On the heights of Azay-le-Rideau

Access: Take the A85 motorway, exit at Villandry, then turn right onto the D7 towards Lignières de Touraine. After a few hundred metres, turn left towards Vallères (D39). Go through the village and continue on the D39 towards Azay-le-Rideau. After a few kilometres, the road crosses a railway line. Park your car just after this, on the left, opposite the former gatekeeper's house, at a place called La Babinière.
Please note! This route is not signposted as such.

(S/E) On foot, cross the road, cross the railway line on the right and immediately turn left onto the^GR®®3, which you follow until otherwise indicated.

(1) At the intersection, turn left and continue along the edge of the woods. Leave the paths on your right to follow the GR®^®. You will come out into orchards as the path turns into a track. Leave a path on your right to follow the GR®^®. The track leads to a road further on.

(2) Turn left until you reach the railway line, cross it and immediately turn right to follow the railway line along a path. Further on, turn left. The path widens near the houses at L'Autière.

(3) Further on, turn right onto a path that descends to a stream and then climbs back up to become a road at Haute Bourgère (an old house whose courtyard you cross). Continue along this road until you reach a large cattle farm, La Maison Rouge.

(4) Just outside this farm, leave the^GR®® and take a path on the right that runs alongside a few new houses. Continue along this path, which descends through fields to a small wood. You will then reach a road that crosses the railway line and the Ruisseau de l'Autière.

(5) Just after this, turn left at the intersection and continue along this road which climbs past a riding centre. At the next intersection, continue straight ahead towards the hamlet of Lionnière.

(6) At the entrance to the hamlet, continue straight ahead, then straight ahead again at the next intersection. Keep following the road as it turns left. You will come out under some high-voltage power lines onto another road.

(7) Follow it to the right. A little further on, leave a track on your right (at a pumping station).

(8) A few metres further on, take a track on the left. Continue along this track, which follows the Vallée Girard. At the fork, turn right. You will arrive in a hamlet with beautiful houses and cave dwellings. Leave the valley.

(9) Shortly after passing under the high-voltage power lines again, turn right onto a path that winds between houses and leads to the D57 (be careful, this is a busy road). Cross the D57 and take the small road opposite towards the Château de la Chatonnière. Further on, the road turns right and leads to the entrance of the château.

(10) Continue along the wide path lined with conifers that climbs to the left. You will come out into fields and vineyards.

(11) Turn right for a very short detour to get a view of the castle and its gardens at the bottom of the valley. Turn back and continue to the right.

(12) At the next intersection, turn left. The path soon turns into a small road.

(13) Further on, on the descent past some old buildings, just before the junction with another road, take a path on the right. Continue straight ahead, on the heights of the Indre, passing through fields, woods and orchards.

(14) At the next intersection, turn left for a round trip to the hamlet of Marnay. Turn back and continue straight ahead on a wide path that climbs through fields. Always ignore the paths that branch off to the left or right.

(15) You will come out onto the D57 (be careful!). Cross and continue straight ahead. Follow this road, going straight ahead at each intersection until you reach the outskirts of the hamlet of La Baubinière.

(16) At the entrance to this hamlet, turn right at a three-way junction and pass a water tower on your left. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead on the track to leave the hamlet. Further on, ignore a path on the right and continue straight ahead. Pass a small restaurant.

(17) At the next crossroads, turn right and then immediately left. Shortly afterwards, leave a path on your left and continue straight ahead.

(18) At the next fork, under the high-voltage line, leave the path that branches off to the left and turn right. Shortly afterwards, you will arrive at the intersection of the loop and rejoin the GR®® trail^.

(1) Follow the^{GR®® trail} to the left until you reach the car park (S/E).

Moderate hike, standard hiking equipment required.

From (8) to (9). The troglodyte or semi-troglodyte dwellings, examples of which can be seen in the Girard Valley, are emblematic of the region.
(14) Some pretty houses in the hamlet of Marnay.
(11) A lovely view of the Château de la Chatonnière. The gardens used to be open to visitors but are no longer.

However, after the hike, you can visit two other castles:
The Château d'Azay-le-Rideau and its park on the banks of the Indre. To get to Azay, take your car and continue on the same road (D39) for a few kilometres. The village of Azay is pleasant, lively and touristy in summer. Every 5th Sunday of the month, there is a flea market on the Île d'Azay.
The Château de l'Islette, located on a bend in the Indre River, on the road to Langeais, just outside Azay. This beautiful private residence is still inhabited and open to visitors.