A little history…

The marshes have not always been a paradise for hikers, joggers and naturalist photo hunters. Until the aftermath of the First World War, the numerous islets were the refuge of a fauna of Apache (street ruffian from Paris) and women of bad life who officiated in infamous inns. In short, the Essonne marshes had a bad reputation. Today, the hiding places of thugs have given way to numerous huts, working-class weekend houses and fishermen's shelters. In any case, this is how part of the banks were privatized and fenced. Most of the marsh was made public by the County Council which set up bird observatories and a herd of Highland cows.

This walk along the marshes is also a walk through time, that of the peasant and aristocratic Essonne. The Essonne - the river - is bordered to the north by a cereal plain, the Hurepoix, which is the Ile-de-France overflow of the Beauce. You can sometimes see hunter's shelters and agricultural sheds along the fields. In Echarcron, you can also admire magnificent old farms and smallholdings. Essonne was also one of the cradles of the French paper industry, in particular thanks to the powerful Darblay family, who in the 19th century transformed many mills into paper mills. The last factory closed at the start of 2020, but the Darblays still own Château d'Echarcon, which we walk past - and glimpse - before reaching the Giant Sequoias.