Marcoussis walks

A very short walk consisting of a circular in the forest and a circular in open terrain. Worth seeing: several remarkable trees (oak, plane trees), wetland vegetation and a small built heritage site on the theme of water.

A varied route around Nozay, a charming village located twenty-four kilometres south-west of Paris. This hike takes you through diverse landscapes: fields, forests, and an equestrian centre. The topography is varied (flat expanses, hilly areas). Beautiful views of the village of Marcoussis.

A few kilometres from Paris, this refreshing hike takes you through the village of Leuville-sur-Orge, along a path that runs alongside the Orge river, and to the Carouge basin in Brétigny-sur-Orge.

Tour du Rocher de Saulx, a forest home to interesting flora and fauna to discover along the way.

In 1465, Louis XI and Charles the Bold clashed at Montlhéry. This hike takes you to some of the historic sites in Essonne that witnessed this confrontation (Leuville, Montlhéry Castle, the battlefield, etc.). The return route takes you via Longpont Basilica.

A short, varied and easy hike. Streams, meadows, forests, housing estates and fields, and of course the basilica of Longpont, are the ingredients of this walk just a few kilometres from Paris.

A beautiful deciduous forest. A pleasant walk on dry ground, mostly on wide paths. A very short walk, accessible to all, for a breath of fresh air in the morning or afternoon.

A hike that alternates between pleasant paths along the water's edge and urban passages. The Tower of Montlhéry, which offers a beautiful panorama, and the Basilica of Longpont, the destinations of this hike, are beautiful reminders of the Middle Ages in Île-de-France.

A short but pleasant walk through the plains and woods, passing through La Brosse.

From the charming village centre of Janvry, a circular route to discover two 17th-century castles. A short hike through cultivated fields and woodland.

A hike from station to station that constitutes the last stage of this route along the Orge River, ending at its confluence with the Seine. Although the area is highly urbanised, the walkway along the river, which takes us back and forth across it, often offers a bucolic setting.

A hike from station to station, along the Orge and its tributary, the Rémarde, as well as the Bassin de Trêvois. A small menhir and a Louis XIII-style castle add a nice touch of heritage.

A hike from station to station, mostly following the Orge river or its secondary branch, the Grande Boële, and along a few large reservoirs. There is a rich heritage to discover, in Arpajon at the start of the hike and, as a highlight, at the Basilica of Longpont.

Short hike across the Grange du Breuil plain and the Bois des Templiers woods.

A varied walk, combining the rich heritage of Bruyères-le-Châtel with an original route along the paths of this commune, and a path through the forest, between the fields or along a vast stretch of water.

The main aim of this walk is to reach La Roche Turpin from a station (RER C). La Roche Turpin is a magnificent natural area consisting of a sandstone plateau and its slopes, covered by a beautiful forest mainly populated by oaks (including some superb specimens), chestnut trees and Scots pines.At the start, you can enjoy the path around the Bassin de Trévoix (Retenue de l'Orge). You then make a pleasant walk through the village of Bruyères-le-Châtel via a dense network of well-maintained footpaths. Next comes the beautiful forest of Bruyères-le-Châtel (although there are long straight stretches due to fences enclosing large areas).

This route follows thePR®10and 13 trails and the Promenade de l'Yvette. It has been chosen to avoid as much as possible the busy roads crossing the Basses Roches district in Villebon. Only the crossing over the A10 motorway via the viaduct is unavoidable, but it is short (200 m) and the pavement is wide. The rest of the route is pleasant along the Promenade de l'Yvette, the paths in the plain and around the Étang de Saulx-les-Chartreux.

A varied route in a peri-urban setting, along rivers and streams and the Bassin de Saulx, and in the heart of the Rocher de Saulx departmental forest. Please note! Work around the Bassin de Saulx means that the route has been changed at the end: follow the suggested alternative route.

A very beautiful and fairly easy walk, stunning all along the Yvette, then a short steep climb on Rue des Bouleaux for 300 m and you’ll find yourself in the Gelles Departmental Forest. Overall, there’s very little walking on the road; it’s all on lovely paths, finishing around Lac de Saulx. You’ll see wild ducks and moorhens along the Yvette and also around the lake, along with swans and a few waders. If you like horses, you’ll also see several stud farms and occasionally riders. This is my Sunday jogging route.

A short hike that combines urban passages, wooded and hilly trails, and a pleasant walk along the Yvette River.

