The banks of the Orne in Louvigny at the start of the Île Enchantée

Discover the banks of the Orne River in Louvigny, the surrounding marshes and the charm of their rural landscapes.

Details

8077091
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.33 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 5 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 5 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 11 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 4 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available along Rue de Saint-André (D233) in Fleury-sur-Orne.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the river and Île Enchantée. Turn left onto the dyke path and follow the Orne on your right until you reach the metal footbridge. Go under the footbridge, turn left and climb the stairs up to the Voie Verte. At the top, turn left again and cross the Orne.

(1) Go down the ramp, ignore the two dirt tracks on either side and continue to the crossroads.

(2) Turn right towards the water tower on the heights of Fleury-sur-Orne, negotiate the sharp left turn and continue along the Chemin des Berges de l'Orne for about 1 km. Negotiate a second sharp left turn and continue for a few metres to the next intersection.

(3) Turn right, walk along the raised passage on your left, cross the Odon and follow it on your right until it meets the Orne. Then walk along the Orne for about 700 m until you reach the path on the left behind the hedge bordering the site of a former campsite.

(4) Turn left onto the path, cross the car park very carefully, then cross the Louvigny road (D 212B). Continue straight ahead, take the ramp up to the raised platform, turn left and continue to the next intersection.

(5) Ignore the paths on the right and continue straight ahead on the Voie Verte de la Suisse Normande towards Clécy. Walk for about 700 m, cross the Louvigny road (D 212B) very carefully, then continue for about 600 m. At the end, where the Greenway continues on the left, turn right towards the road then immediately left towards an old pumping station.

(6) Turn right towards Louvigny onto the path that runs alongside a wood on your left and the Louvigny road (D 212B) on your right and follow it for about 500 m. On the way, you will see the remains of an old gate. After the woods and the concrete electricity pylon, turn left onto the curved path to join Grande Rue at a playground opposite Rue Pitard.

(7) Turn left onto Grande Rue, stay on the left-hand pavement, pass the town hall and turn left again towards the Parc de Loisirs. Cross the car park, leave the building on your right and continue along the path. Walk along the Orne on your right until you reach the foot of the metal footbridge.

(1) Take the stairs on the left to climb up to the footbridge, turn right and cross the Orne. At the end of the footbridge, turn right to use the stairs leading down to the river, then turn right again to pass under the footbridge. Follow the dyke path along the Orne on your left and join Rue de Saint-André (D233), then turn right to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 6 m - Rue de Saint-André (D 233) in Fleury-sur-Orne
  2. 1 : km 0.68 - alt. 8 m - Footbridge over the - Orne (fleuve)
  3. 2 : km 1.04 - alt. 5 m - Les Avouettes
  4. 3 : km 2.16 - alt. 5 m - Chemin des Grands Marais - Odon (rivière)
  5. 4 : km 3.17 - alt. 5 m - Former campsite
  6. 5 : km 3.51 - alt. 7 m - Entrance to the Voie Verte de la Suisse Normande
  7. 6 : km 4.92 - alt. 7 m - Former pumping station
  8. 7 : km 5.79 - alt. 6 m - The Grande Rue opposite Rue Pitard
  9. S/E : km 7.33 - alt. 6 m - Rue de Saint-André (D 233) in Fleury-sur-Orne

Worth a visit

Louvigny
The commune was once crossed by two railway lines: the Caen-Vire line, part of which has been taken over by the D 405 road and a greenway, and the Caen-Flers line, on which the last freight trains ran until December 1979. The two remaining metal railway bridges, with the Orne river flowing beneath them, offer a pretty view. Loupaciens is a green municipality whose population has grown as new neighbourhoods have been built, each with its own identity and characteristics. In order to maintain architectural consistency, the municipality has launched an Urban Art Plan to preserve its originality: high-quality urbanisation in a village setting.

