Tour of Lac de Maine and Étang Saint-Nicolas

Please note: this walk is not possible during periods of high water.

Park at the Lac de Maine car park on the beach side and head to the pyramid to start the walk.

(S/E) Head towards the Maison de l'Environnement. At the lake, turn right to pass between the two bodies of water. Turn left, then right into the park. Next, join the ring road and follow it to the right until you reach the underpass.

(1) Pass under the ring road, continue north into the woods, then enter Parc Balzac to quickly reach a T-junction.

(2) Take the left path at a 90° angle, cross the railway tracks and carefully cross Boulevard du Bon Pasteur. Continue parallel to Rue Charlet to reach the entrance to Parc de la Garenne.

(3) Continue straight ahead to go around the Étang Saint-Nicolas and join Parc des Carrières.

(4) Continue along the pond until you reach a^first footbridge, then a^second one nearby.

(5) Here you have two options:
- take the footbridge on the left to reach the other side of the lake,
- keep right to continue around this long pond, which is the route shown on the map. Turn left at the end of the pond and you will quickly come to a crossroads.

(6) Take the Chemin de Belle Beille on the right, follow the Ruisseau de la Vilnière at a distance, then rejoin the D323 ring road.

(7) Turn left, follow this ring road for a few hundred metres, then turn 90° left onto Chemin du Bois l'Abbé. Pass the crossroads with the path leading to La Borderie to reach a crossroads at the edge of a wood.

(8) Turn left onto Chemin de la Haloperie and continue until you reach Lac Saint-Nicolas and the footbridge mentioned above.

(9) If you have previously taken the footbridge, turn left; if you are on Chemin de la Haloperie, continue to the right. In both cases, follow the pond and join the bend in the pond.

(10) Keep right to reach Avenue Marius Briant. Turn left and return to the crossroads you passed on the way there, at Parc de la Garenne.

(3) Turn right and retrace your steps to return to the T-junction you passed on the way to Parc Balzac.

(2) Turn 90° left into the park and cross the Ruisseau de Brionneau. Make a large loop through the Marais, cross the stream again and then a canal. Continue along the Basses Prairies, turn left onto the Promenade Yolande d'Aragon to arrive on the right bank of the Maine.

(11) Pass under the ring road, then continue along the Maine and Lac de Maine until you reach the end of the lake.

(12) Turn right to complete the tour of the Lac de Maine, then return to the lake car park (S/E).

Toilets and water points are available along the entire route, particularly at (S), (E), and (3).

Before reaching (11), you can walk along the riverbank to admire the view of Angers Castle and refresh yourself at the Héron Carré summer café.