Country:
District:
(S) Easy parking available near the cemetery of Chevreuse.
This circuit can also be done by mountain bike (although not by hybrid bike).
(1) Park the car in the car park of the Chevreuse cemetery on "Rue de Dampierre" (opposite number 63 bis).
Climb the (steep) “Ruelle aux Boeufs”, pass “Ferme de Jagny" and head down to the end of the road (pottery), turn left (follow the GR11). (2)
At the D91 (on top of 17 Tournants hill) go left and after 40 metres, take the path right. Continue to St-Forget le Mesnils Sevin following the GR 11. On leaving the wood, turn right then immediately left on “Rue de la Roncerie").
(3) At a fork, turn downhill to the left on Allée de la Butte Ronde. Continue following the PNR; halfway down the hill (at a fork) take the left path and continue straight. Down the path, pass by the first road to the left and, at the fork, turn left (crossing a stream) (4) to pass the "Moulin de Chatillon equestrian centre”.
At the D58, turn left then after a few tens of metres head right onto “Rue Pierreuse".
After about 200 m, at the “Parc de Dampierre" post (located on the embankment on the left), leave the street on the left (at a lamppost) to admire the magnificent view of the Château de Dampierre. (5)
Back on the street and go up to "Iron House", a vestige of the World Fair of 1889 (water point at the rock barring the way)
(6) On top of the hill after a flat section, go up to a pylon and, at its base, then take the (PNR) path marked in blue and white on the left past the barrier at a yellow sign that reads “Parc Régional de la Vallée de Chevreuse".
Continue for about 800 m to the junction with the GR. Then take the GR on the left downhill (a fairly steep descent) to the village of Fourcherolles.
Down the road (follow the GR signs) take “Rue de la Butte Rouge" then left at the crossroads, on the right “Route de Fourcherolle").
Continue straight ahead, leaving the GR on the right and crossing a small village by “Rue de la Brèche" (do not take “Rue du Boulet" on the right) to get on the D91 (water and shelter available) (7).
Head along the D91 on the right for a hundred metres and then take the first left (very little traffic) at the exit sign for Dampierre.
Pass “Moulin d’Aulne" and continue towards Senlisse by “Rue du Moulin d’Aulne".
After leaving “Rue du Couvent" on the right, in a turn in front of No. 5 turn left up a path (follow the blue and white markings), cross a wide path then, at the top of the steep slope, turn on the 2nd left to pass in front of the equestrian centre.
(8) In front of the centre, go left and then, at the turn-off to the right, continue straight on the road without taking the road (leave the blue and white marked route).
Down the road, turn right onto a long grassy path; continue on the path that enters the woods. At the end of the road after passing a parker post for “Park de Dampierre", turn right (this is the only option) along the wall of the Château de Dampierre. Down the road, turn left to go down to the D906.
(9) Cross it and follow along for a few metres then take “Rue de la Maison Forte” on the right towards Choisel at the sawmill (probably the last in the region).
Go to the church of Choisel and in the square, turn left rue the laundry (grilles on the square are those of the Château de Breteuil).
Go past an old washhouse and at the crossroads, turn left on “Route de la Rimonière".
(10) Pass in front of the "Le Talu" holiday centre then, at the first junction, opposite “Chemin de St-Forget" and a thatched house, take the hill up to the right
N.B. If you wish, you can reach Chevreuse by the road continuing straight and taking the circuit at the Chemin des Petits Ponts.
(11) Stay on the main path and, at the top of the climb, arrive at a wide forest lane and turn left to Méridon castle.
Coming out of the woods, take a left and a second left to reach Méridon castle.
Cross the road and go straight.
Head down to Chevreuse (take care on gravelly and slippery descent if it is raining) and, further down the road, turn left.
You will discover a beautiful view of Chevreuse and Château de la Madeleine.
On reaching the road, then turn left at the crossroads right.
Pass the park entrance, cross the Yvette then go right on Chemin des Petits Ponts
(12) (opposite the Sente de l’Ave Maria)
.
(If you're tired, you can turn left, on the "Sente de l’Ave Maria" to meet up with Rue du Dampierre D58 taking you left back to the car park (500 m)).
Follow the “Chemin des Petits Ponts”, one of the sights in Chevreuse, along the Yvette (washrooms, tanner). After the “tanner’s”, cross the Yvette over the bridge (on the left) to reach the town hall square.
Take the main street, "Rue de la Division Leclerc”, on the left to “Rue Lalande" (supermarkets open every day, including Sunday morning, bakeries, bars, pharmacies).
(If you do not want to visit the castle of the Madeleine (which would be a shame), you can reach the car park by the "rue de Dampierre" (500 m)).
Take “Rue Lalande" on the right
Enjoy a short stop to taste the cocktails of syrups at No. 9
Pass opposite the Cabaret des Lys, a location made famous by Jean Racine.
Do not forget to visit St Martin's Church, on the left, famous for its ambulatory.
Cross the "Place des Halles", turn left and then turn right, after about fifty metres, “Chemin Jean Racine" (a steep climb) to the Château de la Madeleine; you can take the stairs or stay on the path.
At the castle, you can pay it a visit (free entry) and admire the view of Chevreuse and its valley.
Then continue on the road (water refill point at the square, under the tree) and take “Route de la Brosse" on the left (follow the yellow sign for "Port Royal”)
Continue on the road and take the second road on the left (no entry sign states "except residents") which goes down towards Chevreuse as far as the square
Cross the D13, “Place Simone Weil”, and take the path in front lined with trees (Allée des Tilleuls).
(Warning: if you do the bike tour, you must turn left onto the D13 to reach the car park.)
After a hundred metres, after a bend to the right, arrive at the green gate of a private property, take a left on a narrow, dug-out path (along the cedar hedge of private property)
Down the road, turn left (Rue du 8 Mai 1945) to get to the crossroads of the "Rue de Dampierre" (D58) where you turn right to reach, after a hundred metres, the car park where you'll get a well-deserved rest.
