In the Chevreuse Valley

A beautiful hike to discover the beautiful sights of the Chevreuse valley: the Chatillonmill, the castle of Dampierre, the blacksmith’s, the villages of Fourcherolles, Senlisse and Choisel, Méridon castle, the village of Chevreuse and its small bridges along the Yvette, and Château de la Madeleine.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.95 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,096 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,119 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 577 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 256 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

(S) Easy parking available near the cemetery of Chevreuse.
This circuit can also be done by mountain bike (although not by hybrid bike).

(1) Park the car in the car park of the Chevreuse cemetery on "Rue de Dampierre" (opposite number 63 bis).
Climb the (steep) “Ruelle aux Boeufs”, pass “Ferme de Jagny" and head down to the end of the road (pottery), turn left (follow the GR11). (2)

At the D91 (on top of 17 Tournants hill) go left and after 40 metres, take the path right. Continue to St-Forget le Mesnils Sevin following the GR 11. On leaving the wood, turn right then immediately left on “Rue de la Roncerie").

(3) At a fork, turn downhill to the left on Allée de la Butte Ronde. Continue following the PNR; halfway down the hill (at a fork) take the left path and continue straight. Down the path, pass by the first road to the left and, at the fork, turn left (crossing a stream) (4) to pass the "Moulin de Chatillon equestrian centre”.

At the D58, turn left then after a few tens of metres head right onto “Rue Pierreuse".
After about 200 m, at the “Parc de Dampierre" post (located on the embankment on the left), leave the street on the left (at a lamppost) to admire the magnificent view of the Château de Dampierre. (5)
Back on the street and go up to "Iron House", a vestige of the World Fair of 1889 (water point at the rock barring the way)
(6) On top of the hill after a flat section, go up to a pylon and, at its base, then take the (PNR) path marked in blue and white on the left past the barrier at a yellow sign that reads “Parc Régional de la Vallée de Chevreuse".
Continue for about 800 m to the junction with the GR. Then take the GR on the left downhill (a fairly steep descent) to the village of Fourcherolles.
Down the road (follow the GR signs) take “Rue de la Butte Rouge" then left at the crossroads, on the right “Route de Fourcherolle").
Continue straight ahead, leaving the GR on the right and crossing a small village by “Rue de la Brèche" (do not take “Rue du Boulet" on the right) to get on the D91 (water and shelter available) (7).

Head along the D91 on the right for a hundred metres and then take the first left (very little traffic) at the exit sign for Dampierre.
Pass “Moulin d’Aulne" and continue towards Senlisse by “Rue du Moulin d’Aulne".
After leaving “Rue du Couvent" on the right, in a turn in front of No. 5 turn left up a path (follow the blue and white markings), cross a wide path then, at the top of the steep slope, turn on the 2nd left to pass in front of the equestrian centre.

(8) In front of the centre, go left and then, at the turn-off to the right, continue straight on the road without taking the road (leave the blue and white marked route).
Down the road, turn right onto a long grassy path; continue on the path that enters the woods. At the end of the road after passing a parker post for “Park de Dampierre", turn right (this is the only option) along the wall of the Château de Dampierre. Down the road, turn left to go down to the D906.
(9) Cross it and follow along for a few metres then take “Rue de la Maison Forte” on the right towards Choisel at the sawmill (probably the last in the region).
Go to the church of Choisel and in the square, turn left rue the laundry (grilles on the square are those of the Château de Breteuil).
Go past an old washhouse and at the crossroads, turn left on “Route de la Rimonière".
(10) Pass in front of the "Le Talu" holiday centre then, at the first junction, opposite “Chemin de St-Forget" and a thatched house, take the hill up to the right

N.B. If you wish, you can reach Chevreuse by the road continuing straight and taking the circuit at the Chemin des Petits Ponts.

(11) Stay on the main path and, at the top of the climb, arrive at a wide forest lane and turn left to Méridon castle.
Coming out of the woods, take a left and a second left to reach Méridon castle.
Cross the road and go straight.
Head down to Chevreuse (take care on gravelly and slippery descent if it is raining) and, further down the road, turn left.
You will discover a beautiful view of Chevreuse and Château de la Madeleine.
On reaching the road, then turn left at the crossroads right.
Pass the park entrance, cross the Yvette then go right on Chemin des Petits Ponts
(12) (opposite the Sente de l’Ave Maria)
.
(If you're tired, you can turn left, on the "Sente de l’Ave Maria" to meet up with Rue du Dampierre D58 taking you left back to the car park (500 m)).

Follow the “Chemin des Petits Ponts”, one of the sights in Chevreuse, along the Yvette (washrooms, tanner). After the “tanner’s”, cross the Yvette over the bridge (on the left) to reach the town hall square.
Take the main street, "Rue de la Division Leclerc”, on the left to “Rue Lalande" (supermarkets open every day, including Sunday morning, bakeries, bars, pharmacies).