Miscanthus giganteus
Giant miscanthus, also known as elephant grass, is a perennial grass with rhizomes. Miscanthus is planted in March-April and has a lifespan of around 15 years. The first harvest takes place after two years. Miscanthus yields between 10 and 20 tonnes per hectare. It can grow to a height of 4 metres.
Miscanthus grows in wet areas, such as the marshes near Louvigny, a sensitive environment that must be protected. It is therefore environmentally friendly:
- it is an ecological crop that grows without chemicals (no plant protection products or pesticides),
- it also promotes biodiversity,
- and above all, it stores 36 tonnes ofCO2 per hectare,
- in addition, in winter, animals such as deer and wild boar take refuge there.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 10 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
gueroult jose
gueroult jose

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice little route, easy to follow, no difficulties, very pleasant.
Thank you

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Nork
Nork

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful route with some wonderful discoveries
I did it twice (in rainy and dry weather)
A must-do for the pleasure of walking
Thanks to Jean Paul

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DOMIQUATRE
DOMIQUATRE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is the second time we have done this route and we enjoyed it.
The first time, due to a lack of attention or misunderstanding of the instructions, we did the route backwards, i.e. after crossing the footbridge, we went down the stairs on the left, followed the river, joined the greenway and ended up on the paths where miscanthus (elephant grass) grows.
If we were to do it again, we would do it backwards to end on a more rural note.
Thank you for this peaceful and wild route, which is still very close to the city.

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marmotte 1
marmotte 1

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello, at this time of year the terrain is very wet but passable, a lovely walk around Odon, no particular difficulties, the only issue is the noise from the ring road.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello Mr Mahieux,
I'm glad you enjoyed the hike. It's true that during the week and when the weather is overcast, there aren't many people out and about, but I can't say the same for sunny summer weekends. The advantage of the Greenway is that during wet weather, you avoid getting your shoes muddy on the often muddy paths.
I look forward to hearing from you on one of my other posts.

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pmahieux@aliceadsl.fr
pmahieux@aliceadsl.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk through countryside, rivers and marshes. Not too crowded as the walk took place on a weekday in grey weather. No difficulty, almost no elevation gain. This walk allowed me to discover the greenways.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello Kolet,
Thank you for sharing your joie de vivre and good humour with us. I sincerely hope you continue walking for many years to come and as often as possible. It's a healthy activity that's good for both the body and (perhaps even more importantly) the mind. You are an example to follow for younger people.

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kolet
kolet

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

YES, I download a lot of walks because they make me dream... with them, I walk in my head and sometimes a little with my feet... Indeed, I am getting older and only walk short distances. Your routes allow me to choose a small area that I enjoy and where I can take a few friends who are in the same situation as me... so thank you very much.
The routes I choose to download all have cultural or floral interest. Thank you again... I can't say any more except thank you to those who do the research and wish them many more years of walking! Kolet.
Very busy when it comes to greenways: that's the goal; it's up to each person to be vigilant or to walk on a side path, which often exists if you look for it a little, whether you start from Île Enchantée or the Joyeux Coureurs car park.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello Zako,
Thank you for taking the time to post your comment. It must be acknowledged that the Greenway is sometimes very busy and that, unfortunately, it can be quite difficult for users to coexist harmoniously. Like you, I find this regrettable.

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zako14
zako14
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

A short, easy route, except for the cyclists who tend to disregard pedestrians and, in some cases, confuse the greenway with a race track, despite the numerous signs stating that racing is not permitted. This is a shame, as it detracts from the family-friendly nature of the greenway.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Good evening, Benoît,
Thank you for your comment. I see that I have a similar profile to you, although with less experience. I am very pleased to have your approval. Your comments on my publications are always welcome.

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benoitrando
benoitrando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant little route that I did in the afternoon, after completing the Fleury à l'Orne route in the morning, which was also by the same author.
Fleury à l'Orne circuit in the morning, which was created by the same author.

Thank you, Jean-Paul BUTEAU, for this route.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello Christophe,
Everyone really appreciates the charm of the Orne Valley near Louvigny, which is why it can sometimes be a little crowded for those looking to escape everyday life and get away from the nearby town.

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Christophe14
Christophe14

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A superb walk along the banks of the Orne river in the Louvigny countryside: lots of runners and walkers, but still a lovely stroll with views of sumptuous properties along the river, cows, horses... very bucolic – just how we like it! Also ideal for running, as there is virtually no elevation.

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Jean-Paul BUTEAU
Jean-Paul BUTEAU

Hello Gérard,
I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the route. It's true that the Louvigny marshes are very busy at weekends, especially when the weather is good.
Visorando offers other routes, some of which are in Suisse Normande or nearby. I've published a few of them, and fortunately I'm not the only contributor in the region.

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