The wings of Louroux

Start: Étang du Louroux
Parking: Pond car park
Markings: Red

(S/E) With your back to the village, take the path at the end of the pond car park on the left. Follow the pond until you reach the intersection with the road.

(1) Turn right there. At the crossroads, turn right onto the road, then immediately left onto the path through the fields to reach a fork at elevation 107.

(2) Take the path on the right and follow it along the woods. At the intersection in the hamlet, turn left onto the road towards the hamlet.

(3) Drive through the hamlet and, after the last houses, take the path on the right into the fields. At the end, continue on the path on the left to descend towards the houses.

(4) Continue along the road and turn into the first path on the right. You will come to a crossroads.

(5) When you reach a row of trees, the path veers to the left. Follow it. It winds along the fields until it comes out onto a road.

(6) Turn right and continue straight ahead. At the end, the road continues along a path on the right alongside the woods. Follow this path until you reach a road.

(7) Turn right until you reach the RD128.

(8) Turn left, then right onto the road towards Hérault Meunier. Take the path on the left before entering the farm. Follow it when it branches off to the right towards Les Guérins.

(9) When you reach the road, turn left, then take the first road on the right, along the woods.

(10) You will be driving alongside the airfield runways. Stay on this road without turning onto the road leading to the hangars. At the crossroads, continue on the road opposite. You will come to a fork near a wood.

(11) Turn right and, after a few metres, follow the road to the right. Before the second wood, turn left to follow it, then enter the wood. Continue straight ahead through this small forest until you come to a road.

(12) Turn left onto the road. Continue along this road and cross the hamlet of Basse-Cour.

(13) After the last houses, continue on the path to the right. Go straight ahead across the fields to return to the village of Louroux via Rue Soufret.

(14) The path continues along a road. At the end of this road, turn left, then right onto Chemin de l'Étang. Continue straight ahead along the dyke of the pond and return to the car park (S/E).

Car park, picnic area, public toilets, shops, restaurant, café/bar, Maison de Pays tourist office

For more information about POIs (panoramic views, monuments, heritage sites, etc.), please refer to the descriptions of the photos on the route.

The Louroux Pond
This vast 55-hectare lake was dug in the^11th century by monks from the nearby priory to serve as a fish reserve. Fish was an essential foodstuff in the Middle Ages, as it replaced meat, which was forbidden on fast days. Even today, the pond is emptied every three years to clean it and remove the fish, which are sold during a big festival.

The Priory of Louroux
Founded in^{the 11th} century, the Priory of Louroux was dependent on the Benedictine Abbey of Marmoutier located near Tours. The enclosure containing the^15th-century barn, the^16th-century prior's residence, the Church of Saint-Sulpice, dating in part from^{the 13th} century, and the classic barn added in^{the 18th} century are still clearly visible.

For longer walks
A 1.25 km interpretive trail through the village streets will help you discover the history of the area. Two other marked walking trails are available: the Étang trail (blue markings) and the Prieuré ponds trail (yellow markings).