(If you do not want to visit the castle of the Madeleine (which would be a shame), you can reach the car park by the "rue de Dampierre" (500 m)).

Take “Rue Lalande" on the right
Enjoy a short stop to taste the cocktails of syrups at No. 9
Pass opposite the Cabaret des Lys, a location made famous by Jean Racine.
Do not forget to visit St Martin's Church, on the left, famous for its ambulatory.
Cross the "Place des Halles", turn left and then turn right, after about fifty metres, “Chemin Jean Racine" (a steep climb) to the Château de la Madeleine; you can take the stairs or stay on the path.
At the castle, you can pay it a visit (free entry) and admire the view of Chevreuse and its valley.
Then continue on the road (water refill point at the square, under the tree) and take “Route de la Brosse" on the left (follow the yellow sign for "Port Royal”)
Continue on the road and take the second road on the left (no entry sign states "except residents") which goes down towards Chevreuse as far as the square
Cross the D13, “Place Simone Weil”, and take the path in front lined with trees (Allée des Tilleuls).

(Warning: if you do the bike tour, you must turn left onto the D13 to reach the car park.)

After a hundred metres, after a bend to the right, arrive at the green gate of a private property, take a left on a narrow, dug-out path (along the cedar hedge of private property)
Down the road, turn left (Rue du 8 Mai 1945) to get to the crossroads of the "Rue de Dampierre" (D58) where you turn right to reach, after a hundred metres, the car park where you'll get a well-deserved rest.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 302 ft - Cemetery car park
  2. 1 : mi 1.26 - alt. 541 ft - Pottery
  3. 2 : mi 2.44 - alt. 541 ft - Left fork
  4. 3 : mi 2.99 - alt. 302 ft - Crossing a stream.
  5. 4 : mi 3.4 - alt. 410 ft - View of Dampierre castle.
  6. 5 : mi 3.66 - alt. 505 ft - Iron House
  7. 6 : mi 4.29 - alt. 351 ft - Bottom of the path, on the left
  8. 7 : mi 4.7 - alt. 328 ft - Shelter and water point.
  9. 8 : mi 6.14 - alt. 568 ft - Equestrian centre
  10. 9 : mi 7.51 - alt. 364 ft - D 906.
  11. 10 : mi 7.97 - alt. 354 ft - Left, Route de la Rimonière
  12. 11 : mi 8.48 - alt. 358 ft - Crossroads, uphill on the right
  13. 12 : mi 9.33 - alt. 505 ft - Road, opposite
  14. 13 : mi 10.24 - alt. 259 ft - To the right, Chemin des Petits Ponts
  15. 14 : mi 10.57 - alt. 259 ft - Crossing the - Yvette (l')
  16. 15 : mi 10.82 - alt. 276 ft - Rue Lalande on the right
  17. 16 : mi 11.21 - alt. 466 ft - Château de la Madeleine
  18. 17 : mi 11.47 - alt. 299 ft - Path opposite under a porch
  19. 18 : mi 11.58 - alt. 276 ft - On the left, Rue Jean Mermoz
  20. S/E : mi 11.95 - alt. 302 ft - Cemetery car park

Notes

Several water points and shelters.

All shops available in Chevreuse including a "Carrefour" supermarket open every day, even on Sunday morning

Hiking poles can be useful because some climbs are a bit steep and sometimes passages are muddy after rain.

Worth a visit

The Chatillon Mill, the castle of Dampierre, the Maison de Fer, the village of Choisel, Castle Méridon, the village of Chevreuse, small bridges, church and Château de la Madeleine.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 205 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 8832124

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

An enjoyable visit with views of the châteaux of Dampierre and Méridon

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marie&jumeaux2015
marie&jumeaux2015

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,

What a lovely surprise – we hadn’t been to the Chevreuse Valley before. Unfortunately, in the Île-de-France region, it’s difficult to avoid roads during day trips when you’re trying to stick to routes without villages.
Nevertheless, there’s a surprising choice in Choisel at the junction of Rue des Marronniers and Rue de la Rimonière: you’re supposed to carry on along the road, but looking at the map you can see that several footpaths lead to Stage 12 in a much more pleasant way. We managed this easily by following the map. It’s worth checking whether you can take the path directly opposite when you leave Rue du Lavoir,
Note that in this village, restaurants are open until 2 pm; an improvement to the Viso Rando app would be nice,
The path had been well cleared of fallen branches, except after the Malvoisine stud farm and the fortified farm – that was quite an adventure…
In Chevreuse, you need to leave the trail and follow the advice from the tourist office; the town is indeed very pretty – a lovely reward. There’s no food available at the château (though there is a shop selling biscuits), but there’s some very good ice cream or syrup to enjoy before the climb. If you’re doing the walk from Chevreuse, the deli is a lovely find if you fancy filling your sandwiches. Yes, carrots are always a must for my 11-year-old twins, who’ve been coming with me since they were tiny.
In any case, even though it’s quite a way from home, we’ll definitely be doing it again. Depending on the season, it must be magical, and when the leaves fall, there are some lovely heritage surprises in store. But perhaps starting from Chevreuse – besides, I’ve spotted several ways to catch the RER, and I’ll have a closer look at the tarmac sections.

