The Bourges Marsh

This route allows you to discover the marsh, which has been shaped since 1640, when the city of Bourges sold part of its communal land to turn it into usable gardens.
The marsh workers surrounded these marshes with outer ditches, dug inner ditches and established service roads.
You will discover this work and these gardeners through a superb family walk.

Details

543603
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.64 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 3 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 3 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 129 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 125 m

Photos

Description of the walk

You can park on the northern part of Avenue Marx Dormoy, near Rue de Babylone. Do not drive into Rue de Babylone as it is a narrow cul-de-sac.

(S/E) Start on Rue de Babylone (signposted with an arrow pointing to a restaurant). Pass the restaurant, then the sign showing the different routes, and the road becomes Chemin des Ribauts. Continue to Place des Chenus, located just after the bridge.

(1) Turn onto the path on the right and walk along the river on your left. At the sign indicating the dead end, turn left onto the bridge over the Voiselle.

(2) When you reach the tarmac road, turn left and follow it to the end. You will find the Voiselle river on your left and the road becomes a very pleasant path (not shown in its entirety on IGN or OSM maps but it does exist).

(3) At the T-junction, turn left, then take the first path on the left and the next one on the right. You will come out onto the Chaussée de Chappe; follow the pavement on the left. Cross the two branches of the Yévrette and continue until you find the Chemin de Caraqui on your left.

(4) Take this road. The Yèvre river will be on your right.

(5) At this crossroads, continue towards the Digue de l'Yèvre (signposted). Continue to this dyke, which consists of a bridge spanning the waterfalls created to feed the secondary canals. You will come to the Quai des Maraîchers. Turn right and then left, which will take you to Avenue Marx Dormoy (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 128 m - Avenue Marx Dormoy
  2. 1 : km 0.74 - alt. 126 m - Instead, turn right. Walk along the - Voiselle (rivière) - Affluent de l'Yèvre
  3. 2 : km 1.23 - alt. 127 m - When leaving the car park, turn left.
  4. 3 : km 2.33 - alt. 128 m - Leave the path and turn left.
  5. 4 : km 2.79 - alt. 129 m - Head towards Le Caraqui. - Yèvre (rivière) - Affluent du Cher
  6. 5 : km 3.44 - alt. 128 m - At the car park, turn right.
  7. S/E : km 4.64 - alt. 128 m - Avenue Marx Dormoy

Notes

There are several signs, but please ignore them. The paths are relatively well maintained.
Please note, however, that several small paths on the right and left are private, and entry into the gardens is prohibited. Please respect these instructions, which are displayed regularly.
The area is very peaceful, and it is interesting to chat with the gardeners, fishermen and other users of the marsh.
There are several small car parks within the marsh, but the number of spaces is very limited.
If you do not wish to park on Avenue Marx Dormoy, you can choose to park at (4) on Chaussée de Chappe. In this case, you will need to cross this busy road to start your walk at (4).

Worth a visit

We highly recommend visiting Bourges Cathedral. This monument is imposing, and its stained glass windows are rich in colour and meaning.
Of course, the palace of Jacques Cœur, treasurer to King Charles VII, is also worth seeing.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 34 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
marmotte33
marmotte33
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I walked the trail on a Monday in mid-December, when the weather was mild, and I hardly saw anyone. The start of the trail was very pleasant. But after point 2, the path widened and became paved, with no direct view of the canals, which made it a little less charming (though not unpleasant either). As I approached point 3, the path became a trail along the water's edge again. Unfortunately for me, the edges of the path were damaged and the water had overflowed. It was impossible to pass without taking off my shoes or wearing boots. I turned back and took a long detour via the "chemin des communes" (along the Yvrette). Then, having rejoined the route, I was disappointed to find myself walking along a busy road to point 4. Beyond that, it becomes pleasant again. I wonder if it wouldn't have been better to do the route in the opposite direction to get the best at the end. A very pleasant walk if you ignore the section between points 3 and 4 along the road.

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lamycatherine 75@gmail.com
lamycatherine 75@gmail.com

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice route, very easy as there are no hills. The countryside on the outskirts of Bourges.

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anatolem
anatolem

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

I did this hike starting at point 4, coming from La Charité-sur-Loire, which was more convenient for me. I took a little detour via Rue de la Fontaine de Fer (1). The walk is pleasant, although there could be a few more benches along the way to enjoy the sounds of nature (birds, frogs, etc.)
We chatted with some friendly landowners. We did this walk in 2019 and the marsh was suffering from drought at the time.

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jemarche72
jemarche72

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

What a surprise to discover these marshes and their layout at the foot of the cathedral!

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Cat11
Cat11

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A little too manicured, but still a nice walk

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Cat11
Cat11

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Not many people were there that day, but it was a different story a few days later.
Easy to do, even with children

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ANNGVG
ANNGVG

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We adapted this route to suit where we were staying in Bourges. A very pleasant route, a haven of nature within the city. (We avoided the main road, which was great).

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POULIN Gérard
POULIN Gérard ★

Hello christaub1,
The street in question – Avenue Marx Dormoy – is 110 metres long. It has a wide pavement lined with trees. Along this route, you will find urban life at the start, followed by tranquillity.

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christaub1
christaub1

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant little walk at the beginning.
We would have liked it to be indicated that for 350 metres you are walking along
a national road...you leave the calm and bucolic marshes
to arrive on this road

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murielle. trézioux
murielle. trézioux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

a relaxing and pleasant stroll through the gardens. Plants, birds, beautiful gardens to discover

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Jeremy27
Jeremy27

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant walk through the Bourges marshes. Apart from a short section along the road, the rest of the route follows small paths through the marshes.

No particular difficulties. The ground wasn't muddy when I did it (despite the rain earlier in the week). A must-do if you're in Bourges!

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fprach
fprach

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk through the marshes of Bourges, in the heart of the city but surrounded by nature, among cultivated fields and canals.
We started at point 4, where you can park along the road.
The path is sometimes cut off by water between points 1 and 2 when the Voiselle river floods, and the path can be a little muddy in wet weather.

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GUILLIN
GUILLIN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A complete change of scenery, best done when it's not raining as the route can get muddy in wet weather. This marsh is very pretty, completely unusual and surprising.
This walk was magnificent, among the small gardens and canals.

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gerchauve
gerchauve

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

nice walk, easy parking, can be combined with a visit to the town
the least interesting part is along the road
the garden landscaping is sometimes surprising; take a close look to appreciate its diversity

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kartavan
kartavan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful walk in a place I never imagined was so close to a city.
easy access and parking.

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