The tour of La Mère via the Grotte du Père de Montford

This hike is accessible to all hikers, with a few minor difficulties and one section off the trail, but no major hazards.
It starts in the village of Mervent, which overlooks the River La Mêre. A superb viewpoint at the top of the castle ruins offers a view of the meandering river and the surrounding forest.

Details

n°6716438

Creation:
21 Mar 2021

Last update:
12 Aug 2025

Last review:
11 Aug 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 12.34 km
Average duration: 4h 00
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 176 m
Descent: - 174 m
Highest point: 91 m
Lowest point: 34 m

Country: France
District: Mervent (85200)
Start/End: N 46.524604° / W 0.749074°
IGN map(s): Ref. 1427SB
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Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park outside the village after the Pont des Ouillères bridge.

(S/E) Cross the bridge and turn right onto Rue de la Vallé after the Mangoustan restaurant.
When you reach the square, take the^first right before the doctor's surgery to reach the fortifications of the old castle. Follow the path to the viewpoint.

(1) Continue along the small path, crossing a large trail. Descend into the woods to reach the right bank of the Mère.

(2) Turn left onto the path and follow it along the bank and the bend in the river. You will reach the Pierre Blanche crossroads.

(3) Turn left uphill and join a small tarmac road. Follow it to the right to return to the bank of the Mère. Continue on to reach the Pont de Diet bridge.

(4) Before the bridge, turn left onto a dirt track that continues to follow the river. You will reach the Parc de Loisirs de Pierre Brune at the junction with a tarmac road.

(5) Turn left uphill and go around the park. Be careful here: take the path on the left side of the park's private road. You will then reach the crossroads at the Grotte du Père de Montford.

(6) You can climb a little higher to reach the cave, then continue the route by crossing the Pierre Brune dam. Follow the road but continue straight ahead on the right until you reach the Diet Bridge.

(4) Do not cross the bridge, but stay on the left bank of the Mère. Here you will find the^GR®364marked in red and white. Leave it to access the small climbing site of Pierre Blanche.

(7) See Info §During the hike to avoid this tricky passage.
Be careful here: take a steep passage between the rocks, as this part is a little more difficult. Then reach the top of the climbing site and continue on to join the^GR®364.
Continue on the^GR®, then follow the right bank of the Ruisseau des Verreries, which flows into the Mère. Continue until you reach a bridge over this stream.

(8) Leave the^GR®364by crossing the bridge and immediately turn right onto the left bank of the stream. Be careful, there are a few small rocks to climb over several times. Return to the left bank of the Mère at the confluence.

(9) Follow it to the left to easily reach the Pont des Ouillères car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 39 m - Parking at the Pont des Ouillères bridge. Bridge over the - Mère (rivière)
1 : km 0.97 - alt. 86 m - Magnificent view of the Mère and - Vendée (rivière)
2 : km 1.77 - alt. 36 m - La Mère
3 : km 2.65 - alt. 38 m - Pierre Blanche
4 : km 3.66 - alt. 42 m - Diet Bridge. Turn left before the - Mère (rivière)
5 : km 4.67 - alt. 37 m - Pierre Brune
6 : km 5.24 - alt. 49 m - Crossroads - La grotte du Père de Montfort
7 : km 7.92 - alt. 42 m - Pierre Blanche climbing site
8 : km 9.83 - alt. 38 m - Pont Ruisseau des Verreries
9 : km 10.76 - alt. 38 m - Confluence
S/E : km 12.34 - alt. 38 m - Ouillères bridge car park

Notes

Good walking shoes are required as some areas can be muddy and slippery depending on the season.

Worth a visit

(1) Magnificent view of the river
(5) Short visit to the Grotte du Père de Montford
(7) For those who enjoy climbing, there are a few routes to try at the Pierre Blanche site.
(7) Alternative route: you can skip this section by staying on the GR® trail^.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5

Based on 15 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5

Route interest
4.9 / 5

Ceameline85

11 Aug 2025 at 15:16 7200

Hello, I made it at the beginning of July without any problems with the pattern

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godichaud

11 Aug 2025 at 11:42 7200

Unwalkable hike! Impossible to find the start point on the ground. The route is certainly very old, as the path from Mervent no longer exists. I have enough experience to decide not to subscribe

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Ceameline85

14 Jul 2025 at 09:15 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The hike is very pleasant, running mostly along the river. Some sections are a bit rocky, but it is still passable, preferably in dry weather. The section on the road after Pierre Brune Park is less attractive, but the rest is very pretty.