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papatom
papatom

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

One of my favourite walks in the Paris region, combining a long, undulating route – mostly in the shade but not at all difficult – with a stroll through the charming town of Chevreuse.
A few tips: the car park at the cemetery at the start is often full if you arrive after 10.30 am on Sundays…
The path between 8 and 9, just as you reach the edge of the woods, is hard to find. Make sure you follow the map carefully!
Finally, between 10 and 11, there’s a well-marked path running parallel to the road.
One final advantage of this route: it’s not greatly affected by bad weather.

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OlivieroGif
OlivieroGif

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant walk, mostly in the shade, which is no bad thing in this heatwave

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msch
msch

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 17, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It really is a great route for exploring the Chevreuse Valley.
There are quite a few different woodlands to cool off in.
A bit of tarmac, not too busy, and the ‘little bridges’ section is really lovely.
A lovely time!

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valmessage
valmessage

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk taken on a weekday on 30 April in sunny weather, mostly through woodland, passing through some pretty villages.
A few fairly steep ascents and descents.
Picnic tables at point 12 for a break in the Merindon Forest
And to finish, the very pretty village of Chevreuse, and a breathtaking view of the Chevreuse Valley from the Château de la Madeleine at point 16.

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User 28270677

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk despite the -3°C temperature.
We didn't go up to the Château de la Madeleine, but the route is very nice.
I recommend it, and with Visorando's GPS it's really convenient.

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lidi
lidi

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, magnificent autumn colours, light rain and sunshine, lovely trails... Everything was great

Except:
Departure (and return) from Saint Rémy Les Chevreuse station.
On the way there, the explanations at the end of the documentation need to be changed as they are incomplete and unworkable.
Follow the route using GPS.
Indicate to go directly to the cemetery, so do not take the cycle path, enter the village and continue.

Other than that, everything is fine!
The fine team of senior hikers who covered the 23/24 km with a smile

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MICBOU
MICBOU

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route around the castles of the valley, passing through several charming villages.
Not too difficult. A few rocky sections and some with lots of roots.
No problem following the GPS track.
Very few people.
Very pleasant finish in the village of Chevreuse... Chemin des Petits Ponts and Château de la Madeleine.
However, the village is rather quiet at this time of year...

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User 26569445

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very good route with few visitors.
The climb to reach point 8 is very steep.
The village of Chevreuse lacks pubs/bars to quench your thirst.
The water bridges indicated on the map are not working.

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User 26274008

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We must have crossed paths with two other groups doing the hiking trail, which isn't very busy. There were still some cyclists, though.

The view of the castle is beautiful!

However, the water points are not working. If you're planning to hike here, make sure you take plenty of water with you.

In some areas, the network isn't great. For the journey, it's best to download the entire route or a map of the hiking area.

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Kristie
Kristie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike that is easy to follow.
No problems following the route, which is on dry paths.
A bit too much walking through residential areas and therefore on tarmac for my liking on some sections around Senlisse and Choisiel.
Please note: the cemetery car park was full when I arrived. It is used by locals who repair their cars there.

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JulWRC
JulWRC

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice, pleasant walk.
There were quite a few dwellings along the way, but they didn't get in the way.

On the other hand, the nearby airfield with its constant stream of small planes and helicopters wasn't great.

There was a mountain bike race on the day, but it was fine and there were no problems living together.

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XavierRT
XavierRT

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route, in the heart of nature, which we extended on arriving from the Saint Rémy les Chevreuses RER station.

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Ravidu91
Ravidu91

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very nice, well thought-out walk, mostly through woods, with some really minimal sections along roads.

Please note that the Butte Rouge area in Dampierre with the GR section of the Bois de la Crêne and the Rue de l'Erable (end of point (5) and beginning of point (6)) are effectively inaccessible for the time being due to bad weather. In addition to the uneven terrain on the way out of the woods, the carriageway on rue de l'Erable is completely broken up and impassable, with barriers in place. Rather than take the steep descent of the GR, we recommend following the path furthest to the left, which is less uneven and leads to the other side of the route de Fourcherolles. Once out of the woods, turn right onto the road, then turn left at the crossroads onto the route de Fourcherolles and follow the recommended route.

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