Forêt de Sourdun & Sentier des Roses
Just south of Provins, the Forêt de Sourdun is a 1,600-hectare state forest laced with waymarked trails that are almost entirely unknown to tourists — a genuine green escape that takes under 15 minutes to reach from the medieval upper town. The Sentier des Roses, a dedicated loop trail, passes through sections of woodland where wild roses bloom in late May and June, connecting the forest's ecology
The Sentier des Roses Trail
The main loop is approximately 12 kilometres and well-marked with yellow waymarks from the trailhead on the D619 road south of Provins; a shorter 6-kilometre variant suits families or anyone with less time. The terrain is gently rolling with no serious climbs — this is the Brie plateau, after all.
In late May and early June the trail passes thickets of Rosa gallica officinalis — the apothecary's rose, the very variety that made Provins medieval-famous — blooming in woodland clearings with a scent that is nothing like the cultivated roses in city florists.
Wildlife and Seasons
The forest holds roe deer, red squirrels and a healthy population of woodpeckers; early morning walkers in April and May are likely to hear the drumming of great spotted woodpeckers and the fluting of blackcaps before they see another human being.
Autumn brings a different reward: the forest floor turns copper and gold in October, and local foragers appear quietly with baskets hunting for ceps and chanterelles — a reminder that this landscape has fed the people of the Brie for centuries.
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