I walk alone ! Five easy hikes for summer

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MORNING LIST

Walking is not reserved for enduring athletes. To discover the pleasures of easy hiking, here are five walks in the Drôme, along the Marne, on the island of Yeu, in the forest of Meudon or in the Lot valley.

And to fully enjoy them, prepare them with beautiful and practical books such as Hiking around Paris, by Marine Loisy and Clément Lhommeau, published this month by Voyages Gallimard (272 p., 25 euros), The most beautiful places to walk in France, by Sylvain Bazin and Nicolas Gardon (Gründ, 2018), or Slow tourism, 52 stays in France (Michelin, 416 p., 19.90 euros).

In the middle of lavender in Saou

Lavender fields near the village of Saou, in the Drôme.

“Here, lavender embalms heaven and earth, it plays with shadow and light”, wrote Jean Giono about the Drôme. To dive into the “mauve”, we start from Saou, a town nestled against mineral facades, formed by a perched syncline, to walk between vineyards and lavender fields as far as the eye can see (flowering takes place from mid-June to mid-June. August).

Leaving the village, you quickly find the Saou forest and its Mediterranean species, with exotic scents. Around us, all along the walk, cliffs and monumental rocky peaks, which give the impression of being far, very far. The views over the Roubion and Drôme valley are sublime.

Six kilometers, 135 meters of vertical drop, two hours, to find in “The most beautiful places to walk in France”.

Along the Marne, between Paris and Reims

Near Hautvillers, in Champagne. The Marne below.

Water and bubbles! This is the promise of this route which links the banks of the Marne to the pretty villages of Champagne. The loop starts from Nanteuil-sur-Marne (accessible by transilien), where you immediately plunge into the heart of the vines of the famous vineyard.

After Charly-sur-Marne (where you can stop for a champagne tasting and a visit to the cellars, for those who don’t mind continuing the slightly tipsy hike), you follow the Marne for two kilometers, crossing herons and colored barges, before passing very close to a mobile dam.

We arrive at the very pretty village of Pavant, then we gain height through the woods, enjoying the greenery and the birds. We cross streams by small stone bridges, before arriving in the village of Citry and its church, Romanesque jewel of the 13th century.e century.

The Marne by vineyards and hillsides, 17.9 km, 4 hours 30 minutes, to find in “Hiking around Paris”.

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