Sentier de randonnée pédestre "Circuit des oiseaux"

Put on your walking shoes for this short 6-kilometre hiking trail and discover the former gravel pits of Montreuil-sur-Loir, one of the 89 Sensitive Natural Areas identified in Anjou.

This Sensitive Natural Area, which has been identified in Anjou, comprises 3 ponds between islands, known as "La Charpenterie" and "Les Bretonnières".

Starting from the Bretonnières pond, you will first cross the departmental road and then walk alongside it on a cliff path that will take you around the Charpenterie pond. Take the time to observe the birdlife that has made it its own.

Continue your walk along the edge of the forest to reach the Trinottières experimental farm. A former agricultural orphanage run by nuns, the Chamber of Agriculture bought the site several decades ago to turn it into an agricultural development and training centre, particularly for dairy farming. 150 Prim' Holstein cows graze on 185 hectares of land. Research focuses mainly on cow feed and adapting farms to climate change.

Continue through the low meadows and cultivated plots to cross the road again and join the safe path for pedestrians and cyclists. Then take the Route de la Marquetière, which runs alongside the Ferme du Petit Pont, an organic suckler cow farm. In front of the entrance to the farm and its shop and direct sales area, take the grassy, shady path to the first pond at Les Bretonnières.

The Étangs des Bretonnières area is open to the public all year round. A number of events are organised there by associations and the local authority, which owns the site. The second pond, hidden behind the vegetation, is home to large populations of birds nesting on small islands. Take a seat at one of the picnic tables and make the most of the area.

You can extend your walk by returning to the town of Montreuil-sur-Loir and its bucolic riverside.

- Benches and picnic tables opposite the pond, and public toilets on site

All food shops and restaurants in the centre of Seiches-sur-le-Loir, 2 km away.

Public transport :
- Train station at Tiercé (9 km)
- Bus: information about Angers bus station (02 41 36 29 46)