Vineyards and châteaux in La Varenne, Orée-d’Anjou

Park in the small lay-by on the side of the D751, which can accommodate a maximum of two or three vehicles.

(S/E) At this junction, take the road running perpendicular to the D751 leading to the hamlet of La Babinière and take the^first track on your right.

(1) In the hamlet of Gasselin, follow the road all the way to your right and, after 100 m, turn left.
At the end of the track, veer to the right. When you reach the road, turn right and then take the track immediately on the left.

(2) When you reach the hamlet of La Gulolière, carry on straight ahead and turn left at the end of the road. Continue until you reach the D751.

(3) Cross the road with care (there is no pedestrian crossing), turn left and then immediately right to follow the road to the hamlet of l’Écurie. On leaving the hamlet, continue for about 80 metres and turn right.

(4) Take the path on the left. Walk through the vineyards and turn right after the vineyard, continuing for about 40 metres. Turn left onto the path leading down towards the stream, cross the footbridge, then head into the woods. As you emerge from the woods, turn right, then left to walk alongside the field and continue until you reach the road.

(5) Turn right towards the hamlet of Le Tertre, then keep left at the three-way junction. Walk through the hamlet. At the three-way junction, continue to the right and keep right again at the last houses.

(6) Turn right towards Les Hautes Sauzaies. Carry on straight ahead for about 1.5 km. Here you’ll be walking alongside very damp meadows where the spotted snake’s head fritillary, a protected species, flowers in April.

(7) When you reach the junction with the road leading to Le Marais, turn left then immediately right, and follow the road until you return to your starting point at the junction with the D751 (S/E).

During the walk, you can see three châteaux:
- the Château de Clermont on the north bank (in the commune of Le Cellier), where Louis de Funès once lived.
- the Château d’Oudon.
- the Château de La Varenne.

The vineyards you’ll pass through produce Muscadet Coteau de la Loire (Melon de Bourgogne), Coteau d’Ancenis (red and rosé Gamay and the famous Malvoisie), and red Anjou… which I invite you to discover at Domaine Merceron Martin (La Coindassière – La Varenne) or at Romain Moreau’s organic estate (Le Fief de Bel-Air – La Varenne).