Saint-Germain-sur-École walks

A varied country walk, passing by the Moulin de Dannemois and the Verrerie d'Art de Soisy-sur-École. Duration: Allow extra time if you want to see the master glassmakers at work (free of charge). Avoid during hunting season.

A mainly forest hike during which, in an atmosphere reminiscent of the nearby Fontainebleau Forest, you pass two small peaks (the mounds) and wander through the chaos of sandstone blocks of the Rocher du Duc.

A loop that starts with a steep climb between the rocks, then alternates between forest and plateau sections and shorter sections between fields. After a stretch along the edge of the woods, the hike ends on the wide grassy bank of the underground aqueduct of La Vanne and Le Loing.

Visit a village in the Gâtinais Français Regional Nature Park and its surroundings: vernacular heritage, wash houses, the École river,

Une longue randonnée avec le joli village de Beauvais, des sous-bois comme la forêt des Grands Avaux, les très beaux Rocher du Duc et Roches aux Dames avec leurs points de vue, qui rappellent Fontainebleau, la Tour du Buisson et les 100 marches de l'aqueduc de la Vanne et du Loing à Champcueil. Les (*) dans le descriptif renvoient à la rubrique "Pendant la randonnée ou à proximité"

In addition to fields and woods, this hike passes through three villages: Dannemois, where Claude François had his second home (Le Moulin), Courances and its château, and Moigny-sur-École.

A circular loop through the fields and woodlands between Champcueil, Soisy-sur-École and Nainville-les-Roches, following part of the GR®11 trail. It nevertheless includes some beautiful terrain, such as the Grand Tertre and the Crête des Rochers du Duc in the Grands Avaux forest, offering stunning views of the surrounding area and even as far as Paris on a clear day.

A short but challenging hike in a small departmental forest with a diversity of landscapes worthy of its larger neighbour, Fontainebleau: varied undergrowth, rocky outcrops and climbing boulders, old sandstone quarries, flat rock formations, viewpoints, etc.

An original way to get to the Château de Courances: on foot! This short hike goes around the outside of the park, with the first half rich in heritage (churches, mill, wash house, etc.) and the second half more bucolic, ending on an educational trail dedicated to fruit trees.

Discover the remarkable trees of the Junipéraie area in the Coquibus forest.

A short hike that alternates between forest and fields, with a pleasant route on a plateau. You can see a Neolithic polishing stone and an old sandstone quarry.

Enjoy a country walk in the valley and on the slopes of L'École, with its mills, wash houses, castles and the town park. Be careful of muddy conditions during rainy periods.

Alternating between dirt tracks, undergrowth and small roads, passing through the Coudray forest, the Bois d'Épignon, the Garenne de la Padôle and the Bois de la Valette, crossing the village of Mondeville and its church.

This hike will allow you to discover a wide variety of landscapes on a relatively short route, as well as some historical remains along the way.

This route goes around the Coquibus Massif, in a little-known and little-used area that is generally shaded. There are some beautiful views of the Courance Plain to the north and the forest to the south. The Vanne Aqueduct and the Cent Marches are the main points of interest.

A varied walk through woods that will then take you along ponds and the banks of the Seine.

Barbizon, the city of painters. There are numerous frescoes on the walls of the Grande Rue, depicting the paintings of our great artists. And there is a natural rock sculpture representing "the Elephant".

From the village of Arbonne, take a tour of the various plateaus to see some of the curiosities of the Fontainebleau forest, such as a small mausoleum, an engraved canopy, a cave, a quarryman's shelter, etc.

This circuit offers a large loop that connects Barbizon to the Rocher de Milly, passing through Isatis and the Rochers des Sablons (very beautiful sandstone quarries). It then joins the Hurlevent viewpoint, crosses the beautiful and wild Touche aux Mulets plateau, then, after crossing the Rocher de Milly again, reaches Franchard, the Gorges d'Apremont and the André Billy viewpoint. Many "wild" and unfrequented sections.

This is the twenty-eighth stage of the Grand Tour of Île-de-France via the GR®11, connecting Milly-la-Forêt to the Ballancourt-sur-Essonne train station after crossing the French Gâtinais region. It is designed to follow on fromthe previous stage coming from Fontainebleau, after a night's stay there.This stage begins in the École valley, which boasts a rich heritage: Milly-la-Forêt, Moigny-sur-École, Courances and its château, and Dannemois, dear to Claude François. It continues through the fields of the Gâtinais, then the ridges and sandstone plateaus of the Grands Avaux forest, ending at Ballancourt-sur-Essonne in the valley of the same name.The stage is very beautiful but very long, and undoubtedly the most physically demanding of all those on the GR®11, especially in its second part. However, it is possible to split it in two by staying overnight and/or shorten it in several places by simplifying it.

The route is mainly through forest, with a few small sandstone rocks in places, starting from the centre of Milly-la-Forêt with its rich heritage (church, wash houses, castle).

This long hike takes you on a fairly comprehensive tour of the magnificent Coquibus massif: heather-covered plateaus and water holes, deciduous woods, rocks, viewpoints, the Vanne aqueduct (sandstone steps), etc.

Une randonnée qui passe du plateau du Coquibus à celui des Belvédères afin de varier les paysages et les points de vue. Cette randonnée se fait à la demi-journée. Le détour par le "Chapeau de Napoléon" est supprimé: passage trop délicat pour un intérêt limité.