Discover nature between the River Yvette and the Guyonnerie forest. A family walk where pets are welcome.

A mainly urban, relatively short route with a slight elevation gain. A few steep steps lead up to the Bois de la Troche and the rocks of its former sandstone quarry. The walk ends peacefully along the Yvette.

Discover part of the artistic, historical and scientific heritage of Paris-Saclay University: sculptures, frescoes, scientific instruments, archaeological sites, and more. An easy walk on a campus featuring a large botanical park and the neighbouring wooded hillsides.

This marked route follows as closely as possible the path taken by Charles Péguy in 1912 and then 1913 from his home in Lozère (Palaiseau) to Chartres, via Dourdan. The walking route is 94 kilometres long and is marked with blue and white signposts. The trail was created by the Amitié Charles Péguy association. It received support from the Eure-et-Loir General Council. Visorando was responsible for its first publication on the Internet.

First of the four sections of the Charles Péguy Trail: Palaiseau-Chartres, via Dourdan. It closely follows in the footsteps of the poet Charles Péguy, who made two pilgrimages in 1912 and 1913, each lasting four days there and back.

This circular route offers the charm of the Lozère district with its wooded hillsides and breathtaking views over the Yvette valley. You can also stroll along the water’s edge, on the banks of Lake Lozère or along the Yvette.

In a highly urbanised environment, this is a green space where you can relax and enjoy a pleasant walk along the Yvette river and the Bassins de Saulx and Balizy. A hike from station to station with a shorter alternative for motorists.

A short walk through the Bois des Templiers in Balisy.

A short walk, urban at the start and finish, which, in between, combines a pleasant stroll along the River Yvette with wooded and undulating paths.

Hike in the Yvette Valley offering beautiful views of the plain with its market gardens and requiring some effort thanks to the steep wooded hillsides covered in particular by the Rocher de Saulx national forest.

Whilst awaiting the opening of Metro Line 18, those working on the Saclay plateau in the Corbeville area who use the RER B can choose between two long, steep flights of stairs or a steep path, on either side of the former La Troche quarry. This gave rise to the idea for this circular route – short but challenging – which can be completed as many times as one wishes and thus provides excellent training ground before tackling climbs of varying lengths during the summer.

A varied hike where you gain altitude. First, you climb up to the Saclay plateau and walk along the university campus before gently descending into the Yvette valley through the forest. We climb back up the other bank and cross the Gif-sur-Yvette forest from east to west. After an urban section, we walk between fields before descending back into the forest to Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse.

Starting from the town hall in Epinay-sur-Orge, this varied hike takes you along the banks of the Orge between Epinay and Longpont, to the 11th-century Basilica of Longpont and the Pont des Templiers de Balizy, the oldest bridge in the Île-de-France region and a remnant of a former 13th-century commandery.

A loop in the Chevreuse Valley, with magnificent landscapes, in a wooded and rural setting close to Paris. The first part is a walk through the woods on the plateau overlooking the Yvette Valley. The return journey, parallel to the outward route, is mainly on flat ground. Most of the walk is well shaded and flat, but there are also some fairly steep ascents and descents. The area is very popular with walkers and mountain bikers, but it is well worth a visit.

A walk of many faces! On forest tracks interspersed with paths through the city, you follow an old railway line with a tunnel and viaduct, finishing along the course of the river Yvette. A walk to enjoy at any time of year.

Hike around Epinay sur Orge (a small town south of Paris) from the train station of the RER C.It follows paths and quiet streets, heads through Bois des Templiers and follows the courses of three rivers: the Orge, the Rouillon and the Yvette. A trail through the Bois des Templiers with views of an old stone bridge with three arches of the ancient Templar Commandery of the eleventh century.

A walk from station to station that climbs up to the Saclay plateau, offering a striking contrast between the cultivated fields criss-crossed with drainage ditches and the ever-expanding university campus. A varied route with its share of ascents and descents.

A hike from station to station that alternates between urban and forest passages. From the Yvette valley, we climb up to the Saclay plateau, where the university campus is constantly expanding. At the start of the descent, we visit an old sandstone quarry that has been converted into a climbing school.

This route, which is half urban and half forest, focuses on footpaths. Along the way, you can visit the Russian cemetery (no dogs allowed), see an elephant, cross the Bois des Trous, admire the majestic keep and its flower beds, and be sure to visit the miraculous cave of Sainte Geneviève... An easy walk and a good time guaranteed.

