Nogent-le-Rotrou, town of the Counts of Rotrou

A historical and heritage tour of the capital of the Perche region, following in the footsteps of Rotrou III, Count of the Perche, Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully, and Rémy Belleau, poet of the Pléiade.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 2.25 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 157 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 171 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 499 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 341 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Free parking available at the Château des Comtes du Perche.

(S/E) Near the entrance to the Château-Musée Saint-Jean (town sign), head down Ruelle des Marchés (or the adjacent street). Cross Rue du Pâty and continue down Rue Bourg-le-Comte (at no. 2, Maison du Chapitre; at no. 3, Hôtel de la Papotière).

(1) At the crossroads, turn right onto Rue Mauté-Lelasseux, cross the public garden passing in front of the bandstand and emerge onto Avenue Camille-Gaté. Head straight towards Place de la République and continue straight on along Avenue Clemenceau. At the post office, turn right up Rue de la Herse, cross Place Saint-Pol towards the town hall. At the crossroads, opposite, on Rue de Sully, is Notre-Dame Church (information plaques and Sully’s tomb; open to visitors from 9 am to 4.30 pm).

(2) Walk down Rue Villette-Gâté, pass the tourist office and turn left onto the pedestrianised Rue des Œillets des-Murs. Cross the square and continue right along Rue Rémy-Belleau.
Turn left onto Rue Saint-Hilaire, pass the Clos Couronnet on your right and walk along the left bank of the Ruisseau des Viennes. Cross Avenue des Prés and continue following the stream until you reach Rue de la Baignade. Turn left between the residential buildings.

(3) Turn left into Rue Paul-Deschanel, cross Rue Saint-Laurent and continue along Rue des Tanneurs. Turn left into Rue du Pressoir (Magistrates’ Court and former Saint-Denis Abbey, information plaques).

(4) Walk around Saint-Laurent Church or go under the porch and turn left into Rue Saint-Denis, then turn right into Rue Saint-Laurent (at no. 47, the former Bailli’s house).

(1) Turn right onto Rue du Docteur-Desplantes, cross Rue du Pâty (on the left, arts and crafts) and continue along Rue des Bouchers. At no. 17, take the stony path of La Culbute on the left, which leads to Château Saint-Jean (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 489 ft - Castle of the Counts of Perche - Château Saint-Jean
  2. 1 : mi 0.21 - alt. 348 ft - Crossroads at the end of the circular loop
  3. 2 : mi 0.74 - alt. 381 ft - Rue Villette-Gâté
  4. 3 : mi 1.16 - alt. 344 ft - Rue Paul-Des Charnel. Near the - Huine (
  5. 4 : mi 1.68 - alt. 341 ft - Saint-Laurent Church
  6. S/E : mi 2.25 - alt. 489 ft - Castle of the Counts of Perche

Notes

Route created in collaboration with the Eure-et-Loir Departmental Hiking Committee.
Follow the yellow markings.

Worth a visit

Things to do:
Aquaval
Percheron Canoe and Kayak Club
Perche Bike
OTC du Perche electric bike hire point

Cultural site:
17th-century Church of Notre Dame and the Nativity
Perche History Museum
Tomb of the Duke of Sully
Guided tour of the town of Nogent-le-Rotrou

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 2 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
4 / 5
banditxxx
banditxxx

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Done in fine weather, which is rare at the moment. Easy, entirely urban and therefore with a few rather dull sections. Château St Jean is well worth a visit (didn’t visit due to lack of time) and makes for a very pleasant picnic spot; do remember to look up at the façades as there are some nice sculptures and illuminations, regular and informative historical descriptions, and a few chapels/churches for enthusiasts; enjoyed the detour via St Hilaire (the area around the bridge spanning the arms of the Huisne is picturesque). We also visited Parc Daupeley, which is only of interest for a few remarkable trees, likely centuries old.

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Gill 90
Gill 90

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk taken on the afternoon of 27 September 2023. I had a bit of time to kill in Nogent-le-Rotrou, so this walk was perfect for me. I didn’t know the town at all, and the route allowed me to discover some beautiful monuments. The route runs entirely through urban areas, so there’s no risk of getting lost and it’s suitable for families. One thing to note: once you reach landmark no. 3, don’t hesitate to head on to St Hilaire Church. The round trip to the church will add barely 300 metres to the route.

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