A hike that alternates between villages rich in heritage (old market hall, churches, wash houses, castle) and a trail through the Forêt des Trois Pignons dotted with sandstone rocks.

A hike in a little-visited part of the Forêt des Trois Pignons, through several biological reserves. This varied route alternates between forest paths, trails that wind between rocks and open stretches on flat rock outcrops. This hike requires a good sense of direction.

A short walk through the varied landscapes of the Forêt des Trois Pignons, which can be the destination for a family outing, especially with young children.

This circuit connects the Gorges d'Apremont and the Gorges de Franchard, passing by the beautiful viewpoint of Camp d'Arbonne and offering a little-known view of the Désert d'Apremont. It uses some sections of the Denecourt-Colinet trails, runs along some peaceful paths with poetic names and passes by the beautiful Mare aux Sangliers.

This hike begins by winding its way through the boulders of the Gorges d'Apremont and ends, more high up, on the plateaus. It is a fairly open route, pleasant in winter, but busier in spring and summer due to its proximity to Barbizon.

A half-day walk that takes you to the Tour de La Vierge, the Vanne and Loing aqueducts, and the Hurlevent and Hautes Plaines viewpoints. All this while following part ofthe GR®®11through beautiful rock formations and quiet connecting paths where you can relax. Please note: the walk is 14 km long with a 300 m elevation gain. It is quite challenging for a relatively short hike.

A hike punctuated by three beautiful viewpoints, alternating between good forest paths and trails that wind between the rocks.

This walk allows you to discover one of the meanders of the Seine, with lovely views of the right bank with Morsang, the Rougeau forest and Seine-Port. On the way, you can stop to discover the circular wash house in Tilly.

This hike showcases much of the diverse landscape of the Fontainebleau Forest: rocky outcrops, plateaus, deciduous forests, pine forests, heathland, ponds and sweeping views.

A walk that takes in several forest viewpoints and passes through little-known areas and quiet paths. Moderately challenging with some steep climbs.

The Massif des Trois Pignons is situated on the edge of Fontainebleau forest. The walk takes you past the Rocher des Guetteurs, the Sables du Cul du Chien, the Diplodocus, and the Rocher de la Tortue.

A beautiful hike with some elevation gain in the wildest and most beautiful areas of the Trois Pignons massif. It combines the beautiful Dénécourt trail no. 16 (the Sentier des Belvédères via the Laris Qui Parle) with a more athletic section of the Circuit des 25 Bosses. Actual elevation gain (altimeter measurement): 580m.

A long route through the Trois Pignons massif, offering a different perspective on this massif and the 25 bumps route: what is on the other side of this route, what is in the middle (Les Sables du Cul de Chien and Les Rochers du Général, for example) or nearby (the beautiful Vallée Chaud)? The route is winding, with lots of ups and downs (you do climb some of those famous hills) and requires a good sense of direction.

A course over hills, with beautiful views of the Massif des Trois Pignons. Passages on platières in the middle of the moor with an unobstructed view, interspersed with passages in undergrowth and amid boulders. A varied, rather sporty hike. N.B. The drop is probably underestimated: expect something more in the order of 300 metres.

A simple and varied circuit in the forest of Fontainebleau, with views above the trees and rocks, and different landscapes every kilometre. Please note that weather conditions and the use of certain paths by mountain bikes can make this hike muddy and very slippery in places. Therefore, please be very careful.

A pleasant hike mainly through the forest. A route punctuated by several ponds.

Starting from Cesson, this route takes you to the banks of the Seine, along the lakes, then through the Bréviande Forest, passing in front of the 12th-century Saint-Germain d'Auxerre Church in Boissise-la-Bertrand. After reaching the Vives Eaux dam, return to the starting point, passing by the ruins of the fortified farm of Les Joies and discovering the Menhir du Grand Berger in the middle of the woods.

A hike mostly in the forest, with sections in suburban areas and along ponds.

Cesson, its neighbourhoods and the Briard villages to the west, the Seine, a few ponds, a wash house, calvaries, a castle and a forest. Prehistoric remains, a menhir in the Bois de Sainte-Assise and the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa in the windmill plain bear witness to the ancient occupation of our territory. Not far from the Ru de Balory, at the end of Rue de la Fontaine, there was a spring, now tapped, near which people settled in the Middle Ages, soon building a church dedicated to Saint Martin. The development of the village and its two main hamlets, Saint-Leu and Verneau, was relatively slow. A table drawn up in 1793 shows that there were around 250 citizens.

A lovely walk among ponds, marshes and, above all, birds, ducks, etc., lasting 4½ to 5 hours, or longer if you stop to watch the birds on the ponds.

This last stage of the journey along the Essonne offers many opportunities to play leapfrog with the river. It is obviously the stage with the most urban sections. The town of Corbeil-Essonnes reveals its rich religious, civil and industrial heritage.

A hike from station to station in the Essonne Valley. After climbing up through the Bois de Saint-Médard and crossing a cultivated plateau, you pass through the charming hamlets of Courdimanche. You walk alongside the river several times, cross a small island, and the Marais de Jarcy may be of interest to nature lovers. Several churches and a few wash houses are also along the way.