The Viaduc des Fauvettes and the Forêt de Gif-sur-Yvette

A walk of many faces! On forest tracks interspersed with paths through the city, you follow an old railway line with a tunnel and viaduct, finishing along the course of the river Yvette. A walk to enjoy at any time of year.

This walk is part of a multi-day hike: La coulée verte du Sud Parisien

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.55 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 217 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 226 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 164 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 60 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start from the Bures-sur-Yvette train station (line B of the RER)

Yellow + Blue and White Markers (from the station exit)

(S/E) Take exit No. 1 "Impasse de la Station", which is the one located on the platform coming from Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse; if you come from the other direction (from Paris, for example), take the underpass. Upon exiting, carry straight on and then take an immediate right, then an immediate left through the Passage du Villevert. After a few metres, ignore the road veering to the left and enter the Parc de Grande Maison (through the gate or, if the gate is closed, through the little door to the left). Start opposite the downward slope of a wide gravel path.

(1) At a fork, ignore the right-hand path and continue straight on going down until you reach the water (with a large plane tree). Now turn left along the track lined by two rows of trees, with a channelled stream to your right. At the end of this track, (with the statue of Neptune), turn left and join the Rue de Royaume. At the end, turn right onto a tarmac road that soon veers to the left. Take the little tunnel that goes under the RER line and then veers right, opening out on an avenue (central car park).

Yellow Markers

Turn left, ignoring the markers (including a yellow one) that invites you to continue straight ahead on a small path (two different PRs at this point) and go up the Avenue Edouard Herriot until you reach the traffic lights.

(2) At the lights, cross the road and climb the stairs opposite. N.B. In this section, the purple line of the PR at the bottom of the IGN map is not accurate and there are more paths than are shown on the map. At the top of the stairs, in a forest, turn right on a path. Walk the length of the cemetery off to your left in the distance and and ignore the path to the right. At a fork (signposted "Boucle Trial"), take the right-hand path (south-southwest) which starts downwards. At a T-junction (signposted "Côte"), turn left and, at the fork which appears immediately, take the right-hand path. When you get to a crossroads (not shown on the map) take the second path on the left (southeast), which parts between forest plots 3 and 5 and climbs. After a left-hand bend, a final steep slope will lead you to the platform of an old railway line.

(3) Turn right and go in a southwest direction, ignoring several paths off to the side. Cross a small bridge and then a relatively short tunnel. Continue south-southwest until you arrive at the entrance to the Viaduc des Fauvettes (information board). Cross the viaduct and take in the height, particularly through two "wells" called "spéleos" (cavers) - practiced in the platform itself (be careful). After the viaduct, continue southwest through the forest. Just before a small bridge, leave the track and take a path to the left that goes up to the height of this bridge.

Red and Yellow + Yellow + Blue and White Markers

(4) Turn right to cross the bridge, walk down through the trees and come out on the edge of a field. Walk along the left-hand side (northwest), initially with a hedge to your left and then between two fields. Enter the forest and, contrary to the direction of two arrows, ignore two paths going off to the left and continue straight on until you reach a crossroads (small rocks, gate): this is where you need to turn left, on a path with fencing stretching along the right-hand side. At the end, pass a forest barrier and turn right into an alley that passes alongside a school. At the end of the alley, walk along the downward sloping path (a ramp). At the bottom, turn right and work your way between the garden fences with the Gometz-le-Châtel church in view up ahead. Walk back up until you reach a number of paths crossing.

''Red and Yellow + Yellow'

(5) At the crossroads, go up ahead of you onto the Chemin de Petit Huis (cement steps with a ramp: ignore the Blue and White markers that invite you to go left). At a fork, a few metres after the top of the climb, turn right onto Rue de l'Eglise and arrive at the church. Go down the steps close to the front of the church (find the Blue and White markers) and follow it left to the corner of the house called the Ortie Rouge (the “Red Deadnettle”). At the bottom, cross the road and, slightly to the left, take the Sente du Grimpé that goes under the porch of a brick-pink coloured house (be careful not to miss the passage).

(6) At the bottom of the descent, turn left and go up a wide avenue (D988) on the left-hand pavement. After the No. 119, cross a pedestrian-crossing and then continue to walk up the avenue. Before the Stop sign, take a sharp right into a dead-end. At the forest barrier, ignore the path going off to the left towards the glasshouses and join the path that turns right through the forest. Then walk in a north-northeast direction, first along the edge of a field (to your left) and a forest (to your right), then between two fields. At a fork, turn right and descend before you come out onto a road.

Red and Yellow + Yellow Markers (+ Blue and White intermittently)

(7) Turn left into the road and as you go up you'll immediately see a fork, go left onto the Avenue Claude Debussy. Follow this avenue straight ahead, going down and ignoring perpendicular roads until your reach a Stop sign. At the end, walk along a cement path sloping downward, cross a road and go back up a few metres. At the T junction, turn left. Just before a small car park (called "Bassin Armand"), leave the road, going past a forest barrier on the right and follow a wide track that goes up through the forest. When the Blue and White markers split off on a path to the left, continue straight up the wide track. At the top of the hill, turn right (east) onto another wide track (don't take the narrow path that turns sharply right).

