Les Méandres de la Vrille

The walk starts from Avenue de la Gare, close to the Tourist Office.

(S/E) Head towards the château, cross the Grande Rue (protected passageway) and enter the grounds. Drive around the building to the right. At the end of the gable, turn right and continue through the wooded area towards the buildings at the back (retirement home). After the pond on your right, turn left downstream of the car park and then right towards the stairs. Access to the car park ends at Allée des Amours, which leads up to Route des Thus.

(1) Turn left onto Route des Thus. Continue along this road, passing the Thus wash-house, then leave it at the crossroads signposted Les Rats.

(2) Follow this road to the left. At the last houses, the road takes over as a path through undergrowth. Oak trees that are almost certainly several hundred years old and magnificent pollards guide the way. Occasionally, a few rusks cross the path, which leads to a bend in the Vrille.

(3) Turn left and follow the meandering river to the right. Cross the footbridge over the river. Continue along the path between the fences separating the fields on either side. Reach the D955 road.

(4) Initially, cross the road carefully and then turn right, keeping to the left-hand shoulder and remaining vigilant. After about 150 m, there is a footpath entrance on the left. Enter it and climb the path, which soon becomes a wider track. At the top, turn left (a field entrance can give the impression of a new path). You will arrive at a place called Les Plançons.

(5) At the pond and well on your right, turn left down the road serving this hamlet. It soon turns south, and you will come to a bend in the road to the left. Turn right onto a wide track. Continue, passing a stream at the bottom of the valley.

(6) On the right, pass between the trognes and climb up a sunken track with a small, unobtrusive fountain on the right (see explanations in Practical info). At the end of the path, you will come to Les Moreaux with its colourful gated properties.
Opposite the entrance to a property, let the path run off to the right (small car park) and continue along this road (which in places is more of a greenway in the middle). Go past the old kiln on the current site of the pottery training school (CNIFOP).

(7) At the fork in the road, walk down the Faubourg des Potiers. Pass the Écomusée de la Mémoire potière on your right. Continue downhill until you reach Carrefour Carriès. Cross carefully over the pedestrian crossing and head towards the town centre along the Grande Rue. Cross the two bridges over the branches of the Vrille and return to the starting point (S/E).

The walks start from Avenue de la Gare. Pay attention to the signposting numbers at the start and during the walk.
Take care when crossing roads, including the D955.
In winter, this path can have muddy sections, so make sure you are equipped accordingly.

(6) At the bottom of the valley, just after crossing the ru, the path is a little difficult to access (June 2021). You have to go up for about twenty metres on the left towards the entrance to a field and then down the slope at the foot of a trogne to find the sunken path again. The fountain is located shortly afterwards.

This route is signposted in accordance with the Communauté de Communes de Puisaye-Forterre signposting charter and bears the number 38 inscribed on yellow-background plaques.
The signposting was carried out by the association À chacun son chemin en Puisaye-Forterre in June 2021.
If you have any problems, please fill in this questionnaire (only takes 1 to 2 minutes).
Be careful when crossing roads.
The fact that the signposting is mentioned means that you must at least have this description and the accompanying IGN map or the visorando application with you when you set off.

The whole village has a number of tourist attractions (potteries, exhibitions, museums, shops, etc.).
There is a tourist information office close to the starting point.