The Forts of Écouen and Domont loop trail

Start from the Fort d’Écouen car park, Ruelle du Frou.

(S/E) Head north and take a path at the far end of the car park. You will come out onto Rue Emmanuel Duverger; follow it to the left. Ignore a path on the left and you will reach the entrance to the Renaissance Museum housed in the Château d’Écouen. It is not possible to enter the château grounds.

(1) Turn into one of the two paths on the right, which join further on. Continue along a tarmac lane.

(2) Turn left into Rue Jean Bullant. Walk past the base of Saint-Acceul Church and reach Place de l’Église. Continue along Rue Paul Lorillon.

(3) Take the first left, Ruelle du Marché, and cross another street on the right. At the end, turn left.

(4) At the end of the tarmac, take a path on the right that leads into the forest. Pass two paths on the right and go straight on at the next junction. At the junction immediately ahead, turn right onto Route du Pré Curé. You’ll reach a multi-way junction. Picnic area.

(5) Turn onto the second road on the left, Route du Four à Chaux, take the^first path on the right, then ignore three junctions; at the end, turn left to join the Chemin des Bimes (GR®655) and take it to the left, then ignore the junction

(6) Turn right onto Chemin du Luat, pass three junctions and cross the railway line at the level crossing; at the Y-junction, head right.

(7) Château du Luat and the school on your right

(8) Cross a junction at the pedestrian crossings. Take the bridge over the D301, then cross a second junction. Continue along Route de la Tête Richard until you reach a roundabout.

(9) Turn right (leaving the GR®655) and carefully follow Rue de Paris to the Ru de Pontcelles

(10) At the town sign on the left, you will see the start of a path that follows the stream (the Marais de Pontcelles path). (Please note: the path was under construction in April 2026). Follow it to emerge onto Rue de Blémur. Turn left and follow this street straight on, ignoring the junction on the left, pass through the Cour de Blémur and continue straight on along Rue Adrien Lebert, which continues as a path and leads back to Rue de Blémur; turn right onto it and follow it for 150 m.

(11) Turn right onto the Sente de la Tourelle de Blémur to Domont and, at the Y-junction, continue straight on into the Bois de Blémur and follow the barely visible path to the Ancienne batterie.

(12) Blémur Battery (which you can visit). Further on, at a multi-way junction, stay on the main path which leads to Fort de Domont and its entrance (you can make a detour to see the fort’s fortifications).

(13) Continue along the Route du Fort and take the^first path on the left which leads into the forest. Ignore the junction and join the GR® de Pays (red and yellow markings) and follow it straight on, carefully crossing the Route Stratégique. Further on, head left, staying on the GRP® (Route du Prieuré). After about a hundred metres, you’ll reach the D123.

(14) Take the GRP® to the right (Route du Prieuré) and follow it straight on towards the south-east. Pass the Source de la Patte-d'Oie and cross a stream. Continue straight on along the GRP® (south-east) until you reach a car park.

(15) Turn left onto Chemin de Saint-Prix, heading due east (car park on the left). At the junction, continue straight ahead.

(16) Turn left and, further on, left again, then right at the 116m mark.

(17) At the T-junction, turn left and follow the Ruisseau du Fond des Aulnes on your right. At the first junction (marker 96), continue straight ahead (ignore the GR® heading off to the right).

(18) At the second junction, turn right and cross the stream. Continue straight ahead, ignoring all turn-offs to the left. You will come out onto a wide path; follow it to the right until you reach a car park.

(19) Cross the road carefully and take a path heading north. At the T-junction, turn right. Walk east, then south-east, cross a perpendicular path and arrive at the ruins of Notre-Dame Church; continue straight on along Rue de l’Église, which becomes Rue de la Libération, and at the junction go straight on along Rue du Petit Sant Brice.

(20) Turn left onto Chemin du Bériot, which leads onto Rue de Paris; turn left onto this road and continue to the roundabout you passed on the way there.

(9) Take the^first road on the right, Route de la Tête Richard, and cross the flyover at the pedestrian crossings. Take the bridge over the D301, then cross a second flyover, which you also passed on the way there.

(8) Turn right onto the GR®655, pass on the right in front of the entrance to Château Le Luat and turn right onto Chemin de la Baronne; further on, cross the railway line at the level crossing, then continue straight on along Chemin du Luat

(7) Château and Collège du Luat.

(6) At the junction, turn right onto Route du Lavoir d'Ezanville, Écouen Forest; at the crossroads, go straight on diagonally until you reach Carrefour de Chauffour.

(21) Take the first track on the left. At the first junction, go straight on. At the second junction (T-junction), turn right. The path winds through the woodland. Ignore a path on the right, then one on the left. You’ll come out onto Ruelle du Fort at the entrance to the fort, and follow it as it continues. You’ll soon find the car park on the left (S/E).

Fort Domont was built in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War to defend Paris. Located north of Paris in Domont, the fort was part of an outer ring of fortifications built in response to the increased range and effectiveness of artillery since the construction of Thiers’ fortifications in the 1840s. It was built between 1875 and 1879 in accordance with the improved fortification principles developed for the Séré de Rivières system. Work on the fort began in 1874 and was completed in 1878. The fort covered an area of 12 hectares (30 acres) and its garrison comprised 1,175 men and officers.

Fort of Écouen.

Écouen Castle National Renaissance Museum.

Saint Acceul Church.

Blémur Castle.

Le Luat Castle.

Old Battery.

Fort of Domont

Source of the Three-Way Junction.

Fond des Aulnes Stream.

Former Church of Piscop

Écouen Regional Forest.

Montmorency State Forest.

Écouen railway station.