La Grande Trappe Abbey Circular Route

Park at a place called Les Barres in the commune of Les Genettes; it’s mainly a short, narrow street.

(S/E) Join the main road running perpendicular to the D930; continue to the right for 30 metres and, on the other side of the D930, head up the forest track marked by a wooden gate. Continue to the top of the climb to enter the Perche Regional Park. Here, a long, straight path appears ahead of you.

(1) Take this path; it is the Route Forestière des Barres. Follow it straight on until you reach a crossroads called the Rond de la Trappe.

(2) Take the^first road on the right – this is the Route Forestière de la Trappe; there is also a sign pointing towards the Abbaye de la Trappe. Follow the road until you reach the D930.

(3) Turn right onto this road, then take the^first left, following the sign for the D251 Abbaye de la Trappe. Drive alongside the Étang de Chaumont, passing the abbey shop and the abbey itself.

(4) Carry on, following the signs for ‘Route des Forêts et Abbayes’ and ‘Soligny-la-Trappe’, down a gentle slope with a medieval tower on your right, then enjoying an unobstructed view of the bocage. You’ll come to a crossroads marked by a wayside cross.

(5) Take the road to the right of the cross for 20 metres, then turn right again onto a path that leads into the Perche-Trappe State Forest, marked by a brown sign. The first flat section under the trees curves slightly to the right; simply follow the path, which runs straight on without any detours, back to the starting point.

(6) Carry on straight ahead; do not take the path branching off to the left, which is off-limits anyway. Walk past a tree with two signs nailed to it: ‘FCO Private Hunting Ground’ and ‘Private Property’. Continue along the correct path for 50 metres before reaching a wooden bridge spanning the River Itonne, where you can see a pond in a clearing. The path narrows and continues up a gentle slope surrounded by ferns. You will then pass horse pastures, a barn (a large building) and a raised pond on the right before reaching the Barres car park (S/E).

Always check the hunting season dates
Just make sure you’ve got good walking shoes – I always find a walking stick useful – and take some water with you.
There’s a wilder shortcut: right at the start of the walk, as you leave the hamlet of Les Barres, cross the D930, then climb three-quarters of the way up the grassy path; on your right, slightly below, you’ll find a bamboo grove. Stay on the higher ground and walk alongside the private property; you’ll find the path, though the entrance is a bit unclear. Simply follow the path; after a while, you’ll see a small pond on your left in the forest. Carry on for another 100 metres and a small path running perpendicular to your right will take you to the Soligny fitness trail and the Abbey. A GPS may be useful.

The former Barres dairy farm, which belonged to the abbey, and its old stagecoach post
On the Route Forestière des Barres, depending on the season, you can gather chestnuts or mushrooms – but only if you know what you’re doing. The clearing on the left has been planted with numerous fruit trees, and you’re free to help yourself.
NB: this clearing was created when the 1999 storm uprooted almost all the trees; initially it was a bare clearing, then a field of broom, and has now been replanted with trees, including fruit trees.
In the final section of the Route Forestière de la Trappe, there are majestic hundred-year-old pines on the left.
The Soligny fitness trail
The Étang de Chaumont, dug by the monks many years ago, is an idyllic spot for a picnic.
La Trappe Abbey, with its shop selling the famous homemade fruit jellies, and a drinking water spring. Tours of the abbey are available on request; the tree known as ‘Désespoir des Singes’ (Monkeys’ Despair), planted in 1895 in the abbey grounds.