Tour of the Marne and the Two Morin Rivers (Seine-et-Marne)

Starting from Meaux, an episcopal city famous for its cathedral and its Brie cheese, the trail first follows the meanders of the Marne towards Changis-sur-Marne and La Ferté-sous-Jouarre, the historical capital of millstone which exported its stones worldwide. Deepening into the Petit Morin valley towards Sablonnières and Bellot, hikers discover a bucolic nature composed of wet meadows, dense undergrowth, and small stone bridges. The rural heritage is showcased through ancient abbeys and the fortified farms of Meilleray and Lescherolles, before reaching La Ferté-Gaucher, a key stop on the Grand Morin. The route then winds towards Coulommiers, a city of water and history, where the canals recall the past importance of river trade. Crossing the "Venice of Brie" in Crécy-la-Chapelle, hikers can admire the collegiate churches and mills that inspired so many landscape painters.

The territory of Brie and the Two Morins, in the heart of Seine-et-Marne, displays a landscape of fertile plateaus carved by the green valleys of the Grand and Petit Morin. This land of water and millstones is marked by a deep rural history, where fortified farms with imposing gateways bear witness to a prosperous and defensive agricultural past. Heritage is expressed with nobility, from the medieval city of Coulommiers, famous for its characterful cheese, to the Merovingian crypts of Jouarre, true jewels of early Christian art. The generous and preserved nature offers remarkable biodiversity along the lively rivers where many flour and paper mills are still reflected. Between beech forests and cider apple orchards, hikers travel along bucolic paths connecting charming villages like Saint-Cyr-sur-Morin, dear to the writer Pierre Mac Orlan.

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