The tour of the castle...without taking your eyes off it

The walk starts from the car park at the entrance to the château (do not go through the Porte de Ville, which opens onto Rue du Château Fort). To get there, follow the signs for Château or La Ville as you enter the village of Druyes-les-Belles-fontaines.

(D/A) Leave the car park on the road side and, with your back to the gate (or postern) giving access to the fortified town, take the tarmac road opposite (heading north-east). Leave the first track on the right, then the second on the left, and follow the signs. Shortly after the shed on the right below, turn left onto a stony track and drive for about 250 m.

(1) Turn left onto the track leading down into the valley. This leads to a tarmac road. Continue straight ahead, leaving the rising road and turning right twice in quick succession to reach Rue Thiers. Follow this road uphill for 150 m.

(2) Turn left towards Ferme Saint-Martin. At the end of the curve and before the 90° bend, turn left into the lane.

(3) At this crossroads, leave the hedge-lined path ahead and take the right-hand path. This leads to an old railway line. Turn left towards the viaduct. When you reach the road, cross carefully and continue straight ahead. This path leads to a crossroads with a tarmac road and a house on the right, which is flanked by a track.

(4) Go downhill to the left, cross the bridge and continue along the roadside (voluntary drop-off point) as far as the crow's feet. Take the road on the right and, immediately afterwards, the path on the right. At the crossroads, turn left and return to the calvary.

(5) Return to the previous crossroads and continue along the left-hand path. Go down the track, turning left at the end of the bend (the track opposite leads to an old ford that is impassable most of the time). Cross the river and the next branch on the two successive bridges (the route is indeed on a country lane and not a property entrance as the layout would suggest). Return to the road, leaving the Château du Boulet on your left.

At the road, turn left twice in quick succession to enter the village. At the Stop sign, turn left, cross the bridge over the Druyes and continue. When you reach the church, turn right along the path, which is cut off by an arm of the barrier, towards the lake.

(6) Walk along this lake to the right and end up in Rue Thiers. Cross the road and walk up Rue de la Comtesse Mahaut (restaurant on the right).

(7) Halfway up the hill, turn right onto the first grassy path (2 bollards prevent vehicles from using it). At the top, turn right, go past the château and continue along Rue du Château Fort to reach the town entrance gate and car park (D/A).