The Minière ponds

de fr

A stroll around the picturesque ponds of the Bièvre springs. Beautiful landscapes full of relief on the ponds, mallards, moorhens, gulls, etc. Silence, perhaps a stag with beautiful antlers and does. The Minière ponds consist of several bodies of water: the Moulin à Renard Pond, the Minière Pond and the Val d'Or Pond. These ponds, nestled in the forest of Versailles, cover a total area of 25 hectares at an average altitude of 110 metres and a maximum depth of 15 metres. The source of the Bièvre is located upstream from the ponds, in the nearby hamlet of Bouviers. After a 32.8-kilometre journey, the Bièvre flows into the Seine in Paris.

Details

n°90352260
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.00 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 135 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 135 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 541 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 404 ft
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Description of the walk

Park at the end of Rue Francisco Ferrer in the Bois Robert car park.

(S/E) Begin your walk by continuing straight ahead along this street, then quickly turn left to cross Route Nationale 12 and reach the banks of the Ru du Bois Robert. Continue to the left to follow the river. Walk until you reach a crossroads.

(1) Turn right and follow the path that runs alongside the Étang du Moulin au Renard to its western tip.

(2) Turn left to continue along the path that runs alongside the pond via the Route de la Font Blanche.

(3) Take the shortcut on the right to cut across a bend, rejoin the path on the right and continue straight ahead on Route des Sources de la Bièvre until you reach the crossroads at the start of the Étang du Val d'Or.

(4) Turn right, staying on Route des Sources de la Bièvre, then, about 60 metres further on, leave it on the left to follow the path that runs closest to the pond. Go past the roundabout on your right and join Route de la Fontaine Blanche.

(5) Without turning onto it, take the path on the left that runs parallel to the pond.

(6) Take the stairs on the right to return to Route de la Fontaine Blanche and follow it to the left.

(7) Keep left to stay on this road and return to the starting point.

(1) Retrace your steps to return to the car park on Rue Francisco Ferrer (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 538 ft - Bois Robert car park - Bièvre (affluent de la Seine)
  2. 1 : mi 0.82 - alt. 433 ft - Crossroads of the circular loop - Etang du Moulin au renard
  3. 2 : mi 1.72 - alt. 433 ft - Pointe de l'Etang du Moulin au Renard - Fontaine des Gobelins
  4. 3 : mi 2.36 - alt. 436 ft - Shortcut on the right
  5. 4 : mi 2.83 - alt. 413 ft - Étang du Val d'Or
  6. 5 : mi 3.25 - alt. 413 ft - Route de la Fontaine Blanche
  7. 6 : mi 3.55 - alt. 413 ft - Stairs
  8. 7 : mi 3.81 - alt. 433 ft - Continue to the left
  9. S/E : mi 5 - alt. 538 ft - Arrival at the Bois Robert car park - Bièvre (affluent de la Seine)

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 1 review
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
MARCOML
MARCOML

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely alternative is to do a return trip to the source of the Bievre, which doesn’t add much to the distance.
I usually track the walk using the
from Visorando, which gives you the distance and time.
A very pretty walk through the forest and around the ponds, not very busy during the week.

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