The hills above Saint-Hilaire and Crancey

Park at the side of the road, in one of the marked spaces, on Allée des Cerisiers.

(S/E) Take the Allée des Cerisiers eastwards until you reach the Rue du Petit Fayet, which you turn right into.

(1) When the street turns left at a 90° angle, carry on straight ahead along the grassy track. Follow this track for approximately 1.2 km, ignoring all side paths.

(2) At the junction after the wooded section, turn right. You’ll come out onto the D96; follow it to the left. After 100 m, take the unpaved track on the right. Carry on straight ahead and pass under a high-voltage power line. At the T-junction, turn right towards the mast and pass under the high-voltage power line again.

(3) Once you reach the mast, turn right. Take the^third track on the left, before the farm.

(4) After about 400 m, take the^first track on the right. You’ll come out onto the D96 again; follow it to the left towards the village of Crancey.

(5) At the entrance to the village, turn left onto Chemin de la Voie Romaine. Cross the D51 and then take the^first right, onto Chemin des Yattes. Turn right onto the path before the entrance to the cemetery.

(6) At the corner by the cemetery, turn left onto the Route de Longueperte (D51). Cross the D619 (formerly the N19) at the pedestrian crossing, then cross the railway line at the level crossing. Continue straight ahead. Pass the Rue des Adams on your right, then turn slightly right into the Place du Guevet.

(7) Cross the Guevet bridge, then follow the Ruisseau de Faverolles on your right. The path then veers away from the stream and passes between some ponds.

(8) At the junction (farmhouse), turn right onto Chemin de Mouille Cul, between two bodies of water.

(9) At the next junction, veer to the right and walk past the wash house and the old mill house. Cross Rue des Tilleuls on the right-hand side and take the bridge over the railway line. You’ll reach the D619; follow it to the right towards the town hall and school.

(10) Just before the town hall, turn left onto Rue de l’Église. Then take the^first left, Allée des Cerisiers, to return to the car park (S/E).

No special equipment required; the route mainly follows farm tracks with a water point at Crancey cemetery. No shelter, except in the villages.

Churches and wash houses in Saint-Hilaire and Crancey.

Beautiful panoramic views of the church at Saint-Hilaire, the Seine valley and the hills of Champagne, the Aube grain-growing plain and the numerous wind turbines, as well as a view of the Nogent-sur-Seine nuclear power station.