Loop at the foot of Sancerre

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Hike through the vineyards, with beautiful views of the Loire.

Details

n°4938
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.97 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 345 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 354 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 317 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 155 m
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Photos

Panorama of the hike
Saint Satur
Old Sancerre railway station
Viaduct in the mist

Description of the walk

The starting point is located on the left-hand side of a path after the D10 coming from Sancerre.

(S/E) Take the path that descends through the vineyards and joins the D10 a little further down.

(1) Follow the D10 on the left for 500 m, then take the path on the right, which goes into the woods for a few metres before coming out again and climbing up to a fork (elevation 250).

(2) Leave the return path on the left and continue straight ahead to reach a road.

(3) Cross it straight ahead and turn left into the woods, which will take you to the highest point of Orme aux Loups.

(4) Beautiful view of the Loire Valley.
Descend on the right towards the stone viaduct. Follow theGR®31on the right to the Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre viaduct.

(5) Continue on the left (old railway line), pass thesecond viaduct (metal), and arrive at the old railway buildings.

(6) Take the road on the left, then immediately right at the crossroads. Pass in front of a "wine-growing estate".

(7) Take the path on the right, with a view of thethird viaduct and Saint Satu, and continue for 200 metres.

(8) Take the road on the left, which will take you back to the foot of Sancerre at the D920.

(9) Turn left along the tree-lined road and cross the Ménétréol road again.

(10) Take Chemin des Étangs immediately on the right until you reach a cross.

(11). Continue for 150 metres along the road and take thesecond path on the left, which climbs up through the vineyards. At the top of the vineyard, continue along the flat path until you reach a shed by the roadside.

(12) Cross the road and continue straight ahead through the vineyard until you reach the edge of the forest and the initial fork you passed on the way there.

(2) Descend to the right, in the opposite direction to the outward journey. When you reach the road, turn left.

(1) Take thefirst path on the right, which climbs back up through the vineyards to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 278 m - Take the path on the left after the D10 coming from Sancerre
  2. 1 : km 1.3 - alt. 217 m - D10. Common fork A/R
  3. 2 : km 2.25 - alt. 253 m - Crossroads of the loop
  4. 3 : km 2.51 - alt. 287 m - Cross the road straight ahead
  5. 4 : km 3.01 - alt. 317 m - l'Orme aux Loups - Viewpoint
  6. 5 : km 5.18 - alt. 190 m - Stone bridge in Ménétréol-sous-Sancerre
  7. 6 : km 7.45 - alt. 189 m - Take the road on the left
  8. 7 : km 7.61 - alt. 197 m - Take the path on the right
  9. 8 : km 7.88 - alt. 211 m - Take the road on the left
  10. 9 : km 8.12 - alt. 237 m - Turn left along the tree-lined road
  11. 10 : km 8.35 - alt. 208 m - Take the path immediately on the right
  12. 11 : km 9.12 - alt. 199 m - Cross
  13. 12 : km 10.2 - alt. 275 m - Cross the road and continue straight ahead
  14. S/E : km 12.97 - alt. 278 m - Take the path on the left after the D10 coming from Sancerre

Notes

Normal hiking equipment, be careful in summer as there are several sunny sections.

Worth a visit

Visit to Sancerre.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 24 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
shebmann
shebmann

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike through the vineyards with stunning views of the Loire Valley and the hills of Sancerre.
it takes just 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete this walk at a leisurely pace.

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Gérard BENOÎT
Gérard BENOÎT

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with stunning views, alternating between shaded and open sections. However, finding the starting point is tricky, and a GPS is essential throughout the route to avoid getting lost, as the markings (when there are any) are unreliable.

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philouis
philouis

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

WE DID NOT COMPLETE THE ENTIRE CIRCUIT, PREFERRING THE LOOP STARTING FROM SANCERRE. THIS HIKE IS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT CROSSES THE VINEYARDS, CLIMBS TO THE SUMMIT AND PASSES OVER THE VIADUCTS.
IT IS NOT EASY TO FIND YOUR WAY AROUND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VINEYARDS.

