The Sauldre Canal from Brinon-sur-Sauldre

Park in the car park near the church in Brinon-sur-Sauldre.

(S/E) With your back to the church porch, turn right onto the Route de Chaon and pass the water tower

(1) At the fork in the road, keep right of the cross towards ‘La Bergerie’. This quiet little road leads to the Sauldre Canal shortly after the hamlet of ‘La Bergerie’.

(2) Take the towpath, turning left before the bridge. Pass the six locks at Vieux Perroi, Les Buissons, Les Gimonets, Les Bois, Les Colins and Le Coudray.

(3) The towpath crosses the D24E (take care). Another 1.5 km before you come to a forest track on your left, in a circular route. Please note, this track may be partially hidden by vegetation at certain times of the year.

(4) Take the forest track that runs alongside various ponds. Cross a ditch, cross the D923 (take care) and continue straight ahead on the CR71. A sign indicates ‘Brinon-sur-Sauldre^GR®® de Sologne 9 km’. Ignore the various secondary, private turnings until you come to a cross-path, the CR18.

(5) Turn left onto this CR, which becomes a very wide lane with a ditch running down the centre. Follow it until you reach the D24E (take care), where you turn left and then immediately right towards ‘les Alicourts’.

(6) Turn left onto the CR58 just after the entrance to the Bellevue estate, then continue along the hard-surfaced lane, ignoring the side turnings. You will arrive at the Étang du Logis.

(7) Cross the side lane leading to Les Réaux on the right to continue straight on the CR58 opposite. This runs alongside a farm before passing the Grandvau farmstead, then the first houses of Brinon, becoming the Route de Grandvaux when it turns tarmac. Keep right at the junction.

(8) Turn left at the Fork in the road onto Rue de la Jacques, which leads onto the ‘Grand Rue’ heading towards the church on the left, the starting point (S/E).

The route is well marked and presents no difficulties. It can be used in all seasons, although there may be some ruts during the rainy season.

It should be noted, however, that the banks of the Sauldre Canal are unstable and off-limits to motor vehicles. They do not, however, pose any particular danger to walkers more than a metre from the canal (follow the towpath).

Take care when leaving the Sauldre Canal to turn onto (4) the forest track, which may be partially obscured by vegetation, although it is regularly maintained. This track is on the left bank of the canal at a point where it is impossible to cross it. Take the correct bank from the start.

Make sure you bring enough food and drink with you, as the route is far from any shops once you have left Brinon.

• The Sauldre Canal evokes the history of the Sologne region with its locks and the old lock-keepers’ houses.

• Saint Barthelemy Church, typical of the Sologne region, with a ‘caquetoire’.