Puits d'Enfer from Saint-Maixent-l'École

This short 9 km circular loop will take you to the Puits d'Enfer site. This site is famous for its legend and is an area of ecological interest due to the presence of rare species. There you will discover a breathtaking view of the town of Saint-Maixent-L'École and its abbey church.
You will walk along country lanes and small roads. You will follow the railway line linking La Rochelle to Paris and the Ruisseau du Puits d'Enfer stream, which is sometimes dry in summer.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.09 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 122 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 114 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 129 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 58 m

Photos

Description of the walk

The route starts at Place Denfert Rochereau, opposite the Salle Agapit.

(S/E) Head north-east along the side lane of the square and join the D611. Follow it to the right until you reach the bridge over the Ruisseau du Puits d'Enfer. Turn right onto the path just after the bridge and walk along the stream until you reach the first path on the left.

(1) Turn left onto this dirt track and head towards the house by the railway line. Walk alongside the track, then head towards Rue de la Maladrerie.

(2) Turn right onto this street and head towards the D611, which you will follow to the pedestrian crossing. Cross the road carefully (heavy traffic at certain times). Take Chemin de la Lanterne to the crossroads and turn right onto Chemin de la Cueille until you reach the first path on the left.

(3) Take this path uphill until you reach another path on the left, which you should continue along. Pass the small stone shelter and continue until, at the edge of the woodland, you reach the narrow path that leads to the site.

(4) Turn right and walk carefully along this narrow and sometimes very slippery path until you reach the top of a log staircase.

(5) Carefully descend the steps to reach a wooden footbridge crossing the stream. Cross to the other side and follow the stream as closely as possible, then head up to the left until you reach the striking tree on the right. Continue along this path, which levels out and then descends to another footbridge.

(6) Cross this footbridge and head back up towards the south-west. Take the steps on the right and reach the car park. Head north, cross the housing estate and reach the D121, which you follow to the right until the roundabout.

(7) Cross the road and take the Chemin de l’Ancienne Ligne downhill. Further down, cross the small road and take the grassy path opposite, which is blocked by wooden sleepers. Walk past the houses, reach the Impasse du Coteau and arrive at a crossroads.

(8) Take the small path opposite, between the houses, and reach Rue de Chausseroi, which you follow to the traffic lights.
Cross the junction and follow Rue de la Plaine. Just past the house, take the path on the right that runs alongside the road. Ignore the two streets on the right and head towards the glass recycling bins.

(9) Turn left into Rue du Lion, then left onto Avenue de Belfort. At the next junction, turn right into Rue Edmond Proust Chaumette and head towards the entrance to the Hall Denfert site

(10) Cross the car park, walking alongside the halls, to reach the paths surrounding Place Denfert. Take the path on the right until you reach the bank opposite. Turn left, cross the D611 and return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 60 m - Parking available on Place Denfert
  2. 1 : km 1.19 - alt. 58 m - Crossroads of dirt tracks
  3. 2 : km 2.12 - alt. 63 m - Crossroads: path/Rue de la Maladrerie
  4. 3 : km 3.06 - alt. 100 m - Crossroads: Chemin/Chemin de la Cueille
  5. 4 : km 3.71 - alt. 98 m - Junction
  6. 5 : km 4.15 - alt. 111 m - Log staircase
  7. 6 : km 5.08 - alt. 113 m - Wooden footbridge
  8. 7 : km 5.8 - alt. 128 m - Small roundabout
  9. 8 : km 6.73 - alt. 92 m - Junction of Impasse du Coteau and Rue J.P. Rameau
  10. 9 : km 7.86 - alt. 72 m - Glass recycling bins
  11. 10 : km 8.38 - alt. 64 m - Entrance to the Halle Denfert site
  12. S/E : km 9.09 - alt. 60 m - Parking available on Place Denfert

Notes

This walk, due to the section at Puits d'Enfer, is quite difficult and requires caution and, above all, suitable footwear, particularly in wet weather. Apart from crossing the D611, there are no hazards.
There are picnic facilities at the Puits d'Enfer site and refreshments available in Saint-Maixent-l'École.

Worth a visit

Saint-Maixent-l'École is an urban town with over 7,000 inhabitants covering an area of just 5 km².
It is a town built around its abbey church and home to other monuments, notably the Porte Chalon and the remains of Saint-Léger Church.
It has a military tradition and has been home to the National School for Active Non-Commissioned Officers since 1963.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Valine
Valine

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk; the Puits d'Enfer is slippery in wet weather.

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DOTOBER
DOTOBER

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 06, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk. The start in town is a bit of a let-down, but it’s a good idea to join a dirt track straight away to avoid the long stretch along the boulevard… the descent down the log steps is very slippery. Immediately after the footbridge, be sure to turn right to follow the stream on your left. I had to do some rock climbing because the stream had burst its banks. The end wasn’t great, right in the middle of the housing estates. Lovely views of St Maixent...

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MMH
MMH

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
Just a quick note regarding the route (end of stage 2, start of stage 3): The small path that goes uphill is the second one on the left, as the first one doesn’t go uphill and, more importantly, ends up in the middle of a dead-end field. But apart from that, the route is perfectly detailed.
The section through the woods is lovely, running alongside the water. However, it’s clearly not worth walking through the entrance to St Maixent and Nanteuil...
We did the route in February in lovely sunshine with a 4-year-old. The path is slightly slippery when you reach the interesting part of the walk, but it really wasn’t dangerous.
Thanks for the walk!

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philouis
philouis

Thank you for your message.
It’s certainly true that if you want a quiet time, you shouldn’t go on a Sunday.
In the ‘practical information’ section, it’s clearly stated that it’s ‘quite difficult’.
Enjoy your future hikes.

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mifo10
mifo10

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 : Yes

The Puits d'Enfer site is very busy (Sunday walk for families). The log steps are in poor condition, making this section a bit tricky. Please take care, especially if the ground is wet. After the first footbridge, head to the right to follow the stream as closely as possible and climb up to the remarkable tree.
Starting from the far end of Place Denfert-Rochereau, I clocked a distance of 8.27 km, completed in 2 hours and 5 minutes.
An excellent hike for anyone who isn’t put off by steep gradients.

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