Mazangé walks

A very beautiful walk along the Boulon Valley.

A pleasant little walk through woods and vineyards.

This route will take you from the world of vineyards to the defence line of the Saint-Rimay Tunnel. From cellars to blockhouses, you will also discover two restoration projects led by the Résurgence association along the way. A beautiful view of the Loir valley will accompany you for much of your journey.

Situated between the Loir and the rock on the hillside, this route allows you to discover a picturesque natural heritage, typical of the Loir Valley and its troglodyte dwellings.

Pleasant walk except at the start. Beautiful valleys and woods.

Lovely views over the Vendôme area and the Loir Valley.

A pleasant and easy walk on either side of the Loir.

Walk through the woods and along the Houzée valley with its beautiful mills. Very beautiful valley.

La Ville-aux-Clercs offers four walking routes that are also suitable for mountain bikes: here is the Red route in the heart of the Perche Vendômois region.

An easy, very pleasant walk through woods (pleasant in hot weather), across the plain and with a beautiful view of the Loir valley.

The Braye, celebrated in song by Ronsard, meets the Loir here. Whilst Bessé-sur-Braye is best known to locals for its thriving paper industry, this village in the Calais region is also home to a Renaissance gem, the Château de Courtanvaux, which is said to have hosted Henry IV. Its large wooded park is open to the public all year round, and serves as the starting point for this walk, which also takes you through lovely countryside along a small tarmac road.

Bessé dates back to the Middle Ages. At that time, the parish comprised numerous fiefdoms, including Courtanvaux, a parish seigneury elevated to a marquisate in 1609. The village developed particularly from the18th century onwards thanks to the establishment of pre-industrial sites, as evidenced by the cotton mill set up by Elie Savatier in 1735 (on the site of a former linen weaving mill) or the paper mill established at La Roche in 1824. The latter has since become the town’s main industrial site.

La Chapelle-Huon developed gradually from the Middle Ages onwards. Saint-André Church is a Romanesque building (11th–12th century) with a Renaissance seigneurial chapel added later. The current bell tower was built in 2000 as part of the building’s general restoration. On this occasion, contemporary stained-glass windows were added to enhance the interior. Saint-Gervais-de-Vic likely has very ancient origins. The place name ‘Vic’, from the Latin vicus, meaning village, may refer to the Gallo-Roman period. Iron slag and pottery shards, discovered during work on the railway line, are also evidence of an ancient presence. Admire the15th- and16th-century Manoir de la Béchuère, the Redonne stream and the beautiful wooded countryside. A map and full description of the route are available in the Perche Sarthois Hiking Guide (50 routes). On sale at Perche Sarthois tourist offices for €10.

The evolution of Saint-Calais is evident in its town planning, which developed in the Middle Ages on either side of the Anille. On the right bank, the former abbey site founded inthe 6th century is still visible in the two tall gables of the current resource centre. During the Revolution, it gave way to another administrative centre with imposing buildings and the straight streets typical ofthe 19th century. On the left bank, on the hillside between the river and the castle founded inthe 11th century to rival the powerful abbey, you can easily make out the medieval quarter, which was built around the axis of the Grande Rue on an irregular and densely packed grid of plots.

Montaillé has developed around two centres: the village centre, built up around the church, and La Brenaille, a cluster of hamlets and farms to the north of the village. The site of La Brenaille appears to have been inhabited since ancient times, whilst the village centre seems to have been settled during the Gallo-Roman period, as evidenced by the route of an ancient road between Le Mans and Orléans. ‘Montaillé’ likely derives from a contraction of the Latin ‘montem’, meaning mountain or high ground, and the name ‘Alhierus’, a Germanic name that may have referred to the landowner following the barbarian invasions ofthe 5th century. As the name suggests, the land is situated on high ground and is close to a stream, the Pibeau, and a spring, the Fontaine Saint Jean-Baptiste.

Situated in the south-west of the Calais plateau, which is cut by steep-sided valleys, the village is divided by watercourses belonging to the Braye basin; the two main ones are the Charmançon and the Tusson. Its origins may date back to the Gallo-Roman period, but its history becomes clearer in the Middle Ages thanks to the discovery of coins. In the early19th century, following significant population growth, Vancé became home to a large number of craftsmen. In 1810, the village was home to thirteen weavers and twelve building tradespeople: four stonemasons, one bricklayer, one carpenter, three joiners, three shingle cutters and numerous other craftsmen catering to everyday needs.

Hillside route along the riverbanks, on foot or by mountain bike. Some of the hill climbs are a bit steep. Take your time to enjoy the route.

Located between Beauce and Perche, at the crossroads of the Loir Valley and the Route du Blé, Cloyes-sur-le-Loir is a sleeping beauty on the banks of the Loir. This pretty town combines modernity and heritage. The hike takes you through the countryside with its valleys, forests and rolling hills, which are sure to charm you.

Rated as easy, this hike crosses the Vibraye Forest. To make it a circular route, allow about 3 hours and do not leave the marked trail, which is public. Unlike the forest, which is private, the route is marked with round signs 10 cm in diameter reminiscent of the work of the forge. You are in the Haut Maine region. In the Middle Ages, this region was home to a significant metallurgical industry, made possible by the presence of iron ore, extracted from flint clay and quartz sand, as well as the large quantities of wood needed for the forges. The forest was managed by cutting down coppice wood every 18 years to renew the resource. The dominant species is oak, but the forest also consists of aspens, birches, chestnuts and pines. This pleasant route describes a craft activity through the display boards scattered around the former mining sites.

The village is characterised by the presence of the forest. This enabled its owner, the Marquis de Vibraye, to establish forges on the Braye river in Champrond in the early 17th century, where charcoal from the forest fuelled the furnaces producing pig iron and wrought iron until 1913. The trail partly follows the route taken by the convoys laden with heavy iron bars to the workshop in the hamlet of La Fenderie, on the pond of the same name. At La Bouverie, another vanished hamlet, eight houses provided accommodation for the forges’ carters, whilst charcoal burners and miners lived in makeshift huts. Now silent once more, the forest retains of this past activity only the network of paths. Part of it is now a Natura 2000 site.

A walk in the Cisse valley with its natural spaces and woodlands! Peaceful and quiet! The landscapes in Molineuf are strongly structured by the Cisse river and by wooded hillsides overlooking the valley with its more or less steep slopes. Several mills punctuate the course of the river and reinforce its presence.