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kgyorffy

17 Nov 2024 at 10:45 3600

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk.
The housing estate took me a bit by surprise. The barrier was down and as I didn't have a plan B, I crossed the housing estate under construction. It was a Sunday and there was no one around. This allowed me to get back on the path, which is just superb.
The scenery along the entire length of the river is truly magnificent.
The downside is the tarmac section after the dam. It doesn't last long, but you go from an idyllic setting to a large car park followed by the road. Next time, I'll try to extend the hike a little to avoid this section.
In any case, this area is one of my favourites. Thank you for this discovery

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eric2706

26 Aug 2024 at 09:47 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike, a few technical sections but nothing insurmountable. This route is very pleasant in hot weather.

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EBRO79

19 Aug 2024 at 17:36 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with a few technical sections and climbs that are quite challenging for people in their sixties 😉.
Be careful just after the castle and the multipurpose hall (village hall) when you arrive on the trail, as a housing development is being built and disrupts the route. Go to the far end of the development, keeping to the right, and take the path on the right just at the end of the gravel embankment!
Only the section near the entrance to the Pierres Brunes leisure park is uninteresting (very busy tarmac road).
We were unable to visit the cave because the path leading up to it is closed and off-limits for safety reasons (a large tree is about to fall and is balanced precariously on top of another tree).
We recommend it for a complete change of scenery.
Worth doing again and again 👍

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SofieTigrou

13 May 2024 at 12:37 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

At the start of the route, construction work on the future housing development has caused the hiking trail to disappear
A very peaceful and pleasant route

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LucieCze

11 Mar 2024 at 08:56 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route, sometimes challenging, many trees have fallen at this time of year, so you have to climb over them, but it's nothing too difficult.
Very muddy at this time of year, but with good footwear, no difficulty!

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GILMIC79

17 Jul 2023 at 12:24 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful route, quite exceptional for the region.
I didn't understand the description of the alternative route where it says "(4) Do not cross the bridge but STAY on the left bank of La Mère" when this is an alternative to the normal route where you don't cross the bridge anyway! Furthermore, in both cases, you stay on the same side of La Mère, which is not the left bank as indicated but the right (it clearly states for the start "(1) ... Go down into the woods to reach the RIGHT bank of La Mère")

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chipie33290

12 May 2022 at 12:58 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

i combined this route with the one that goes through the Château de la Citardière, making it 14 km long
a very beautiful route through the forest and along the Mère river. Thank you for the trail

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Tonton flingueur

02 May 2022 at 12:17 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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philouis

23 Aug 2021 at 09:36 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route along the banks of this river, best enjoyed in summer in the shade of the trees of the Mervent forest. Very little tarmac, a slightly tricky start in Mervent and a few difficulties among the rocks. We took the detour at the climbing site, which was easier.

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judami1

14 Jun 2021 at 11:55 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, shaded walk along the banks of the River La Mère on a warm, sunny Sunday, with few people except at the start and end of the route.
We were disappointed to come across the leisure park, which somewhat detracts from the charm of this place, as well as the section along the road between the dam and the left bank of the river.
The approach to the Pierre Blanche stopover site is more technical and very interesting.
And what a reward when we reached the summit, the view was magnificent.

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paulineprtgt

09 Jun 2021 at 21:11 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful trail!
Can be combined with the "Vouvant, medieval town, labelled 'most beautiful village in France'" hike
This allows you to make a beautiful circular loop of 22 km connecting the two villages!
It's ideal for stopping for lunch at a restaurant halfway along the route =)
Be careful, though: bring a GPS or an app like Maps to help you navigate the intersections.
And don't forget your tick remover!

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T.Tessier

31 May 2021 at 11:03 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb walk, challenging but exotic route

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