In the footsteps of Vlaminck

This walking route follows paths that pass close to sites associated with Vlaminck, a painter from the early 20th century. Slightly undulating, the route crosses back and forth over the Avre aqueduct, which carries drinking water to Paris. Passing through the valleys of the Buternay, Lamblore and Nouvet, this walk is characterised by water that is either visible or sometimes just hinted at.

Details

22526097
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.62 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 197 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 197 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 620 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 495 ft

Description of the walk

Park in the car park of the Rueil-la-Gadelière primary school, next to the town hall.

Yellow markings

(S/E) From the primary school, take the street northwards to cross the D939 and continue straight ahead along the small road. Pass by a house before crossing the stream and reaching the church.

(1) At the church, turn left onto the D316 and walk alongside the cemetery (Vlaminck’s grave is in the left-hand aisle). Cross the D939, continue straight ahead along the wide path and, at the next junction, turn left.

(2) Cross a stream then turn right to reach Le Nouvet (view of the Paris water catchments). Just before the first buildings, turn right to leave them on your left, continue to the D25, cross it and carry on straight ahead to the junction with theGR®35.

(3) Turn right onto theGR®35, cross a ford over the Ruisseau du Buternay, then pass in front of the castle and reach La Puisaye.

(4) Turn left onto the small road for 600 m, then, at the junction, turn left again onto a small path. Cross the stream again and reach a road.

(5) At Les Bruyères, take the small road on the right, then, at the bend, turn left onto a path that joins a road before Le Canada. Walk past the house and reach a 90° bend to the right.

(6) At the bend in the road, turn left onto Chemin Manant, which is part of theGR®35. Walk alongside the Bois de la Noë, leave the woods and, just before the road, turn left to reach the Bois de Rueil.

(7) At the Bois de Rueil, take the road on the right, then follow the D25 to the left for about a hundred metres.

(8) Turn right onto the path leading down towards the Ruisseau de Lamblore, running alongside the fence of the Paris water catchment area. Cross the stream and head back up the opposite side to reach a road. Take the D316 to the left until you reach the entrance to Le Plessis.

(9) Keep right at the three-way junction and continue along this street to reach the Town Hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 535 ft - Rueil-la-Gadelière School
  2. 1 : mi 0.35 - alt. 538 ft - Rueil Church
  3. 2 : mi 0.94 - alt. 509 ft - Stream
  4. 3 : mi 2.21 - alt. 564 ft - Junction with the GR35
  5. 4 : mi 2.79 - alt. 577 ft - La Puisaye
  6. 5 : mi 4.17 - alt. 610 ft - Les Bruyères
  7. 6 : mi 5.23 - alt. 591 ft - The Chemin Manant
  8. 7 : mi 6.28 - alt. 587 ft - The Bois de Rueil
  9. 8 : mi 6.64 - alt. 574 ft - Towards the Lamblore stream
  10. 9 : mi 7.98 - alt. 561 ft - Le Plessis
  11. S/E : mi 8.62 - alt. 538 ft - Rueil-la-Gadelière School

Notes

(3) In wet weather, avoid the ford and continue straight ahead to rejoin the route at point (5)

Route created in collaboration with the Eure-et-Loir Departmental Hiking Committee.

Worth a visit

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.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
3.5 / 5
FARGAS Jean-Claude
FARGAS Jean-Claude

This circuit is now called Parcours des Sources. But the end could not be improved. Unfortunately, there is no other path nearby.

Machine-translated

ealet
ealet

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

pleasant hike except for the last part (between 8 and 9, when you join the D316 to Le Plessis), which is monotonous and uninteresting

Machine-translated

FARGAS Jean-Claude
FARGAS Jean-Claude

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

This tour has recently been modified and shortened. To avoid confusion with the "In the Footsteps of Vlaminck" tour, it has reverted to its original name, "Parcours des sources" (Tour of the Sources).
In order to better separate the themes, the "In the Footsteps of Vlaminck" tour now leads to the most remarkable places bearing traces of the painter's stay in Rueil-la-Gadelière.
Its theme is more focused on discovering the site where the springs were tapped and the start of the aqueduct that carried their waters to Paris. You will also cross the Lamblore stream, which carries water from the ponds in La Ferté-Vidame park to its confluence with the Avre.
The new route no longer passes by the church and cemetery. It still starts in front of the town hall in Rueil but heads first towards Le Plessis to enter the water catchment area for the city of Paris. From its junction with the Lamblore stream, it follows its old route but turns left when it meets the GRP Vallées de la Blaise et de l'Avre and returns to Rueil via its old route from this farm.

Machine-translated

THOMAS Dominique
THOMAS Dominique

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Only the first few kilometres are of any interest: the little church tucked away in the countryside, with its cemetery a little further on where De Vlaminck’s grave is located.
After that, it’s all too monotonous, with long straight stretches through the fields.

Machine-translated

Christophe Mullot
Christophe Mullot

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

“In the footsteps of De Vlaminck”.
The walk began in a light morning drizzle around the “Eaux de Paris” water catchments.
No extraordinary scenery or stately homes, but a very pleasant walk with a bit of an incline, along paths and through woodland.
The walk ended in sunshine

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

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