Rugles walks

This route takes you along the Risle river before it flows into the Seine estuary at Berville-sur-Mer and through part of the Pays d'Ouche countryside.

Shortened version of the marked route starting from Ajou, retaining the interesting views of this high valley of the Risle, its mills, including the very pretty Rouge Moulin, the charming village of Champignolles and forest passages that are enjoyable in summer. On the other hand, the 4 km to Ajou are of little interest, hence the suggestion to start from the church of Saint Aubin. Yellow markings

In the centenary year of Maurice de Vlaminck's move to La Tourillière near Verneuil-sur-Avre, here is a journey through his heartland between Verneuil-sur-Avre and La Loupe. These towns are both served by railway stations that can be reached from Paris Montparnasse. Woods, fields and forests were the inspiration for many of the painter's works. With cloudy skies guaranteed, take a stroll through the landscapes that so strongly inspired this colourful, versatile artist, where he welcomed the greatest celebrities of his time.

To mark the centenary of Maurice de Vlaminck's move to La Tourillière near Rueil-la-Gadelière, a few kilometres from Verneuil-sur-Avre, recently renamed Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton, this tour offers a three-stage discovery of the region that inspired the painter.A hunter, fisherman, walker, cyclist, motorist and motorcyclist, he came to settle here to find peace and inspiration. From 1925 until his death in 1958, under an often changeable sky dotted with clouds, the painter tirelessly explored these landscapes of fields, copses and the vast forest of Senonches, in search of subjects for his many paintings.We will first go from Verneuil to La Ferté-Vidame, passing by his grave in the cemetery of Rueil, his bust sculpted by his friend Paul Belmondo in front of the town hall, and above all his home in La Tourillière, preserved in the state in which he lived.

Spend a day crossing fields, forests and greenways and discover the cultural and heritage treasures (churches, market halls, etc.) of the Pays de Conches community of municipalities.

This route pays tribute to eight airmen (three French, one Canadian and four American) who died in aerial combat between 1940 and 1944. Information panels are placed along the route. This route also offers views across the Vallons d’Épinay. The route can be covered as a single circular route of around twenty kilometres or as two circular routes of around ten kilometres each.

The painter Maurice de Vlaminck lived here, near Rueil-la-Gadelière, from 1925 until his death in 1958. This year marks the centenary of his arrival in the area. A three-day itinerary already allows you to cross his country from Verneuil-sur-Avre station to La Loupe station. Walkers who are unable to undertake this crossing can take one or more of the short circulars "In the footsteps of a Fauve". These allow you to discover the landscapes that inspired the painter."I love the countryside, not by accident, but continuously, and I spend my life there" This route, around the village of Rohaire, mainly crosses farmland. It partly follows the Buternay stream, coming from the ponds near the Chapelle de Réveillon and heading towards Rueil-la-Gadelière. After a stretch that is sometimes underground, it reappears at the Sources de la Vigne, where the streams from the vicinity of La Ferté-Vidame converge. Their waters are collected there and piped to Paris.

The painter Maurice de Vlaminck lived here, near Rueil-la-Gadelière, from 1925 until his death in 1958. This year marks the centenary of his arrival. A three-day itinerary already allows you to cross his country from the Verneuil-sur-Avre station to the La Loupe station. Walkers who are unable to undertake this crossing can take one or more of the short circulars "In the footsteps of a Fauve". These allow you to discover, in detail, the landscapes that inspired the painter. This one, starting from Boissy-lès-Perche, follows the valley of the Ruisseau de Buternay. After crossing the ponds near the Chapelle de Réveillon, it flows towards the Avre, joined by other streams. Their courses, partly underground, reappear at the source of the Vigne, where their waters are collected and carried to Paris via a 100 km aqueduct.Landscapes of cereal fields cut by the stream, wide horizons from which you can soon see the bell tower of the church of Verneuil.

This hike, known mostly only to locals, is a little gem for a relaxing walk with friends or as a couple. There are lots of animals along the way, including wild animals, but also donkeys, Percheron horses, sheep and goats.