Red and Yellow Markers

(8) At the crossroads (plot No. 100 on the right), turn left behind the large oak tree in the middle (ignore the Yellow markers as well as the Blue and White markers you'll see). Walk past a pond on your left, rejoin a gravel crossroads and continue north-northwest between plot numbers 93 and 90. At the next crossroads, continue straight on between plot numbers 78 and 85. At the following crossroads (where you'll see a laricio pine), take the second path on the right, downhill. Veer to the left when you reach a reservoir and continue downward. Pass a forest barrier, cross a track and keep going straight ahead (north) down the Impasse de la Terre Marnée. When you reach a junction with a road coming from the left, take a right along a small path, the Chemin du Couvent. At the next crossroads, turn left onto a road. At the end of this road, cross a perpendicular road and go down the stairs off to the right. Cross a wide road and reach the Gif-sur-Yvette train station.

(9) Take the underpass to cross the tracks and choose exit No. 1 . Then take a right along the Rue de la Croix Grignon, in the direction of the "Parc des Sports" (signposted). Ignore a small street to the left and then turn left at the fork. Cross the river Yvette and, immediately after, leave the road and walk down below to the left until you reach a crossroads of tarmac paths.

Red and White Markers

(10) Follow the GR655 to the right (ignore the GRP going off to the left) After a few metres, before you get to a car park, turn right through a tunnel under the road, with a stream on your left-hand side (a secondary branch of the Yvette). When leaving the tunnel, turn off left between two fences. At the crossroads (with a footbridge to your left), continue straight on. At the next crossroads, after a few metres, turn left and take the footbridge that crosses the stream. From here, stay east-southeast on the main track in the direction of Bures-sur-Yvette, ignoring paths going off to the left, and follow the markers as well as the street lamps that line the path. After about 1 km, veer right with the path to take a kind of embankment and cross the stream. Straight away, veer left and walk alongside a type of pond-spillway to your right. At a fork just after a very small building (the Maison de la Vallée de l'Yvette), ignore the wide track going right and take the left, narrower path towards a car park.

(11) When you exit the car park, turn left along the Rue de la Prairie (not signposted here). A the crossing shortly after, continue straight on down the Rue des Bleuets. Ignore the Red and White arrow inviting you to turn left along the Rue des Coquelicots and continue straight on until the end of the Rue des Bleuets (cross the Yvette just before the crossroads; you'll find the Red and White markers here). Turn right in the direction of the town centre (signposted centre-ville). At the fork (with an old building opposite), turn left, still towards the town centre, and use the right-hand pavement.

No markers

When you reach the market (located on the left-hand side), leave the road and enter the Parc de la Grande Maison to the right. At the first crossroads, take the second path to the right (not shown on the map) and quickly find the alley you took at the start of the walk.

Yellow + Blue and White Markers

(1) Follow the alley rising up to the left. Exit the park through the gate, continue opposite down the Passage de Villevert and turn immediately right to get back to the Bures-sur-Yvette train station (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 84 m - Gare de Bures-sur-Yvette
  2. 1 : km 0.18 - alt. 75 m - Parc de la Grande Maison
  3. 2 : km 0.9 - alt. 91 m - Crossing - Traffic lights
  4. 3 : km 1.55 - alt. 140 m - Former Paris-Chartres railway platform
  5. 4 : km 2.46 - alt. 142 m - Viaduc des Fauvettes
  6. 5 : km 3.02 - alt. 152 m - Small bridge - Junction with the GRP du Hurepoix
  7. 6 : km 4.03 - alt. 144 m - Crossroads - Église Saint-Clair (Gometz-le-Châtel)
  8. 7 : km 5.4 - alt. 133 m - Les Bigarreaux
  9. 8 : km 6.46 - alt. 163 m - Carrefour - Grand chêne
  10. 9 : km 7.84 - alt. 70 m - Gare de Gif-sur-Yvette
  11. 10 : km 8.13 - alt. 63 m - Junction with the GR655 - Yvette (l')
  12. 11 : km 9.61 - alt. 62 m - Embankment - Trailhead
  13. S/E : km 10.55 - alt. 84 m - Gare de Bures-sur-Yvette

Practical information

Public transport is the best way to get to this walk. To get there by car, you can park in the Bures-sur-Yvette station car park (undergoing work in January 2016) or that of the Gif-sur-Yvette train station (probably more convenient).

Variant - It is possible to cut the walk short at the Gif-sur-Yvette train station: this would make it about 2.5 km shorter.

For the most part, this walk takes you on gravel or surfaced paths and, to a lesser degree, roads and lanes: so despite a few sections that may be wet before and after (4), this walk can be enjoyed at any time of the year. Despite this, walking shoes are recommended.

The tunnel before the viaduct (between (3) and (4)) is short, you can see the exit as soon as you enter it. A torch isn't essential but may help walkers who are unsure about walking in a dark atmosphere.

