Provins walks

Twenty-second stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11. A short stage connecting Longueville to Provins, allowing you to rest after the long previous stages crossing Brie. As the stage is short, we suggest starting with a short circular loop through the old town of Provins to discover its rich heritage.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the medieval walls of Provins are worth a visit in their own right! This urban walk, enhanced by waterways, allows you to discover the town's main sites and monuments: ramparts, Romanesque church and Gothic collegiate church, former convent, and the famous César Tower. The route was designed by the Pays du Provinois Community of Communes and marked by the FFRP.

A hike mainly through fields with a few passages through woods. There is some beautiful heritage in Sourdun (church, castle) and the route offers some beautiful views, albeit distant, of the Collegiate Church of Saint-Quiriace and the César Tower in Provins.

Starting from the charming village of Chalautre-la-Petite, this is a short hike through fields and woods on both banks of the Ruisseau des Méances stream.

Built high up, the church of Saint-Loup dominates the village and can be seen from afar. This beautiful example of Romanesque architecture in the Île-de-France region is the destination of this walk, which takes you along country lanes and woodland paths, as well as village footpaths, and runs alongside streams and the grassy embankment of an underground aqueduct. A bucolic and heritage-rich hike in a peaceful setting.

Alternating between fields and woods on either side of the Ru des Méances, this hike takes you to a 13th-century church and an old fountain, both dedicated to Saint Edme, who retired here at the end of his life.

Straddling the Voulzie and Ru des Méances rivers, this hike alternates between woodland and cultivated fields. The Chapelle de Lourps stands out from afar, while the Église de Chalmaison only reveals itself at the last moment. Two old water mills add to the charm of this route.

A hike from station to station that allows you to reach the town of Provins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on foot. From place to place, the route offers increasingly close views of the Upper Town of Provins. In a refreshing setting, the village of Chalautre-la-Petite also boasts an interesting heritage.

Twenty-third stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, and the first of a series of two stages, including this one, needed to connect the Longueville and Montereau stations, through the Montois and the Seine Valley.For this first stage of the diptych, we suggest spending the night in a bed and breakfast in Donnemarie-Dontilly, roughly halfway between the two stations, after a beautiful crossing of the Montois, in a landscape that is a little more varied and hilly than the Brie just to the north.

This is the twenty-first stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, and the last of the three stages through Brie between Coulommiers and Provins. It is still quite long but without any real difficulty.This stage completes the crossing of Brie, reaching Provins, whose iconic monuments (Caesar's Tower and the dome of the Collegiate Church of Saint-Quiriace) can be seen from afar in good weather, marking the destination of the stage!

Between woods and fields, discover three of the oldest churches in the Ile-de-France region. The approach to the church of Paroy, isolated on its hill, offers a beautiful sight. Two other churches, a few wash houses and old wells, and beautiful farmhouses complete this heritage-rich hike.

Twenty-fourth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, starting from Donnemarie-Dontilly after spending the night there at the end ofthe previous stage. This stage connects the Montois region to the Seine Valley and Montereau-Fault-Yonne, the confluence of the Seine and Yonne rivers. It thus transitions from an agricultural landscape to a marshland landscape in the valley, ending in a more urban environment.

Mostly dating from the late Middle Ages, fortified farms are a typical part of the architectural heritage of the Brie region. This walk takes you past several such farms, including the Fief de Bois-Poussin stronghold, and gives you the chance to discover the rich heritage of Nangis with its ancient fortified castle, church and market halls. The walk takes you along paths between fields and small roads with little traffic, and along the banks of the brooks that wind through this farming plain.

Across the Brie plain, discover a beautiful 13th-century church with fortification elements inherited from its Templar past.

The twentieth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, the second of three stages through Brie between Coulommiers and Provins, with two nights' accommodation in each place to make the most of the region. The stage is long but not difficult, with very little elevation gain.The stage is designed to follow directly on from the one coming from Coulommiers and precede directly the one going to Provins. But of course, there is nothing to stop you from dividing the route differently.

A short 3 km loop, marked in pink, starting from the Church of Saint-Victor, built in the 12th century and renovated in the 16th century.You will take a path that leads to the wetland area where there is an unusual Gustave Eiffel-style wash house.This wetland area contains several bubbling springs.In the wash house itself, you can already see a few bubbling springs.By skirting around this wetland area, you will follow the Yonne river to take the towpath, then go around the Grand Varennes estate with its park and mill, before returning to the town hall and village square after discovering the house of the regicide Jacques-Clément.

A country walk in the Aubetin valley, via Mauperthuis, Esse, the hamlet of Paradis and Saints, with mills and the river. Lots of quiet, pleasant little roads for when the paths are too muddy.Note: The annotations (*) refer to the chapter "During the hike or nearby".

Hike in the Forest of Malvoisine, starting from Mauperthuis, passing by the Chapel of Sainte-Aubierge, with its spring and wash house.

Nineteenth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, entirely in Brie, and first stage of a series of three necessary to connect Coulommiers station to Provins station, with two nights on site. As accommodation options are limited in the middle of Brie, it is suggested for this stage to head to La Ferté-Gaucher aerodrome, which is slightly off the GR® route, near which there is a hotel-restaurant where it is possible to spend the night. Although this adds several kilometres to the stage, it offers a good compromise between the length of this stage and the following ones, the longest possible route on the GR® and the proximity to Provins. But this is not the only option, of course: see the Practical Information section for other suggestions.

After walking through the Parc des Capucins and a few paths in Coulommiers, climb up to the former Commandery of the Knights Templar. The route continues mainly between cultivated fields with a few beautiful farmhouses along the way and the beautiful church of Aulnoy. After descending, follow the Grand Morin valley before a final short climb.

A hike starting from a train station, mainly through fields, with a shaded section through the Forêt de la Bretonnière.

From the medieval town of Coulommiers to Provins, via a loop around the Marne in the Paris suburbs, a series of walks starting from a station and crossing the Brie plain, its villages and its rich heritage.

This walk will allow you to discover the town of Coulommiers, its old houses, the Parc des Capucins, the Grand-Morin and its vannages, as well as the old slaughterhouse, which is currently being renovated. This is a walk without any particular difficulties.