The unusual walks of Fontânebleau, to discover the forest with donkeys

By combining her two passions for hiking and donkeys, Virginie, the creator of Fontânebleau, offers an original, family-friendly concept for discovering the forest of Fontainebleau, where she has settled with her family.

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She's been looking after her donkeys for the past fifteen years, and soon started hiking with them, driving them... Finally, a few months ago, she began offering her services to the general public. Come and meet Marguerite, Hirondelle and Laïos, her three long-eared boarders, for a lovely walk in the forest, with or without the children.

On the program, you can opt for a hike of 1, 2, 3 or 4 hours: Virginie offers several of her favorite circuits (le tour de la montagne blanche, le tour du rocher cailleau, le rocher cathédrale), with progressive rates depending on the length of the hike (€15 for one hour, €20 for two hours, €25 for three hours, €30 for four hours). For children who don't really like walking, there's even the option of having a snack with Marguerite (€15 per child), while looking after the donkey. Alternatively, you could combine sculpture and hiking: you prepare your sculpture under the watchful eye of a professional sculptor, then set off hiking with the donkeys to finish your work of art once you've arrived at a natural site. Price: €65 per person for 4 hours of activity.

For a truly complete immersion not far from the forest, Virginie also offers a chambre d'hôtes (with double bed, couple with babies accepted, maximum 2 adults) to completely cut off from Parisian life and feel like you're on vacation for a weekend. The package includes two two-hour walks with the donkeys, an overnight stay and breakfast, making for a wonderful stay in the heart of the Ile-de-France countryside (€150 for two people). Whether you live nearAchères-la-Forêt or are looking for a truly original activity for the whole family, Fontânebleau offers hikes on request, making for a fun and sporty outing with the kids!