Two routes provide a clear starting point for planning in Soignolles-en-Brie along the Yerres: the Chemin des Roses is 17 kilometres long and passes through the commune; Les Gués sur l’Yerres is an 8.2-kilometre circular route through Soignolles-en-Brie and Solers. This gives you two different options: a longer leisure trail or a marked loop with an estimated duration. Older river crossings are also part of the area’s history.
Routes on different scales
The Chemin des Roses is a walking and leisure trail open to pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists. In Soignolles-en-Brie, access is from the car park on Rue de Solers. The trail follows a former railway line and crosses the Yerres on a viaduct. Its botanical, scenic and historical significance, as well as its role as an ecological corridor, define its character. The combination of the railway-line route and river crossing gives it a different character from an ordinary circular route.
Les Gués sur l’Yerres offers a clearly defined alternative: the easy circular route is 8.2 kilometres long, marked in yellow and estimated to take around 2 hours and 30 minutes. This duration is a guide for planning your walk, not a fixed time limit. The difference between the two routes is clear: at 17 kilometres, the Chemin des Roses is the longer leisure trail through Soignolles-en-Brie; Les Gués sur l’Yerres is a shorter loop that also passes through Solers. Along the route, you can cross the Yerres by ford rather than by bridge.
Fords and historic routes
The river crossings also tell of the area’s former role: a historic crossing over the Yerres made Soignolles-en-Brie a stopping point for travellers. Monks from Mont Saint-Sébastien, founded in the 13th century, guided travellers across the river. The Gué du Mont has been documented since the 13th century on routes between Melun and Lagny. Along the Yerres, you will encounter both present-day route options and traces of the river’s former importance as a travel route.
At the Gué du Mont and the Gué de Barneau, you can still cross the Yerres on foot outside periods of high water. This condition is important when choosing to cross at a ford: it is not possible at all times. A chapel remains from the former priory of Mont Saint-Sébastien; it is on private property and cannot be visited.
The church and other traces of history
Notre-Dame de l’Assomption was built in the Middle Ages, between the 12th and 13th centuries. It has been listed in the supplementary inventory of Monuments historiques since 1926. The church can be seen from the outside but remains closed to the public. Its history includes seventeen Renaissance choir stalls from the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Paris. A 16th-century oak door leaf is also protected as a historic monument. These details give the church a layered architectural and decorative history, even though it cannot be visited inside.
The Château de Barneau dates from the 19th century, adding a later feature alongside the medieval church. Separate from the château is the Lavoir de Barneau, which can be reached via the GR circular trail. Along with the chapel of the former priory, these places add to the selection of historic points of interest, though they do not all offer the same kind of visit: the lavoir can be reached via the circular trail, while the chapel is inaccessible because it is on private property.
Discover more destinations: Le Mesnil-Amelot, Montereau-Fault-Yonne, Souppes-sur-Loing, Saint-Germain-Sur-Ecole, Longueville, Verdelot, Villeparisis, Melun
For the wider travel guide: Seine-Et-Marne.
