Point de vue du Rocher aux Voleurs walks

This is the twenty-eighth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, connecting Milly-la-Forêt to the Ballancourt-sur-Essonne train station after crossing the French Gâtinais region. It is designed to follow on fromthe previous stage coming from Fontainebleau, after a night's stay there.This stage begins in the École valley, which boasts a rich heritage: Milly-la-Forêt, Moigny-sur-École, Courances and its château, and Dannemois, dear to Claude François. It continues through the fields of the Gâtinais, then the ridges and sandstone plateaus of the Grands Avaux forest, ending at Ballancourt-sur-Essonne in the valley of the same name.The stage is very beautiful but very long, and undoubtedly the most physically demanding of all those on the GR®11, especially in its second part. However, it is possible to split it in two by staying overnight and/or shorten it in several places by simplifying it.

After crossing the Rambouillet Forest in the previous stage, this section is a restful one. It takes you to Malesherbes station. This is one of the easiest stages of the GR®1. The start is at Le Vaudoué. It is the only stage of the GR®1 that does not start at a station. The hike alternates between sections in the woods and more rural sections. The first interesting sight on the route is the church in Le Vaudoué. The path then leads to the former Templar Commandery before crossing woods and fields towards the Essonne and Saint-Martin Church in Malesherbes.

A hike from station to station in the Essonne Valley. After climbing up through the Bois de Saint-Médard and crossing a cultivated plateau, you pass through the charming hamlets of Courdimanche. You walk alongside the river several times, cross a small island, and the Marais de Jarcy may be of interest to nature lovers. Several churches and a few wash houses are also along the way.

In the south of the Essonne department, this station-to-station hike alternates between forest paths, quiet country lanes and paths through the fields. Along the way, there is a wealth of heritage to discover: a mill, churches, a castle and a Neolithic grinding stone.

A hike from station to station with a significant forest component. In addition to a viewpoint, Rocher Bizet offers views of its plateau landscapes, with heathland, ponds and outcropping rocks.

A hike from Gironville-sur-Essonne station to Boigneville station via Malesherbes, following the Essonne river on a route with very little elevation gain. Malesherbes is located on the border of Seine-et-Marne and is crossed by the Essonne river. On the agenda: castle, wash house, river, narrow streets, ponds and mills, passing through the pretty villages of Buno-Bonnevaux and Rouville, following the GR®1.

Discover eleven ponds as you explore many iconic locations in the Forest of Fontainebleau: Gros Fouteau, Hauteurs de la Vallée de la Solle, Mare aux Ligueurs, Mare aux Bouleaux, Fontaine Sanguinède, Croix du Gand Veneur, Chaos d'Apremont, Mare aux Sangliers, Rocher Cuvier Chatillon, Mare aux Canards, à Dagneau, à Piat, Longues vallées, Rocher Canon, Mare aux Evées, aux Cerfs, Plaine de Bois-le-Roi, de Samois, Mare du Marchais, Samois-sur-Seine, Île du Berceau, la Tour Denecourt.

A walk from station to station showcasing the full diversity of southern Île-de-France! For the first two-thirds of the route, the path crosses back and forth over the River École, with its old mills and countless wash houses. You then wander across a plateau with its typical heathland landscape. The walk concludes with a route that is mainly through woodland. A castle and a few Romanesque or Gothic churches add to the rich heritage of this walk.

The Fontainebleau Forest is one of the most beautiful forests in France thanks to its varied landscapes and, above all, its sandstone blocks. This hike, which passes through the Cuvier-Châtillon rocks, the Apremont gorges and the rocks of Mont Ussy, will allow you to appreciate all its beauty but also its fragility, due to both natural erosion and that caused by heavy human traffic, given its proximity to the Paris region.

This stage of the GR®1 connects Bois-le-Roi to Le Vaudoué. It is the only stage that does not end at a train station. This hike is unique in that it crosses the Forest of Fontainebleau and its many beautiful rocks. There are several points of interest along this section, which is entirely forested: the tree at Carrefour des Longues Vallées, the rocks at Cuvier Chatillon, the viewpoint at Gorges d'Apremont and Gorges de Franchard (worth visiting if you don't mind walking a little further), as well as the Chapel of Prieuré Notre-Dame de Franchard and the church at Vaudoué.