The Buzerie ponds via La Grange au Rouge

At the end of Rue Neuve, you can park near the level crossing to start the walk.

(S/E) The path, which is slightly sunken, climbs gently towards the hamlet of La Grange au Rouge. Ignore the side paths.

(1) Carry on straight ahead and pass through the hamlet of La Grange Rouge (ignore the^GR®41, which crosses at right angles). The path levels out; walk through the hamlet of La Grange au Rouge. There are a few pretty Sologne-style farmhouses to admire before you reach the woods again. At the junction (marker 121), carry on straight ahead until you reach a T-junction.

(2) Turn left. Carefully cross the tarmac road known as the Grandes Vallées and walk alongside the first pond (unnamed) on your right. You’ll reach a crossroads.

(3) Turn right towards the nearby Buzerie ponds. At the crossroads, walk about fifty metres to the left (note the first fenced-off pond on the right, which is therefore inaccessible).

(4) Walk round the second pond in either direction (a good spot for a break or a picnic; please take your rubbish with you).

(4) Return to the main path heading south-east and, after about 50 metres, turn right.

(3) Turn left. Cross the Route des Grandes Vallées again with care. You’ll reach the T-junction from the outward journey.

(2) Carry on straight ahead. Cut across a side track. Join the^GR® 41.

(5) Follow the^GR® straight on (south-east). At the next junction, continue in the same direction and enter the hamlet of Les Tréchis via the Chemin du Coteau.

(6) Take the^first right (leave the^GR®). Immediately afterwards, at a right-hand bend, leave the road and take a path on the left. Stay on the main path, which heads west, and ignore any turn-offs to the right. The path gradually approaches the railway line and returns to the starting point (S/E).

Good walking shoes (depending on the season, there may be some damp ruts), water, a tasty snack to make the walk last longer, a map or a GPS (as there are numerous paths and some of them lead nowhere).
Alternative route: you can easily avoid the hamlet of La Grange au Rouge by following this alternative route. At the junction with the^GR®, simply turn right and then join the path on the left which will take you back to point (3).

In the immediate vicinity, the Canal de Berry offers its banks to walkers wishing to extend their walk. The section to the west, between the Route de Saint-Julien and the village of Gièvres, is well worth exploring.
In the village of Villefranche, there is a lovely little 12th-century church.