La Grande Trappe Abbey Circular Route

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

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

(1) Take this path; it is the Route Forestière des Barres. Follow it straight on to reach a crossroads known as 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 to the D930.

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

(4) Continue 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 a clear view over the hedgerows. You’ll reach 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 leading 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 leads directly back to the starting point.

(6) Continue 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 then pass horse pastures and 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 have good walking shoes; I always find a walking stick useful, and don’t forget to bring water.
There is a wilder shortcut: right at the start of the walk, when you leave the hamlet of Les Barres, cross the D930, climb three-quarters of the way up the grassy path; on your right and slightly below is a bamboo grove. Stay on the higher ground and walk along the edge of the private property; you’ll find the path, though the entrance is a bit unclear. Just 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 branching off to your right will take you to the Soligny fitness trail and the Abbey. A GPS might be useful.

The former Barres dairy farm, which belonged to the abbey, and its old coaching inn
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 a bare clearing, then a field of broom, and now 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 available on request; the tree known as ‘Désespoir des Singes’ (Monkeys’ Despair), planted in 1895 in the abbey grounds.