Nature Trail to the West of Caen

The “Grand-Ouest” nature trail is thesecond nature trail created by the City of Caen. It takes you on a 16.5 km route through the city’s Grand-Ouest neighbourhoods, from La Prairie to the Abbaye d’Ardennes, returning via the Cours Napoléon. Information boards mark the route and provide details about Caen’s built and natural heritage. The route forms a circular loop and can be walked in either direction.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.17 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 217 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 217 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 240 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 13 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Caen (14000)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.174917° / W 0.371524°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1513SB, 1612OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

(S) Leave the car park on your left, take the underpass and then go straight on to follow the clay track that crosses the meadow.

(1) Once you’ve crossed the meadow, take the path on your left. At the junction, turn right onto the path to cross the road and join the cycle path that runs alongside the River Orne. Continue along the River Orne on the footpath.

(2) At the junction, take the path on your right to reach the car park. Cross the car park and carry on straight ahead, following the path. Then take a left-hand bend.

(3) Taking a quick right-left turn, join the Odon Valley Greenway, then turn left straight away towards Bretteville-sur-Odon. At the junction, carry on straight ahead. At the end, follow the road on your right until you approach the railway line.

(4) Take the small path on your left, which leads you to the allotments. Follow the path straight on. Take Route Joseph Philippon on your right and continue to the junction.

(5) Turn right onto Rue du Québec, then turn left onto Chemin des Costils Lambalard. Cross the Petit Odon via the bridge on your left, then follow the path on your right. Stay along the river.

(6) Take the bridge on your right to cross the river and head straight up the Venelle Pavée until you reach the junction with the Route de Bretagne, then cross the road. Take the small alleyway directly in front of you and turn right into it.

(7) At the junction, stay on the Chemin des Costis Baudets to the left.

(8) Follow the path to the right and go through the tunnel under the railway line. Continue straight on along the main path. Carry on straight towards the playground. Walk alongside it on the left, then continue straight on along the path which, at the end, joins Rue de Cornouailles.

(9) Turn left onto Rue de Brocéliande, then take Allée de Hauteclaire on the left and, at the end of the lane, follow the path on the right.

(10) Take Rue des Menestrels on the right to join Rue de Brocéliande. Turn left, thenturn right onto Rue Joyeuse.

(11) At the bend, take the path straight ahead and then turn left. Continue straight on until the next junction, then turn left along the Coulée verte de Venoix Beaulieu.

(12) Turn right at the junction, then carry on straight ahead, crossing Boulevard Georges Pompidou. Carry on straight ahead until you reach the next street.

(13) Turn left onto Rue Robert Kaskoreff, then right onto Rue Savorgnan de Brazza. Cross Rue du Général Moulin and follow Rue de l’Église.

(14) Turn right onto Rue de Saint-Germain, then carry on straight ahead until you reach Rue Saint-Norbert. Turn left onto Rue Saint-Norbert. Then turn right onto Rue de l’Abbaye d’Ardenne. After the Camus bus stop, carry on straight ahead, walk past the stadiums and take the bridge on the right-hand side that crosses the ring road.

(15) At the “Abbaye”bus stop, follow the tree-lined path to the right. Cross Rue d’Authie and turn right to head back down towards the ring road, passing on the other side of the cemetery park. Cross Rue de la Cotonnière and continue along Rue d’Authie. At the roundabout, take Rue d’Alsace on the right.

(16) Turn left onto Rue du Désert and carry on until you reach the entrance to a park on your left (opposite the sports complex). Enter the Parc de la Blanche Herbe and walk right across it to the left, exiting onto Rue d’Auvergne. Turn right and continue along Rue d’Auvergne.

(17) Turn right onto Allée d’Octeville and carry on to the end. Turn left onto Allée de Morsalines, then right onto Allée de Lessay until you reach Rue de la Hague.

(18) Take the street on the right, then turn left to cross the small green space until you reach Rue d’Isigny. Cross it and carry straight on along Rue du Bessin. Turn left onto Rue du Chemin des Poissonniers, then right onto Rue René Lesomptier.

(19) At the roundabout, turn right onto Rue du Pot d’Étain.

(20) Turn left onto Rue du Général Moulin, then, after the prison, at the washhouse, turn right. Continue along the path that runs alongside the prison. At the end of the path, turn left, then cross Rue Nicolas Oresme to reach Parc Saint-Paul. Enter the park, walk around it and exit via the south entrance onto Rue Monseigneur Adam.

(21) Turn left onto Rue Monseigneur Adam, then cross Rue Claude Chappe and carry on straight ahead. Continue straight ahead along Allée des Pêchers.

(22) Turn left onto Rue des Coutures, then right onto Allée des Merisiers. Cross Boulevard André Detolle to join Promenade Napoléon Premier on your right. Continue straight ahead.

(23) Walk along Boulevard Yves Guillou on your left until you reach Lycée Malherbe (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 23 ft - La Prairie, Avenue Albert Sorel
  2. 1 : mi 0.34 - alt. 16 ft - End of the meadow - Hippodromme de CAEB
  3. 2 : mi 0.67 - alt. 16 ft - Junction - Orne (fleuve)
  4. 3 : mi 0.88 - alt. 23 ft - Greenway
  5. 4 : mi 2.02 - alt. 30 ft - Railway
  6. 5 : mi 2.26 - alt. 33 ft - Junction
  7. 6 : mi 3.1 - alt. 36 ft - Bridge - Odon (rivière)
  8. 7 : mi 3.22 - alt. 56 ft - Chemin des Costis Bodet
  9. 8 : mi 3.33 - alt. 62 ft - Tunnel
  10. 9 : mi 3.9 - alt. 125 ft - Rue de Cornouaille
  11. 10 : mi 4.12 - alt. 112 ft - Rue des Ménestrels
  12. 11 : mi 4.26 - alt. 131 ft - Turn
  13. 12 : mi 4.52 - alt. 138 ft - Junction
  14. 13 : mi 4.69 - alt. 144 ft - Rue Robert Kaskoreff
  15. 14 : mi 5 - alt. 174 ft - Rue de Saint-Germain
  16. 15 : mi 5.8 - alt. 233 ft - Ancienne Abbaye d'Ardenne
  17. 16 : mi 6.66 - alt. 230 ft - Rue du Désert
  18. 17 : mi 7.05 - alt. 223 ft - Allée d’Octeville
  19. 18 : mi 7.25 - alt. 210 ft - Rue de la Hague
  20. 19 : mi 7.55 - alt. 141 ft - Roundabout
  21. 20 : mi 7.73 - alt. 141 ft - Rue du Général Moulin
  22. 21 : mi 8.29 - alt. 131 ft - Rue Monseigneur Adam
  23. 22 : mi 8.65 - alt. 115 ft - Rue des Coutures
  24. 23 : mi 9.52 - alt. 62 ft - Boulevard
  25. S/E : mi 10.17 - alt. 23 ft - La Prairie, Avenue Albert Sorel

Notes

If you’re starting your walk opposite Caen Town Hall, turn left and head down Avenue Albert Sorel to La Prairie (S/E).

To return to Caen Town Hall from La Prairie, turn left and walk back up Avenue Albert Sorel to the Town Hall if you wish to return to the start of this route variation.

Have a safe journey back, and see you on your next adventure along Caen’s nature trails!

Worth a visit

- Green spaces: La Prairie, the Venoix Beaulieu Green Corridor, Georges Maillard Urban Park, Blanche-Herbe Park, Saint-Paul Park and the Promenade Napoléon Premier.

- Former abbey

Other walks in the area

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.