Sources, fontaines et lavoirs

Start from the Foyer Rural parking lot (Route de Sainpuits). (D) Head towards the village; in front of the EDF transformer, turn left. At the stop sign, turn left towards Perreuse (south-west). Pass the Fontaine des Gilets, then 100m above it, take the left-hand path (farm shed on your right). At Croix-St-Nicolas, turn left and follow the road until you reach the asphalt road. (1) At this crossroads, take the small road down to the right. After 200m, you'll come to the source of the Loing and the stele erected in 1994 tracing the course of the Loing. (2) Continue along this road. At the next crossroads, turn right and continue to the hamlet of Les Guittons. (3) On leaving this village, take the small path on the left that leads to the spring, which is in fact the Loing's first resurgence. In fact, since its source, the Loing has travelled underground and reappeared here, only to return a few steps further underground and reappear a little further on. Retrace your steps and, on reaching the road, turn left. Continue through Les Gressiens and Les Rameaux. (4) At the end of this hamlet, take the track on the left for 200 m. Take the right-hand path downhill. This leads to the Montillon spring. One hundred metres after the fountain, take the road to the right. Beware of traffic! (5) Close to the village of Sainte-Colombe, take the road to the left, towards Les Landris, a hamlet which you cross in its entirety until you reach the next track on the right. (6) Take this path 150m after the last houses. Leave the left-hand track, cross the Loing and head up towards the hamlet of Thomas. At the road, turn right, then immediately left onto the dirt track. At the small road, turn right as far as the Desleaux fountain, then down to the spring and wash-house. (8) Return along the road to the crossroads 100m further on, and take the track opposite. Continue to the next road. (9) Go down this path, passing the Boutin spring and wash-house. (10) A little further on, at the pond, a major underground river flows beneath your feet, feeding the water table of the Paris Basin. Climb up to the road and turn right. As you go downhill, take an open path that leads to the Fontanelles spring. Go up this path, turn right onto the road and continue until you come to a crossroads with a perpendicular road -beware of traffic-. (11) Turn left and then, after 50 m, turn right onto the dirt track which takes you back to the starting point (D/A).