A walk following part of the old Aerotrain track, with its many information boards, then a route across fields, almost flat. A GPS or the Visorando app is useful for this walk, which was created in 2014; see reviews

This hike starts in Gif-sur-Yvette and takes you to the heights of the Saint-Aubin and Vallée Bonnard channels, following the Yvette river and returning via La Mérantaise, passing through the Bois d'Aigrefoin, the Saint-Aubin communal forest and the Coupières basin.

Follow in the footsteps of historian Fustel de Coulanges and discover a city where large housing estates, business districts and detached houses coexist, where wide avenues alternate with urban paths and malls, and where ponds and green spaces are scattered throughout.

This hike follows the route of the T12 tram-train, connecting Massy-Palaiseau to Évry-Courcouronnes, and allows you to discover a varied landscape combining urban areas, natural spaces and neighbourhoods undergoing rapid change. The route takes you along the greenway that runs alongside the T12, between Épinay-sur-Orge station and the Évry-Courcouronnes terminus, offering a pleasant and safe section for pedestrians and cyclists. This walk offers an immersion in the areas served by this new line, with opportunities to stop at the various stations to fully enjoy the local heritage and green spaces.

Second stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, from Massy to Saint-Cyr l'École, behind Versailles.This stage, more bucolic than the previous one, consists of continuing up the Bièvre river in its valley, where it is almost entirely in the open air. Arriving near its source in Guyancourt, the GR® leaves the valley and continues towards Saint-Cyr-l'École.

A heritage walk in a bucolic setting, in the heart of the Hurepoix. Climb the Butte de Saint-Yon and the Bois des Roches, follow the Orge and Renarde rivers, and discover the charming church of Saint-Yon and the superb church of Saint-Sulpice.

A hike starting from a railway station (with car park for motorists), the destination of which is the superb church of Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières. Along the way, you will walk through fields, meadows and woods, and the route is enhanced by pretty rivers and an old water mill.

A lovely, easy little walk that takes you along the River Orge, through two of Breuillet’s parks and offers several views of a string of ponds along the River Rémarde. A varied route with plenty of shade, easily accessible by RER.

A mainly forest route with two beautiful heritage sites: at the start, the charming church of Saint-Yon and a Gallo-Roman ruin, and halfway along the route, the superb Gothic church of Saint-Sulpice-de-Favières.

This is a fairly short hike that allows you to discover two rigoles (small water collection channels) on the Saclay Plateau: the Rigole Domaniale and the Rigole de Favreuse. These rigoles were built in the 17th century to supply water to the Palace of Versailles. The route alternates between woods and cultivated fields, with a rich heritage in Vauhallan.

Circular route through the Saclay plateau, the woods at the edge of the plateau and the Bonnard Marsh.

An urban route between Savigny-sur-Orge, Athis-Mons and Juvisy-sur-Orge. After a very urban first half, the second half follows paths between detached houses and buildings, roughly following the course of the River Orge.

This third stage of the route serves as a transition between the official end of the green corridor and the Yvette valley. Although it is an exclusively urban route, by taking quiet paths it avoids the busiest parts of the bustling town of Massy.

This second section, dedicated to the Bièvre, begins in a still rural setting but quickly moves into a heavily urbanised area. However, the route favours small streets and public parks. It is also here that the river’s course becomes partly underground, reappearing here and there. There are heritage sites, notably the impressive aqueducts at Arcueil and Cachan, and beautiful views of Paris in the ‘upper’ part of the route.

A hike which is mostly in the forest, with lovely sections along the Mérantaise river and the ditches which run down from the Saclay Plateau.

A varied hike through beautiful old quarries, part of the village with its unique footpaths, and numerous wooded areas.

A varied route through the woods, fields and meadows of the Hurepoix, with beautiful views of the Château de Baville.

A walk from station to station in the Orge Valley, exploring two large ponds home to numerous birds. A picturesque route in the first half, which then sees the proportion of urban sections increase. Heritage sites along the way: a well-restored old mill, a few churches, a small menhir, a wash house...

A circular starting from a railway station, during which you climb and descend through woods and walk along the cultivated plateaus on both sides of the Orge valley, from where you can enjoy extensive views.

Thirty-second and penultimate stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11. It starts in Saint-Chéron in the Orge Valley and ends in Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse in the Yvette Valley, thus completing the crossing of the Essonne via its main valleys. After starting off towards the west, the route heads due north across the Hurepoix plateaus.