La Vergne Trail

de fr

A walk that follows theGR® de Pays de Mélusine and theGR® de Pays Sud Gâtine to the Bois de la Vergne and returns to Saint-Hilaire-des-Loges, offering unobstructed panoramic views.
Please note that this route has been altered and shortened via the D3 following a ban on access to the Bois de la Vergne

Details

n°831385
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.71 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 236 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 236 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 305 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 95 ft
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Photos

Château de la Vergne
A work of art along the way.
An old, damaged oak tree
The Château de la Vergne

Description of the walk

Car park at Place du Champ de Foire.

(S/E) Cross the road and, at the traffic lights, turn left. Continue round the church on the right and turn left after the market halls.

(1) Turn right onto the first path, which is marked in yellow from this point onwards. After about a hundred metres, veer left and continue until you reach a road. At the road (power pylon), turn right and, after 200 metres, cross the road to continue straight on and pass through the hamlet of l’Aubretière.

(2) Turn left. This marks the start of the section marked in red and yellow (GR® de Pays de Mélusine).
After about a hundred metres, turn right and carry on straight ahead, passing under a power line.

(3) Turn left onto the D3 until you reach the crossroads. Turn left, then take the first path on the right.

(4) Cross the D745 with care. The red and yellow markings (GR® de Pays de Mélusine) reappear.
After the high-voltage power line, turn left.

(5) At the crossroads, turn right onto the road and head uphill to the farm.

(6) After the farm, turn left at the crossroads to head towards Saint-Hilaire. You’ll rejoin theGRP®. Continue straight on.

(7) Turn into the first street on the right, cross Rue Antoine Cardin (D15) and carry on straight ahead. Take the first street on the left, Rue de Saint-Narcisse.
Walk past the school and carry on up to the Place du Champ de Foire (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 164 ft - Place du Champ de Foire
  2. 1 : mi 0.25 - alt. 128 ft - Path on the right
  3. 2 : mi 0.86 - alt. 207 ft - Turn left onto the GRP
  4. 3 : mi 1.7 - alt. 302 ft - D3
  5. 4 : mi 2.66 - alt. 190 ft - Crossing the D745
  6. 5 : mi 3.13 - alt. 144 ft - Turn right
  7. 6 : mi 3.44 - alt. 164 ft - Turn left after the farm
  8. 7 : mi 4.38 - alt. 161 ft - First street on the right
  9. S/E : mi 4.71 - alt. 164 ft - Place du Champ de Foire

Notes

Wear sturdy footwear, especially in the Bois de la Vergne.

You can make a round trip to the château by continuing along the road and going round its outer walls on the left. A forest track opposite the château leads to the Vendée.

(5) You can continue straight on along theGRP® to take a shortcut.

Worth a visit

-The church of Saint-Hilaire, built in the 11th and 12th centuries.
-The ‘Baltard’-style market halls date from the late 19th century.
On the way back, just before Saint-Hilaire, look out for several information boards describing the local flora.

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.

Downloads
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Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
3.4 / 5
Christineetrene
Christineetrene

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Incorrect description of the route.
The second street after Les Halles, not the first.
The route has a lot of large gravel.

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Jean mi p85
Jean mi p85

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

This route presents no difficulties and can be extended depending on the age and fitness levels of the walkers

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Champery
Champery
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The start of the walk behind the market halls seemed a bit tricky to us; the signposting was unclear.
There were lots of sections along roads or wide tracks (used by tractors) in the first part.
The second section, from the cross on the D3 through the woods along a grassy path, was very much enjoyed.

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jlfaure
jlfaure

Thank you for this information. This route was previously offered by the Sud-Vendée Marais Poitevin Tourist Office and was signposted in yellow. Is it still signposted?
It no longer appears on the Tourist Office’s website. Perhaps it has been removed because it does indeed follow a private track that leads up into the Bois de La Vergne (see the Géo-portail website: ([https://www.geoportail.gouv.fr/donnees/limites-administratives)] )
It is possible to take the first path as you leave the road and rejoin the original route further on, but it is not certain whether it is passable. I will check this and update the route as soon as possible.

Machine-translated

Brégeon M.
Brégeon M.

Please note: the landowner does not permit access through the Bois de la Vergne.
Between 4 and 6, do not go through the woods.
Continue along the Chemin de Mélusine to the Château de La Saucelière, then join the D116 and then the D3.

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Gitedebaude
Gitedebaude

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We missed the path that cuts through the Bois de la Vergne. So we ended up walking all the way to the ford, passing by the château on the way. Beautiful surroundings: a round trip to the Vendée ford is well worth the detour.
From the ford, there’s another circular route around Payré.

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Sneg
Sneg
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Thanks for this route suggestion. A lovely walk, despite a few navigation issues at the start (the Visorando map and an IGN map were a great help). An interesting ‘sculpture’ along the way!

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