CHEZY-SUR-MARNE
This trail is named in tribute to the soliders who won a battle under Napoleon in the hamlet of Caquerets. It mounts the Vallée du Dolloir between Chézy and Essises, where a small museum exhibits souvenirs of the French countryside.
Hiking
The Marn River and its splendid views welcome you ! Numerous hiking trails are shaped in the valley, very close to Paris
PARGNY-LA-DHUYS
From the nascent Dhuys, harnessed in Pargny, the trail rejoins the wooded valley of La Verdonelle. You’d believe you were at the end of the world due to the plateau, pastures and scattered hamlets that conjure up a sense of isolation and serenity.
LA FERTE-MILON
Along the poplar-lined canal, after the lock man’s cottage, the towpath takes walkers through the gentle countryside that charmed French painter Corot. The route heads to Silly-la-Poterie before veering towards the friendly charm of La Ferté-Milon.
CHATEAU-THIERRY
Enjoy flowing waters and sparkling wine as you walk in the footsteps of Jean de la Fontaine. This witty writer was a good walker himself and it’s easy to imagine that many of his fables were inspired by his long walks through the forest. The route is dotted with lovely old villages (burrstone houses, churches, wells, wash houses) and Champagne cellars. There is a fabulous
VEZILLY
Starting out in Vézilly, this countryside trail makes a detour through the Department of Marne. Off the trail, the Trappist abbey in Igny was chosen by Paul Claudel as the setting of ‘L’Otage’ (The Hostage), a play published in 1911.
LA FERTE-MILON
Not far from Paris the listed town of La Ferté-Milon seems to climb the hillside above the Ourcq. It’s the departure point for your encounter with the rivers and canals of the Valois, Omois and Orxois. Memories of Racine, life on the barges, charming old water mills, glorious ruins of commanderies, abbeys and châteaux – this walk has got them all. From the towering façade
NEUILLY-SAINT-FRONT
Heading out from the beautiful Eglise de Neuilly-Saint-Front, this trail ventures over to the other side of the Ourcq, skirts around Rozet-Saint-Albin and its cliff and hollowed-out ‘cruettes’ (troglodytic dwellings) before turning back to the Ourcq and climbing the plateau. The large Ferme de Ressons can also be seen on the route.
CONDE-EN-BRIE
A mosaic of crops, afforestations, pastures, dry and wet prairies surround Condé-en-Brie. This is the legacy of the pastoral and farming activities that have helped to shape the typical Omois landscapes.
BEUVARDES
A rural walk around Beuvardes, a village situated at the gateway to the Tardenois region. The houses with their ochre façades and large plaster mouldings give a burst of colour. At the Ferme d’Artois, a 900-year-old oak is still standing.
GANDELU
Even when swelled by the Rhône, the Clignon remains a modest tributary of the River Ourcq. This trail through hilly and diverse countryside takes visitors to the château and church that oversee the village of Gandelu, which gave birth to a French king (Charles X) and is the site of some old mills, one of which has survived with its wheel intact.
FERE-EN-TARDENOIS
A physically demanding tour of the countryside around Fère-en-Tardenois with its woodlands and châteaux, including one in Fère, built in the 13th century, comprising seven towers, and one in Nesles from the same period with its keep and 13-metre-thick walls. N.B. In wet conditions, the section between Nesles and Seringes-et-Nesles (22-25 km) is very difficult for walking.
NOGENT-L'ARTAUD
Explore the wine-growing region that is closest to the capital, in the heart of the Champagne vineyards. On the first day you go up the Marne as far as Chézy-sur-Marne, located at the head of the Le Dolloir valley. You then follow the La Dhuys aqueduct. Overnight in Château-Thierry, birthplace of La Fontaine, whose house is open to the public. The second day starts with
MONTFAUCON
The fragmented geography of Montfaucon, in the Vallée du Dolloir, lends this trail a rustic feel and a sense of isolation conducive to reverie.
ROZOY-BELLEVALLE
Heading out from Rozoy-Bellevalle, a village in Brie where the houses are dotted about sporadically, this rural trail follows a small ford. A number of educational boards inform walkers about the environment.
CHARLY
From Charly, the first wine-growing village in the Department, the trail leads walkers to Saulchery, dominated by the statue of Napoleon I, and then the Charly cross, where an orientation board pinpoints the various villages in the valley. On the way back see the dam and lock in Charly.
CHEZY-SUR-MARNE
Omois, the land of Jean de la Fontaine, is an area where the countryside and champagne go hand in hand, where the sunken lanes wander into winding valleys, where the languid waters of the Dolloir skirt alongside the cool washhouses. ‘In my pieces, trees and plants have become creatures endowed with speech’ specifies the writer of fables.
