Les Hauts d'Orvault

Park near the Church of Saint-Léger d'Orvault.

(S/E) With your back to the church square, cross the Place de l'Église to reach Rue Hubert de la Brosse opposite, which you will follow on the left-hand side. Continue until you reach a roundabout. On the other side of the roundabout, you will see a gigantic calvary.

(1) Continue along Rue Hubert de la Brosse, which passes to the left of the calvary. At Rue de La Salle, on your right, leave Rue Hubert de la Brosse and turn left onto Allée du Loret. Walk along a pretty lake and enjoy the view of the Château du Loret (the only place you can see it!). Continue straight ahead, passing Petit Loret (a group of houses). A little further on, you will see a large gate on your right marking the main entrance to Château du Loret (which is not visible).

(2) A little further on, at a fork, continue on the right-hand path, which is a continuation of Allée du Loret. After a right-angle turn, begin a long descent followed by a slight climb and you will arrive at a junction: on your left is Chemin de la Bussonnière and opposite, a few metres away, is Route de la Chapelle sur Erdre.

(3) Turn left onto Chemin de la Bussonnière, which becomes Chemin de Clogand when you reach a horse riding centre. Continue straight ahead until, shortly after Clogand, you reach the junction with Route du Plessis Buron, marked by a "Stop" sign.

(4) Turn right and walk on the left-hand side until you reach a path entrance marked "Villier".

(5) Follow the path on the left, which starts off quite steeply downhill, then climbs back up until it meets Chemin de la Barre, which runs perpendicular to it. The junction is marked by a signpost bearing, among other things, a GR® sign^.

(6) Turn left onto this path, which descends quite steeply and then turns slightly to the right to pass between a large pond on the right and a small pond on the left. Continue until you reach a beautiful house on your left (the Petit Moulin de la Tour). On your right, you will see a path entrance also marked with^GR® signage^.

(7) Take this path, which runs alongside the large pond in the distance, then makes two right-angle turns to the left and begins to climb slightly. At the top of the hill, you will arrive at the rear of the Château de la Tour, which you will go around by turning left and following the walls on your right.

(8) Once you reach the castle courtyard, you can admire the castle itself, a building housing outbuildings and a chapel. Take the flat path on the right (do not take the main path in front of you, which descends). You will walk around the back of the castle buildings. After a right-angle turn to the right, turn left at the first intersection you come to, then, a little further on, turn right onto Chemin de la Guichardière. Follow it carefully, ignoring the first road on the right.

(9) Turn left at the first intersection on the left, onto Chemin de Liancé. At Liancé, turn right onto a stony path. This path climbs straight up to a large group of farm buildings, then descends to Route de la Rousselière, which you take on the left. Cross La Rousselière and continue to a crossroads marked by a cross on the left.

(10) Turn right onto Chemin de la Haie and continue towards La Glairie, ignoring an entrance on the left. Turn left onto Chemin du Petit Aunay at a sign marked Impasse de la Glairie.

(11) Cross Petit Aunay, turn left onto the first path you come to, cross a small road and take the path opposite to reach La Guidoire. Cross La Guidoire, ignoring the entrances on the left and right, until you reach a small road (Chemin de la Retardière), which you follow straight ahead until you reach Moulin de la Retardière, visible on your left (private property, do not enter).

(12) Pass the mill and turn right onto the first path you come to. Continue until you reach a crossroads marked by a cross, the Croix Durand. Turn left onto the path that will take you to Beau Soleil.

(13) Cross the RD 42 carefully and turn right onto Chemin des Poiriers on your left. Follow this path, which descends gently to a small road. Cross it and take Chemin de la Nouette opposite. You will soon come to the entrance to a small path on your left.

(14) Take this small path, marked with^GR® signage^, among other things^. After a narrow, downhill section (sometimes very muddy), followed by a grassy section that gradually widens and climbs, you will arrive at a crossroads where you will turn left onto Chemin de la Monteguère, passing in front of a beautiful house (Belle Vue). Continue to Chemin des Perrières. Keep going straight on Rue des Buttes until you find Chemin des Buttes on your right, in the hollow of a sharp left-hand bend. This path will take you back to Rue Marcel Deniau, from where you can return to the forecourt of Saint-Léger Church via a monumental staircase, the entrance to which is on your right as you approach the church. You will arrive at the forecourt of Saint-Léger Church in Orvault (S/E).

• Departure: Saint-Léger church square in Orvault Bourg.
• Parking is available behind the church or on Place Jeanne d'Arc.
• You can take bus 79 (towards "Orvault") or 89 (towards "Beauséjour") and get off at the "Mairie Orvault" stop.

• In theory, there are dark blue rectangular markings. In practice, these markings do not always exist and are often accompanied by two or three other markings that are also more or less intermittent. It is best to follow the route suggested for this hike.

• When you arrive at the Beau Soleil point (13), you will find the terminus of Bus 79, towards "Beauséjour", on your left if you want to shorten your walk. It can take you back to Saint-Léger Church by dropping you off at the Mairie Orvault stop to pick up your car (for example) or reach any other destination.

Shorter alternative: after the point (2), instead of turning right, turn left at a right angle to take Chemin du Loret (rather than Allée du Loret). Continue along this path until you reach a small road, Chemin du Plessis Buron (junction marked by a "Stop" sign). Turn right and head for point (4) (end of Chemin de Clogand), passing Le Moulin Neuf and then Les Houssières. All you have to do now is continue the original hike.

• The Château de la Tour offers many places to stop for a pleasant break.