, take the path on the left, along the pond. Pass the ruins of Gannes Castle, cross the D291 and follow the path opposite for about 200 m.

(18) Turn right onto a hairpin bend to reach Mont-Huchet.

(19) At a place called Mont-Huchet, turn right for 250 m, then take a small path on the left that leads to the D243. Turn left onto the N12, where the speed limit is 70 km/h at this point, but... be careful before crossing .

(20) Cross and take the D243 towards La Ventrouze. After 500 m, turn right and follow the small road that leads to the manor house and then to Sainte-Madeleine Church.

(21) Walk along the cemetery, then turn right at a sharp angle and go around it, passing in front of the war memorial. Then follow the path on the left (mountain bike trail) that leads to La Houssière. At the hamlet, turn right onto the D243 and you will immediately reach the D918.

(22) Cross the departmental road and follow the road opposite for 50 m. Then, take the path on the right in the bend, towards La Bertinerie/La Rousselière / 30 km/h (!!!). Tarmac for 250 m, then grass. Continue straight ahead on a path that is not suitable for vehicles after La Bertinerie, which enters the national forest at a large stone painted red. After about 300 m, the path bends slightly to the right. Walk for another 250 m or so.

(23) Please note: you are now leaving the mountain bike trail. Take a path downhill to the left, which crosses a beautiful grassy lane a little further on. Continue along the path opposite to reach, after 400 m, the small Route Forestière de Sainte-Anne, which is tarmac and closed to traffic. Turn left.

(24) Continue right along a path between plots 187 and 189. This leads to a stone path, which you follow to the left for a few dozen metres.

(25) At the tarmac road, turn right at the hairpin bend and then take the second path down to the left, which is tarmac at the start and then grass (view of Tourouvre). Cross the road and take the small tarmac path opposite.

(26) At the crossroads, take the street on the right into the hamlet and at the stop sign, turn left onto the D243 towards Tourouvre. Follow the pavement on the left and then the footpath.

(27) When you reach the village of Tourouvre, go to the main street and turn right towards the church. You have arrived (E).

Before setting off on your hike, print or download a recent version of the route. In case of changes, always follow the route on the ground.
There are shops in La Ferté-Vidame and Tourouvre, but the route is through forests and countryside, so you will need to bring food with you for the hike.

Don't forget to visit the beautiful little town of La Ferté-Vidame, stronghold of the Duke of Saint-Simon. In 1190, the place was called "La Ferté au Perche".

La Chapelle de Réveillon: charming in its green setting, it is well worth a visit. It contains superb murals, but is only open on certain dates. Not to be missed. Come back if necessary.

Marchainville: as its name suggests, this locality was a march of the Perche in medieval times.

The Roman road: we take it between Marchainville and L'Hôme-Chamondot. It is a route linking Sens and Chartres to Jublains and Rennes.

The Moulin de Brotz: this was part of the outbuildings of the neighbouring Château de Brotz. Today it has been converted into the Brasserie du Perche, a very nice place to quench your thirst. The parish of Brotz was attached to the commune of L'Hôme-Chamondot in 1812.

The Château de Gannes: a few sections of wall remain on the edge of a pond in the sombre surroundings of this medieval castle, which was destroyed by Thomas Montague, Earl of Salisbury, in 1428, when the English razed all military structures before the siege of Orléans.

The Manoir de la Ventrouze was a stronghold on the northern edge of the Perche region, on the border between Normandy and Thimerais. This castle was part of the Mortagne castellany, for which it served as an advanced stronghold. It was used as a summer residence by the Rotrou family in the 12th century.

Tourouvre: worth mentioning is the Church of Saint-Aubin, originally Romanesque, remodelled in the 16th century. Also visit the Muséales, both a museum of Perche emigration to Canada in the 17th century and a grocery museum.