At the start of the route, discover the Château de Beaumesnil, known as "Le Mesnil Royal", a remarkable Baroque monument listed as a historic monument, which invites you to discover its furnished interior and its collection of antique bindings before strolling through its 60-hectare park and French gardens.

A trail in the heart of the Perche Regional Nature Park, in the Bresolettes Forest Glade Regional Nature Reserve.

Far from the towns and the hustle and bustle of human activity, enjoy a bucolic stroll through the woods and meadows of Normandy. Starting from Place de la Noë, 2 km from the village of Romilly-la-Puthenaye, the mainly forest paths offer a very pleasant walk leading to the old Moulin de Bougy mill in the Risle valley.

This loop, on the edge of the Perche region, leads from La Chapelle-Fortin to La Ferté-Vidame. Close to the Perche, it is divided between two types of landscape, both of which are represented by the painter Maurice de Vlaminck: vast expanses of crops under cloudy skies and woods with gnarled trees. Living in La Tourillière near Rueil-la-Gadelière from 1925 to 1958, the artist frequently visited the neighbouring villages in search of inspiration: churches, villages buried under snow, paths lined with bare trees. The circuit leads to La Ferté-Vidame, a town with a rich historical past: a medieval fortress where the Duke of Saint-Simon wrote his memoirs, which became the palace of the Marquis de Laborde, Louis XV's wealthy banker, a small château converted by Louis-Philippe into outbuildings and recently restored by the Eure-et-Loir Departmental Council, the new owner of the site. La Ferté-Vidame is also home to horse races held in summer at the Pipe-Souris racecourse.

Beneath the seemingly peaceful surface of the Baine (or Benne) pond, there is a whole world of plants and animals. The route, which starts in this hamlet in the commune of Rueil-la-Gadelière, takes you around the Bois de la Noë, passing by the farms of Bois Normand and Rueil. It is located south of Verneuil d'Avre et d'Iton, at the gateway to Normandy. Return via the hamlets of Les Bruyères and Le Canada.

Cette randonnée vous fera arpenter des chemins boisés et champêtres, des zones naturelles protégées, permettra à toute la famille d'accéder à des parcours sportifs, et vous fera découvrir de magnifiques manoirs normands chargés d'histoire. Les petits comme les grands passeront un bon moment entre nature et architecture.

Starting from Morvilliers, this loop takes you to the sites where a tragic episode unfolded during the final days of the Maquis de La Ferté-Vidame in August 1944.It first leads to the farm of Mary Thibault, the instigator of the Maquis. It then crosses the Bois de Malassis, where the Maquisards hid after machine-gunning a German car, killing the driver and the secretary of the Kommandantur of La Ferté-Vidame This action triggered the fury of the SS, who, after searching the neighbouring farms in vain, arrested three young members of the Maquis in the hamlet of Les Rayers. They were taken to the nearby Château du Gland, where they were tortured. The first man was shot on 11 August in front of his comrades. The next day, the other two were also executed. They had to dig their own graves. A commemoration takes place every year in the clearing and at the cemetery in Morvilliers, where the bodies were returned after the Liberation.

Starting from Lamblore Town Hall, this circular leads to La Ferté-Vidame, where you will find reminders of historical figures: The Dukes of Saint-Simon, the father, who after acquiring the estate had the parish church built, and the son, the famous memoirist, the Marquis de Laborde, who had a sumptuous palace built, the romantic ruins of which still remain, and laid out a huge park. King Louis-Philippe wanted to restore this building, which had been dismantled after the Revolution, to its former glory, but he was only able to build the "Petit Château" (small castle)...A detailed tour of the village and park is a must. The return journey takes you past the former Citroën test centre, a mecca for the automotive industry. This is where the most famous models of the chevron brand were developed: the Traction Avant, the 2CV, the DS, the Ami 6, the SM... After passing the Champ-Brulé equestrian centre, the route returns to the village via the beautiful Chemin du Mortripié, which has been reopened by the local council.