No water-refilling points spotted on the route. Shops at Gif-sur-Yvette, between (9) and (10). Shops at Bures-sur-Yvette, but not on the route.

The markers are generally very helpful. A 1:25000 scale map would nevertheless be useful (at least the one that comes with this description).

In the nearby area

- Fontaine de Neptune (Neptune fountain) (18th century) at the exit of the Parc de la Grande Maison, between (1) and (2).
- Viaduc des Fauvettes (Fauvettes viaduct), between (3) and (4). This viaduct was built between 1913 and 1914, is 221m long and 35m high at its highest point. The railway line from Paris to Chartres via Gallardon was damaged in 1944 and has never been put back into service (the rails were taken up). Today, the viaduct is reserved for recreational activities and has become one of the most popular climbing sites in the Ile-de-France region.
- Eglise Saint-Clair (church of Saint-Clair) (11th-15th century) in Gometz-le-Châtel, between (5) and (6).
- Maison de l'Ortie Rouge (House of the Red Deadnettle), a former rectory, just next to church of Saint-Clair.
- Beautiful trees in the Forêt de Gif-sur-Yvette, including the large oak at (8), the laricio pine tree dubbed "the Débonnaire" at the forest crossroads between (8) and (9), and another oak a little before the same crossroads.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 209 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
JPScherer
JPScherer

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very pleasant hike with a magnificent view of the Fauvettes viaduct.

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Nini94
Nini94

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A lovely route, mostly shaded. Interesting views both from the viaduct and in the villages along the way. Easy to reach by public transport. Quite busy, but our walk took place on a Sunday.

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User 16131300

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Very good tour, the setting was very pleasant. We passed through lots of different places (the viaduct, small villages, forests, etc.). The difficulty was average, with a few good climbs but nothing insurmountable. The estimated time is perhaps too inflated (by walking at a good pace and taking breaks, I did the walk in 2 hours, so I would reduce it to at least 3 hours). There were plenty of people along the way, but the route was not "jammed".

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Embaba
Embaba
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant walk and a chance to discover the beautiful viaduct. And the pretty village of Gometz
Water fountain spotted just before the final entrance to Burres sur Yvette.

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Gif2019
Gif2019

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very good, well-explained hike from the plateau to marker 8. Just a little hesitant when it came to following the dead branch of the Yvette. I'm keeping the route to train for a trail, as the steep sections are well interspersed with recovery sections.

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Flaviel78
Flaviel78

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Thank you for this lovely hike that we did during the week in beautiful sunshine.
We were a bit hesitant at the 2, but found the right path further on.
Superb views, especially from the viaduct.
Do it again in spring and autumn for a different view.

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bcressent
bcressent

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We did this walk with my dog in the middle of winter, and there weren't many people on the route, with some very 'slushy' stretches, but we still felt like we'd been on a trip to the countryside, 40 minutes from Paris by direct RER B train. In fact, it would be great if the site could highlight hikes in the Paris region like this one that are accessible by public transport. Like others, I enjoyed the variety of landscapes, alternating between forest, fields and villages. It really makes you want to do this route again in fine weather.

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SAAJ21
SAAJ21
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A pleasant walk.
However, in wintry weather, we found ourselves in swamps after point 5. Not very practical, so bring good shoes.
At point 10, the tunnel was closed because the path was flooded, but it was easy to catch up by crossing the road and taking the passage opposite in the direction of a small park.
Interesting view of the viaduct.

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Gif2
Gif2

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A varied walk with beautiful viewpoints and the surprising discovery of the viaduct of the fauvettes.

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isabelles
isabelles

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk, varied and easy to follow with the itinerary. We loved it!

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Durandmimi
Durandmimi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

I highly recommend this hike for its variety of landscapes, a few short climbs that make you work your legs, some very soothing undergrowth, and the discovery of the charming village of Gomes le Châtel. A must-do in winter. Many thanks to the person who made this route possible.

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Fou de la marche
Fou de la marche

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very pretty walk. We enjoyed the forest sections and discovering Gometz-le-Chatel.
A special mention for the excellent quality of the description.

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Mariannik@
Mariannik@

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

It was a great walk. We were able to enjoy a beautiful sunny day and walking through the forest was very pleasant.
Very easy to get to and the directions were good.
It was a great way to discover the little town of Gometz-le-Châtel, which we didn't know, and luckily the church was open.
Do it again in autumn to enjoy the changing colour of the leaves on the trees.

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LaLDD
LaLDD

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

In 2, after the steps, there are a few moments of hesitation as there are lots of paths ... and in 5, between the two meadows, it's a swamp! At 7, just after "Bassin d'Armand" (off the route), a beautiful meadow with benches and tables.
Very nice walk.

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Claire asc
Claire asc

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The rain had made some parts very muddy, but we still managed.
It's a shame we had to go all the way down to the road at gometz le châtel, but it's a very pretty village.
The icing on the cake was that we split the walk in two at gif to take a lunch break at the bistro in gif. And finished the long straight stretch to Bures.

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