The Green Valley of Cormelles starting from Ifs-Bourg

Parking is available in the car park on Place de La Poste in Ifs-Bourg.

(S/E) Opposite the post office, turn right towards Place Claude Debussy, cross the street, leave the market hall on your right, walk along the left side of the building and turn right into Rue Camille Saint-Saëns. After about 30 metres, cross Rue Camille Saint-Saëns and turn left into Allée Francis Poulenc, then follow the path winding between the housing estates and passing through several cul-de-sacs (Impasse Paul Fort, Impasse Léo Delibes and Impasse François Couperin) until you reach Rue de Savoie. Cross Rue de Savoie and turn left to reach number 23 on the street.

(1) Turn right at the corner of 23 Rue de Savoie, take the alleyway that leads to Rue de l'Île-de-France and continue to Rue de Bretagne. Cross Rue de Bretagne, turn right, negotiate the left-hand bend and continue along Rue de Provence until you reach the crossroads. Cross Boulevard d'Alsace-Lorraine, then Allée Gutenberg, and continue to the entrance to the Ifs forest. Turn right, cross Rue de Provence using the pedestrian crossing that cuts across the central reservation, and continue along the path through the Ifs forest until you reach Chemin du Val.

(2) Turn left onto Chemin du Val, stay on the left-hand pavement, cross the southern ring road of Caen, go around the roundabout on the left and continue to Boulevard du Stade (traffic lights). Cross Boulevard du Stade, continue along Chemin du Val, staying on the left-hand pavement, cross Chemin Napoléon, then turn left and cross the street to follow Chemin du Val on the right-hand pavement.

(3) Walk up this second part of Chemin du Val for about 400 metres until you reach the traffic lights at the top. Ignore Rue de Fleury on your left, continue to the traffic lights at Rue de Falaise, cross Rue de Falaise, take Rue de la Libération opposite and, after about 20 metres, turn right into Allée Royale. At the end of the lane, follow the path winding between the housing estates, crossing Rue du Val between numbers 23 and 21 and leading into the Coin de Terre valley.

(4) Turn left and follow the lane for about 350 metres, winding between the houses on your left and the allotments on your right, until you reach the boules court. Go around it on the left, turn right into Rue du Clos du Monastère and then right again onto Place du Champ de Foire. Cross Place du Champ de Foire, continue straight ahead and follow the Vallée des Écoles path for about 250 metres until you reach the roundabout on Rue des Écoles. Cross the roundabout, continue straight ahead, cross Allée de la Grange and follow Allée de la Vallée des Verts Prés for about 400 metres until you reach Rue des Coudriers.

(5) Cross Rue des Coudriers and continue along Allée de la Vallée du Côti, winding between the houses on your left and the ditch on your right, until you reach Boulevard de l'Avenir. Cross Boulevard de l'Avenir, continue straight ahead, winding between the houses on your left and the Calix basin on your right. Go around the basin and return to Boulevard de l'Avenir. Cross Boulevard de l'Avenir, ignore Rue des Métiers at the entrance to the industrial estate on the left and turn right for a few metres to go around the industrial buildings.

(6) Take the small path on the left, turn left at the corner of the industrial buildings and follow the path, overlooking the Côtis valley on your right and bordering the industrial estate on your left, until you reach Rue des Coudriers. Cross Rue des Coudriers and keep left at the top of the embankment bordering the Verts Prés valley on your right and following the hedge and houses on your left, until you reach a passage on the left between the last two houses. Turn left, continue along Rue des Cormiers and reach Rue des Marches.

(7) Turn right onto Rue des Marches and follow it until you reach Rue des Écoles. Turn right onto Rue des Écoles, walk about 50 metres to the pedestrian crossing and cross to the left towards the town hall. Walk along the car park, pass to the left of the town hall and reach Rue de l'Église. Cross Rue de l'Église and turn left. Note that a few dozen metres further on, at the end of the first cul-de-sac on the right, is Saint-Martin Church, which you can visit if you wish. Turn right into the second cul-de-sac, Impasse du Pavillon, turn left at the end, pass under a porch and follow the path that leads to the municipal police station, then turn right to reach the Orée du Bois gymnasium and Rue du Clos du Pavillon.

(8) Walk along the left-hand side of the Orée du Bois gymnasium, then continue straight ahead towards the Bois de Cormelles. Cross the Bois de Cormelles, pass near the playground and reach Chemin de Jort. Optionally, you can make a detour of about 200 metres to the left to visit the new Bois landscaped cemetery, or turn right and walk about 50 metres until you reach Boulevard de la Combe Martin. Cross the boulevard, take the path between the houses, and at the next intersection, continue along Vallée du Coin de Terre between the allotments (on the right) and the industrial estate (on the left) until you reach Route de Falaise.

(9) Cross Route de Falaise and take Rue Fernand Léger on the left-hand pavement.

(3) Continue left along Chemin du Val until you reach Rue du Stade (traffic lights). Cross Rue du Stade, continue along Chemin du Val, staying on the left-hand pavement, go around the roundabout on the left, then cross the southern ring road of Caen, continue to the Ilfracombe roundabout, go around the roundabout on the left and cross Avenue Jean Monnet.

(10) Follow Rue du Bout Guesdon on the left-hand pavement until you reach the traffic lights near the church. Cross Rue du Bout Guesdon, then turn right onto Rue de la République and continue to the next intersection. Cross Rue de Provence and take the passageway that crosses Rue Érik Satie and leads to Place Claude Debussy. Cross Place Claude Debussy, pass under the market hall and cross the street to reach Place de La Poste and the car park. (S/E)

La Vallée Verte
Cormelles-le-Royal has two green areas: a landscaped valley, which crosses the commune from the municipal boundaries of Mondeville to Ifs, and another area consisting of woods, a stadium and a landscaped cemetery. Pedestrian paths away from traffic connect all these places. It is an ancient glacial valley that runs through Cormelles-le-Royal. It is also known as the "dry valley" because no watercourse flows through it. In the 1970s, the State planned to build a slip road for the future Caen ring road, cutting the town in two. It had to abandon the plan in the face of fierce opposition from the municipality, which then bought the land to turn it into a 15-hectare green space named, from east to west, the Côti, Verts Prés, Écoles and Coin de Terre valleys. On the edge of the "valley", more than 200 allotments have been made available to residents.

Saint-Martin Church in Cormelles-le-Royal
It was built in limestone during the^16th and^17th centuries on the site of a chapel. It is not of particular architectural interest. Its tower was rebuilt in 1776 after an earthquake. Damaged in 1944, the church regained its stained glass windows in 1958. The wrought iron grille in the choir is the work of a local resident who also donated the wooden Stations of the Cross.

Cormelles-le-Royal Town Hall
It moved into the former presbytery in 1970. This building was constructed in Caen stone in 1738 by Abbé Manchon de Gournay. The interior stone staircase features a superb^18th-century wrought iron banister.

Saint-André Church in Ifs
It belonged to Saint-Étienne Abbey in Caen, which received confirmation of this in 1170. The choir was first built in the^12th century, but was rebuilt in Romanesque style in 1878 and extensively restored after 1944. The high altar, the pulpit, part of the magnificent bell tower and the entrance porch are listed as Historic Monuments.

Saint-Bernard Farm
It dates from^{the 17th} and^18th centuries. Part of the buildings of this large farm on the Caen plain was destroyed during the Second World War. After extensive restoration, it became the Town Hall of Ifs in 1979.