A circular loop through the Sologne region starting from the Domaine du Ciran

Starting from the Ciran campsite, this short walk will introduce you to the many facets of the Sologne region: castles, a pond, forests, heathland, ducks, grebes and, with a bit of luck, roe deer and wild boar.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.85 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 66 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 82 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 453 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 387 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at the car park at the entrance to the Domaine du Ciran

(S/E). From the car park, head towards the campsite, passing the turn-off for the château on your right.

Yellow-red markings

(1) At the crossroads, continue straight on along the grassy path, ignoring the hard-surfaced tracks leading to the campsite on the left and the Ciran farm on the right. Stick to the busiest path, as the side tracks are private.

(2) The route curves to the left and ends where it meets a road; take this road to the left with care.

No signposting

(3) Continue along the small road until you reach the D108.

(4) At the junction with the departmental road, carry on straight ahead. Pass the first turn-off to Grand Boisgenceau on the right.

(5) At the next junction, leave the tarmac and take a forest track on the left, towards ‘Écurie des deux étangs’, signposted ‘le Ciran 2’. The track runs alongside the Bouchebrand estate.

(6) At the Fork in the road, follow the sign for ‘le Ciran 1’ to the left, turning your back on the turn-off for Marcilly-en-Villette. Stick to the busiest track, which leads to the Château de Louan.

(7) Once past the château, keep left at the Fork in the road, staying on the hard-surfaced track that runs alongside the farm buildings. Cross the main road to return to the starting point in the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 446 ft - Car park at the entrance to the - domaine du Ciran
  2. 1 : mi 0.12 - alt. 446 ft - Grassy path
  3. 2 : mi 0.87 - alt. 387 ft - Left-hand bend
  4. 3 : mi 1.48 - alt. 446 ft - Junction
  5. 4 : mi 2.16 - alt. 446 ft - Crossing the D108
  6. 5 : mi 2.68 - alt. 446 ft - Écurie des deux Étangs
  7. 6 : mi 3.14 - alt. 394 ft - Junction - Étang de la Cour
  8. 7 : mi 3.52 - alt. 433 ft - Château de Louan
  9. S/E : mi 3.85 - alt. 446 ft - Car park at the entrance to the - domaine du Ciran

Notes

This route includes 2 km of quiet road. However, you should still take care as some vehicles may be travelling at high speed between points (3) and (4).

Worth a visit

The Domaine du Ciran offers a wide range of activities: an educational trail, farm tours, camping and accommodation.

Nearby, the pretty villages of Marcilly-en-Villette and Ménestreau-en-Villette are well worth a visit.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 3 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
2.7 / 5
Jean-Louis Pinault
Jean-Louis Pinault

Thank you for your comments,
The appeal of this route is that it starts from the Domaine du Ciran, which may be of interest to campers. I haven’t found a version of it that is entirely off-road. I’ve noted in the description that there is a 2 km stretch of road.
So hikers won’t be caught off guard,
Have a good day,
Jean-Louis

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sossorando
sossorando

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

Too much driving and heavy traffic on the road

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Emma-jade
Emma-jade

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

''We enjoyed this well-signposted circular walk, set in the heart of the countryside, although for our liking there was a bit too much tarmac on the route.

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Jean-Louis Pinault
Jean-Louis Pinault

Thank you for this objective description of the walk. I’ve added a few details to the description.

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LucBell
LucBell

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Broadly speaking, the route is divided into three sections.
The first and third sections are the most interesting, taking you along some very pleasant forest tracks. The second section is a connecting stretch on the road, which is of less interest, particularly as this road, described as a minor road, is in fact quite busy, with some vehicles even driving at high speed.
The third section is the most interesting, culminating in a visit to the magnificent site of Louan Castle.

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