Discover Hanches: church, routes and landscapes

Hanches offers several distinct themes to consider when planning a trip: the Église Saint-Germain and its building history, a signposted circular route, a pilgrimage route and a cycling route, as well as the local landscape and milling craft. You can explore the area according to the focus of your trip: are you mainly interested in historic architecture, a walking route, part of a pilgrimage route or a cycling route? These interests offer different perspectives on Hanches and help you tailor your travel plans to your plans.

Historic traces at the Église Saint-Germain

The Église Saint-Germain has been protected as a historic monument of France since December 21, 1984. Its building history dates back to the 11th century, when it was built or rebuilt by monks from the Trinité de Seincourt monastery. In the 15th century, the church was altered and given a massive sandstone bell tower. The tower served as a watchtower. This brings an early construction or rebuilding together with a later alteration; the tower’s former function provides a specific additional point of reference in the building’s history.

The remains of a 12th-century tower keep, which belonged to a feudal motte, have also been preserved near the Église Saint-Germain. The church and the tower keep are two distinct historic landmarks in Hanches. The tower keep adds another medieval point of reference to the church’s building history, broadening the view of the area’s historic traces.

Circular walk, pilgrimage route and cycling route

For a walk, the Parcours découverte de Hanches is a specific option: it is an easy, 7.5-kilometre circular route. Information panels, games and playful activities actively engage walkers. The distance and difficulty rating help with planning, while the panels and games add an entertaining learning element to the route. Check local trail conditions before setting out.

The GR 655 offers a different route. On the section in the Eure-et-Loir département between Épernon and Cloyes-sur-le-Loir, the pilgrimage route passes through Hanches. The Véloscénie is a cycling route from Paris to Mont-Saint-Michel and passes through Hanches in the Portes Euréliennes area. For travel planning, the routes can be distinguished by type: here, the GR 655 is the pilgrimage route and the Véloscénie is the cycling route. Their respective endpoints help define the scope of each route.

The De la Drouette à la Voise circular route combines natural scenery, visits to picturesque villages, and the exploration of monumental and industrial heritage. Its thematic focus brings together landscapes, villages and heritage. From a strategic viewpoint in Hanches, the view stretches across the valleys of the Drouette, the Voise and the Eure. This adds a distinct landscape dimension to the routes, with three named valleys.

Local crafts and getting there

An agricultural business in Hanches operates a mill where flour is made by hand using a stone mill. Flour production adds a local aspect of production to the historic and landscape themes.

The nearest railway station to Hanches is in Épernon. From there, Paris-Montparnasse is 45 minutes away and Chartres is 25 minutes away. The stated journey time to Chartres is therefore 20 minutes shorter than the journey time to Paris-Montparnasse. Check connections and journey times again before travelling so that you can plan with the current timetables.

Discover more destinations: La Puisaye, Le Coudray, Brou, Vaupillon, Ermenonville-La-Petite, Langey, Tréon, Dreux

See the broader travel guide: Eure-Et-Loir.