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The route starts at the Gorp TER station in the commune of Ambarès-Lagrave.
(S) With your back to the station, turn left, go under the tracks and take the small road towards Bassens, running alongside a pumping station recognisable by its blue pipes. After about 60 m, leave the road and follow the small river, the Gua (meaning ‘ford’ in Gascon). The path leads through the grass. If it is very muddy, give up and continue along the small road until you rejoin the route at the end of Rue de Bassens.
At the end of this section, you’ll reach a (main) road and a bridge crossing the Gua on the right. Cross the road (Avenue de l’Europe) carefully, and walk along the cycle path (follow this for nearly a kilometre). At the roundabout, continue in the same direction and walk past a school.
At the next roundabout, join the GR® 655 (follow it almost all the way). This section isn’t very appealing, but it will be more than made up for later on. You’ll see a water tower on the other side of the road (Rue de Bassens).
At the next roundabout, continue straight ahead until you come to a vineyard, then turn left.
(1) At a place called Belloc, leave the vineyard and take a path marked by three vertical posts, passing between houses. At the end of the path, you’ll reach a very narrow tarmac road; follow it to the right. You’ll soon pass (on the left) a sports ground. Follow the same path (lined with trees) and do not veer off onto the parallel path on the left. You will suddenly come to a side path on the right.
(2) Take this path, which leads into the Domaine de Beauval (belonging to the municipality of Bassens), and opens out onto another vineyard bordered by alders. Take the path on the left, which leads to the château car park. Take the time to explore the various buildings, the functions of which are clearly explained on information boards. The Bollée windmill is well worth a visit.
(3) After a short stroll, make your way to the foot of the château’s beautiful east façade. The main avenue starts here, heading due south. After 200 m, take a path on the left which climbs up a large, tree-covered embankment (whilst the main avenue runs through the hollow). Turn left again to join the path (signposted) that circles the estate, and continue along this to the right until you reach a very narrow road at the entrance gate (always closed). Cross the road and take the path opposite, which is half grassy, half stony, overlooking a housing estate and descending gently between two rows of trees.
You’ll come out onto a street (Rue de Verdun) with a cycle path running alongside it. Cross over and take Rue Lafontaine opposite, following it to the first junction where you can turn right (Rue du Président Coty).
(4) 30 m after the previous junction, a grassy path opens up to the left. Head between the houses and gardens, then take a sharp right, coming out onto Rue Dubarry and then Place du Marché de Bassens. Cross this square diagonally and join Avenue Saint-Exupéry, which climbs (steeply) towards Bassens church.
(5) At the church, a visit is a must as it is well-preserved and enhanced by its remarkable stained-glass windows.
From here, the route merges with the GR® Tour de la Métropole trail and is well signposted.
Head straight ahead along Rue des Sœurs, then turn left into Rue Félix Cailleau. After 100 m, take a flight of steps on the right and head down towards Parc Rozin.
(6) At the small street (Avenue Lucien Meunier) leading to Bassens station, a small path opens up opposite, allowing you to enter Parc Rozin (or Parc de l’Europe). You are now heading due south. Follow the park paths, climbing gently at first, then more steeply. Your destination is a gate at the very top of the slope, fitted with a chicane to exit the park. Then go down a flight of steps (Rue Kleinostheim) and, at the very end, continue rightwards downhill (Avenue de Rome). At the right-hand bend in this road, take the dirt track opposite.
(7) A barrier prevents vehicles from continuing, but not walkers. Take the marked path well to the left, through the undergrowth. This will eventually run alongside the Bordeaux-Libourne railway line, overlooking it. At the end of this section, the path returns to the forest and turns left. Follow the markings carefully.
Alternative route: At the foot of a large metal staircase leading to the viewpoint over the port of Bassens and the “La nuit américaine” refuge, you can descend on the other side via a path and rejoin the route.
When you reach a pond, go round it on the left via a path running just above it, then continue through the woodland. About 150 m further on, you’ll reach a junction of several paths.
(8) . Turn as far left as possible and take the path that leads uphill, then follow a flight of steps through the woodland. Follow the path as it circles the grounds of Château Séguinaud. Continue along the Chemin du Grand Came to reach the Gardette terminus on tram line A (E).
This will take you in about twenty minutes to the Cenon Gare stop, which may be your starting point; if you set off from Saint-Jean station, continue to the Porte de Bourgogne stop and take tram line C to Saint-Jean station.
Visorando Member
Moderate 
Difficult 