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chanteausien45
chanteausien45

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent tour around Sancerre.
However, I must point out several differences between the description and the map. The GPS on our mobile phone was very useful.
At point 2, follow the map and not the description. When crossing the road, do not take the path opposite, but the one about 50 metres to the right. There is a barrier blocking the path, but you can go around it.
At point 3, take the path on the right that goes downhill and then turns right again shortly afterwards.
Further on, do not use the scree (on the map), but continue along the path that turns left further on.
At point 5, follow the map or the description, as you prefer. I recommend following the description, as you will pass in front of the old station where a miniature Eiffel Tower stands.
After point 10, you can nevertheless take the path marked in red on the map. A grove at the end does not completely block it, and a narrow passage allows you to continue straight ahead.
You will then come to a chain about ten metres long blocking the path. Turn right, then left, and you will find the path a little further up.

We entered Sancerre as soon as we reached the GR after Orme du Loup, then returned to continue the circuit. Note that the GR 31 is not marked with two red and white stripes, but with a triangle with three dots. I don't know why.

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Noxi
Noxi

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike at the foot of Sancerre offering beautiful views of the village, the surrounding valley and the vineyards. The viaducts are worth seeing.
Please note, as mentioned above, the passage through the vineyard between points 10 and 11 is closed. We walked along the edge of the vineyard on the forest side and everything went well.

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Brice 45
Brice 45
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Great walk with beautiful views. Worth doing again.

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Vincent CLEMENT
Vincent CLEMENT

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We went on a beautiful hike on a cool but sunny morning.
We were unable to do the short loop from L'Orme au Loups due to hunting
(perhaps Mondays should be avoided for this reason?), but we caught up with the circuit without any problems.
We really enjoyed the "railway archaeology" and the passage over the two viaducts, as well as the dozen or so deer
that put on a long show for us.
We left the circuit at point nine to visit the village, which is obviously worth a detour
Finding point ten to return was a bit tricky but fun, like a treasure hunt.
One small downside: to find the starting point, it's best to use GPS coordinates, and for parking
there is a calvary about fifty metres away where you can park as long as the ground is not too soft.

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ovil
ovil

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We set off from Tracy-Sancerre station and joined the trail at point 7.
The hike began in the mist and ended under a warm sun.
The description is a little sketchy, particularly at point 2. The path that was supposed to take us to Orme aux Loups splits and turns into a mountain bike trail with different markings. We couldn't find the viewpoint and descended via a wide path to the road. After several attempts to find the GR 31 trail through the vineyards, we followed the road to the viaduct and found the trail again.
As Domy 18 points out, the path that climbs through the vineyards after point 10 is blocked halfway by a chain with a sign saying "private property, no trespassing". You then have to take the path on the right and climb up on the left to find the route again.
The climb through the vineyards on stony paths is not easy.

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pat59
pat59

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

- a lovely family hike with magnificent scenery.
- difficult to find the path at point 3, but no problem finding point 4
- don't miss these two viaducts, a real curiosity!

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Domy18
Domy18

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike with magnificent views. We did it in the morning, enjoying the shaded paths at the edge of the woods.

We didn't see the small path that leads to the second viaduct, so we had to cross via another small path a little further on, just before the viaduct.

On the way back, when you go up the path through the vineyards (between WP 10 and 11), the owner of a plot of land prohibits passage, as indicated on the route, so you have to take the path on the right and then go up to the left a little further on to rejoin the route.

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Berryrando
Berryrando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

beautiful hike with views of the river and Sancerre – the start and end could be at point 2 and include a tour of Sancerre instead before the return journey

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PAULBOULET
PAULBOULET

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful route that partly follows the GR 31 trail through the vineyards.
Early in the morning, beautiful views with the mist.

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jeanbre
jeanbre

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very good on all subjects

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gbils
gbils

Hello, I didn't do the hike, but well done on your website

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Eline et Nico
Eline et Nico

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,
For our part, despite the lack of signposting on site, the description and the route on the map were enough to help us find our way. It is a very beautiful hike, with superb views of the Loire Valley and Sancerre. Crossing the viaducts was enjoyable. We took a detour via Sancerre, leaving the route at point 9 to have lunch in town. We then took a short tour of Sancerre, crossing the town to reach point 10.
A beautiful hike, stunning scenery, and the weather was on our side!

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