CHATEAU-THIERRY
This ride is a tour through picturesque areas of Champagne following the course of the River Marne and its small tributary, the Surmelin, to the castle at Condé-en-Brie. The tour offers splendid views of the hillside vineyards.
VILLENEUVE-SUR-FERE
With their well-proportioned churches, Villeneuve et Bruyères are a couple of elegant villages either side of the Ourcq. From Claudel’s family home, this loop descends to the ruins of Le Val-Chrétien, a former abbey inhabited by the Premonstratensian order (private site) and comes close to the chaotic Hottée du Diable rock formations.
FERE-EN-TARDENOIS
This trail oversees the Route de Paris, which the kings of France once trod to get to Reims. The walk leads to the Fortresse de Nesles and the elegant and romantic Château de Fère, which may have served as the inspiration for the construction of Chenonceaux.
MONT-SAINT-PERE
The Chartèves hill, the hilltop village of Mont-Saint-Père, the gothic Eglise de Mézy-Moulins nearby and the orientation table in Gland are just some of the highlights on this long trail that stretches along the River Marne.
COINCY
The sandstone chaos that is the Hottée du Diable, the remnants of a time when Picardy was covered by the sea, is surrounded by an air of mystery. The echoes from the woods and the wind murmuring in the leaves resonate like a far-off Druid chant or even an invitation from a group of fairies or sprites to explore this outstanding example of natural heritage:
CHATEAU-THIERRY
A strategic site that was constantly fortified, Château-Thierry, the Cote 204 memorial in tribute to the American forces and one of the most beautiful Gothic monuments in the region, the Abbey Church in Essômes, are some of the sights that walkers can enjoy on this trail that follows the River Marne.
MONTHUREL
The lovely village of Connigis seems to cling to the slopes of the valley of the river Surmelin and watch over its vineyards. The valley changes character from one side to the other, one covered in vines the other in woodland. In the church of Saint-Eugène be sure to see the carved tympanum depicting the Last Judgement.
FERE-EN-TARDENOIS
This family walk follows the farm tracks and small roads around Fère, birthplace of the Claudel family, whose house can still be seen today. Off the footpath, the Hottée du Diable is a chaotic jumble of sandstone rocks and a climbing spot in the forest.
L'EPINE-AUX-BOIS
In the far south of the Department of Aisne, this trail overlooks a valley where the Petit-Morin, a stream that starts in Montmirail, passes through before joining the Marne at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre. Two beautiful churches, the ruinous and romantic Epine-aux-Bois and Vendières are the highlights of the walk.
NOGENT-L'ARTAUD
This long trail for experienced mountain-bikers or athletes leaves from Nogent l'Artaud and explores the Vallée de la Marne, champagne vines and well-preserved villages in the area (millstone houses, churches, washhouses and fountains).
CONDE-EN-BRIE
Reimagined by a master of trompe-l'œil, Servandoni, Château de Condé-en-Brie boasts an outstnading collection of frescoes and paintings. The orientation table in Baulne-en-Brie affords a wonderful view over the Vallée de Surmelin.
AZY-SUR-MARNE
This walk is set along one of the meanders of the River Marne on a hillside covered with vines, forests and villages. The orientation table at Mont-de-Bonneil affords an excellent view of the valley and its villages.
FERE-EN-TARDENOIS
Villeneuve-sur-Fère, near Fère-en- Tardenois, was the birthplace of author Paul Claudel and his sister, the sculptress Camille. They often returned to draw inspiration from the fine countryside.
MEZY-MOULINS
From the banks of the Surmelin to those of the Marne, where you can occasionally see a few herons taking flight, this trail leads to the Eglise de Mézy, a testament to Gothic art set amongst fields and rivers. You will also see the Polissoir du Bois des Grès, also known as the “pierre des Cosaques” (Cossack stone) with 11 grooves and 18 cup marks
PAVANT
From Pavant, a wine-growing village with a Roman bell tower, a short hillside trail passes through the Bois du Hatois and returns via the Dhuys aquaduct. At the finish, see a 17th century pigeon loft in a farm courtyard.
CONDE-EN-BRIE
This very physically-demanding trail, impassable during wet weather, climbs and descends in the wine-growing Vallée de la Marne and affords wonderful views over the stereoscopic landscape. Condé-en-Brie is the site of the splendid Château des Princes de Condé, reworked in the 18th century by a master of the trompe-l'oeil technique.
