The still waters of Marcilly-en-Gault

From one pond to another, around Marcilly-en-Gault, the walk can be enjoyed by the whole family in all seasons. It allows you to savour the charm of still waters where nature abounds.

Details

1153899
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.91 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 20 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 20 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 118 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 98 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at the village square near the church.

(S/E) From the church square, join the D121 (take care) heading north towards Neung-sur-Beuvron. Take the lane on the right just after the cemetery. Walk along the communal pond.

(1) At the fork, continue straight ahead on the lane, ignoring the lane that turns right. Ignore the various turnings.

(2) Leave the lane and take a grassy path on the left just before the Pointiloup Pond. Turn right when you reach the tarmac road near Château Boisquillon. This lane leads to the Gravelle and Bièvre ponds.

(3) Ignore the signposted lane on the right, marked "les Bichetières", and walk along the Étang de Briou.

(4) When you reach the drain of the Étang du Briou, turn around.

(3) At the fork, keep left on the signposted path, "les Bichetières".

(5) At the junction, leave the lane and take the path on the right that runs alongside the Étang de Fontenazain lake in a southerly direction. Pass the Ferme Neuve farm and continue straight ahead on the beautiful stabilised lane. You will come to the fork you encountered on the way there, just after the Étang de Pointiloup lake.

(2) Continue straight ahead on the lane.

(1) At the fork, turn left to go around the communal pond. Leave the lane when it turns left, keeping to the right on the path to the water treatment plant.

(6) Turn left at the intersection to join the D49 on the right, then the village square (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 118 m - Departure from the church square
  2. 1 : km 0.89 - alt. 107 m - Crossroads of the small loop
  3. 2 : km 1.6 - alt. 101 m - Fork in the road
  4. 3 : km 3.57 - alt. 100 m - Crossroads of the large loop
  5. 4 : km 3.91 - alt. 100 m - Turn around
  6. 5 : km 5.02 - alt. 100 m - Path on the right
  7. 6 : km 7.24 - alt. 109 m - Turn left to join the D49
  8. S/E : km 7.91 - alt. 118 m - Return to the church square

Notes

Initially, the hike went around the Briou pond via the Chemin de la Fringale, which turned out to be private property. The route was modified on 04/05/2019.

Worth a visit

The village of Marcilly-en-Gault is worth a visit with its 12th-century church and well-restored traditional houses. The half-timbered house "la Foussydoire" is worth a look.

The ponds are home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. For bird watching, it is best to come early in the morning.

(4) The drain on the Briou Pond offers a superb view at sunset.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 19 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Zarys
Zarys

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A nice, relaxing moment.

Machine-translated

Jean-Louis Pinault
Jean-Louis Pinault

Many thanks for your encouragement,
Jean-Louis

Machine-translated

TiffGrt
TiffGrt

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We were looking for a quiet route for a cold afternoon, with several points of interest... Well, this little hike was perfect! It's not complicated, very beautiful and not very busy. What's more, I don't think I've ever seen so many wild birds in one place... I highly recommend it!

Here in winter, the trees block the wind. I think in summer they must provide enough shade from the sun! I can't wait to do this walk again in another season 😁

Machine-translated

Annie Blanc
Annie Blanc

We started this hike at the communal pond (known as "Trésor"): you can park there and have a picnic, for example on your return from the hike (which is what we will be doing with our hiking group in early October!).
It's a charming, peaceful spot... and the trail passes by several ponds!

Machine-translated

Antier
Antier

A very pleasant hike in the Sologne forest. Ponds, water birds, nutria, beautiful reed beds.
We had a lovely afternoon.
Thank you for this lovely walk.

Machine-translated

Jean-Louis Pinault
Jean-Louis Pinault

Thank you for taking the time to share your generous comments with us
Have a great day,
Jean-Louis

Machine-translated

BACHATA94
BACHATA94

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 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 hike with my gentle hiking group. We enjoyed beautiful landscapes with mist rising over the ponds and countryside, huge spider webs covered in dewdrops... herons, swans, in short... a delight for everyone. We also collected huge chestnuts, picked a few mushrooms... the hike lasted much longer than expected, but it was very enjoyable.
I noted that the route was "busy" because we came across several cars and vans along the way, whereas when I scouted it out, I was alone in the world!
Thank you for this beautiful route.

Machine-translated

Richardjlo1
Richardjlo1

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We have already done this hike and would enjoy doing it again, despite the absence of birds on the ponds at this time of year. The distance and duration suit us

Machine-translated

bonpapa88
bonpapa88

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant, shaded walk, taken in very hot weather.
Thanks to its creator

Machine-translated

Jean-Louis Pinault
Jean-Louis Pinault

Hello,
Thank you for sharing your memories with us!
Fortunately, the invention of GPS has replaced the brown trail markers, which have practically disappeared, and has rekindled the desire to hike in Sologne.
Have a nice day,
Jean-Louis

Machine-translated

kl36
kl36

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

The unchanging Sologne of my childhood!
I rediscovered the forest, the ponds, the atmosphere, and the smells of my memories on this little road between Marcilly-en-Gautlt and La Ferté-Beauharnais that we used to take on our family walks.
The only change is that the "brown" signposts seem to have disappeared and been replaced in places by "CR" (Chemin rural) signs, but without the "destination/distance" details that I remember being on the "brown" signs
Thank you for this route.

Machine-translated

Santoni
Santoni

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We didn't know La Sologne. Thank you for this hike, which gave us a glimpse of the region with its magnificent landscapes and flora and fauna that were unusual for us. We even saw a young deer. It was very relaxing with the ponds and no elevation gain (we live in the Var).

Machine-translated

20180907
20180907

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk!
Thank you for the information provided!

Machine-translated

Jean-Louis Pinault
Jean-Louis Pinault

Thank you again. Visorando is indeed helping to revive hiking in Sologne by replacing the obsolete "brown" trail markers.
Have a nice day,
Jean-Louis Pinault

Machine-translated

mdajl
mdajl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route, which we travelled off-season and during the week, is certainly very busy at weekends and in summer. Discovering the different lakes is magical and allows you to see many birds and hear the frogs singing. It is a shame that you cannot go around Lake Briou, but the change made does not detract from the beauty of the route.
Many thanks to Jean-Louis Pinault for enabling us to discover this beautiful region of Sologne (we had always put it off because, without a map, we were hesitant to set off on an adventure due to all the private properties we might inadvertently trespass on).

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.