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Start at the Grille Royale, right next to the Musée-Promenade. Park in a small car park overlooking the roundabout where the N186 meets the D386. Access via the A13, take the “Saint-Germain-en-Laye” exit (near the roundabout, do not take the small tunnel leading to the centre of Marly-le-Roi).
No signposting
(S/E) Cross the Grille Royale and pass the Musée-Promenade on the left. At the roundabout, take the first lane on the left (statues) then turn left to pass between two stone pillars. Follow a wide, compacted track south-west, ignoring the trail branches off to the sides.
Just before a forest gate leading onto a small road, turn right to follow theGR®®1for a very short while. At the Fork in the road that appears immediately, take the path on the left (let theGR®®1head off to the right downhill; curiously, on the section that follows, theGR®® is poorly maintained and is starting to be overgrown with grass). Follow this good path, ignoring a turn-off to the right, and you will reach a roundabout at the top of a vast lawn, the Tapis Vert (a lovely view of Marly Park).
Red and white markings
(2) Then follow theGR®®1straight ahead along a small road that slopes gently downwards. After about 150m, turn left onto a path that leads into the undergrowth (large stump with markings). Ignore two path branches on the left. At the top of a small hill, with a small road on your left, turn right into a sparse woodland (stone structure on the left). At the T-junction that follows, turn right onto a wide path and follow it for a few metres.
No markings
At the junction immediately after, let theGR®®1veer left into the wide path and take the narrower track that branches off just to the right of this path (north-northeast; ignore a less marked path further to the right). When you reach a sort of clearing (fence on the left), turn right and go down a steep slope (beautiful view of the park and the Route de la Grille Royale). Continue downwards east-southeast along a path and then down some steps. At the bottom of the descent, go round a circular lawn on the left and continue straight ahead to the ruins of the old castle (information board, statues).
(3) Turn left at a right angle and head across the lawns (access permitted) towards the water feature "Le Grand Miroir", descending via a series of steps and skirting a reed bed on the left. Walk alongside the water feature on your right. At the end, turn left to reach a wide path which you take on the right to reach the Terrasse de l’Abreuvoir (the two groups of statues, “Les Chevaux de Marly”, are situated on either side).
(4) After the second group of statues, take the wide, tree-lined path heading south-east. Ignore the paths branching off to the right. At a gate, leave the path which continues to climb and turn right onto a small, flat, compacted track (do not take the path further to the right which goes downhill). Go round a hillock on the right and pass in front of the remains of the guest pavilions (information panel). Cross a sort of copse and arrive at the remains of the château, on the opposite side to the one you took earlier.
(5) Turn left at a right angle (east-southeast) and walk up the large paved path leading to the Grille Royale, the starting point (S/E)
Visorando Member
Difficult 
Moderate 
