Paris may be a global hub for gastronomy, fashion, art, and culture, but the beautiful city has a darker side as well. Many regard it as a polluted and stressful city, although that mostly only makes sense to Parisians. In addition to that, the “All work and no play” routine a lot of locals subscribe to, can also bring drastic effects on their health. One solution they have found for this problem is taking a break from daily concerns by joining with nature in ways such as hiking. The following are a list of popular hiking trails which are less than one and a half hours from Paris.

Dame Jouanne’s Massif

This hiking trail which is 65 minutes away from Paris, is only 9 kilometers in length, and therefore good for regular as well as occasional hikes. You reach this place by taking the A6 highway to Auxerre from Paris, until you reach the exit number 14 marked “Malherbes”. From there, you follow the direction of Larchant to get to this trail.

Nemours’ forest loops

This awesome place is just 65 minutes from Paris proper. The hiking trail is located in Nemours, and is about eight kilometers long. This place is perfect for medium-level hikers; however, it is open to people of other levels too, including beginners. To reach this place, head straight to the south of Paris on the A6 highway, and drive till you see the “Nemours” exit. You can finally go hiking once you reach the site. Just 10 minutes from Nemours is the Cave Art path, which is a loop with yellow silhouettes.

Franchard’s gorges

Franchard’s gorges is just one hour from Paris. This is the best place to catch a relaxing walk after your tiring day at work. It takes you through breathtaking panoramas as you move along the trail. You can also get a good overview of the woods in Fontainebleau. You can get to this place by taking the A6 highway to Auxerre until you reach the “Fontainbleau” exit; from there, just follow the road till Franchard.

This trial is recommended for people of all hiking levels. You can also see the Jockey’s Hat, the Roche-Qui-Pleure (the crying rock), Ermites’ fountain, the Ermites-de-Franchard’s well, and Franchard’s priory, which is the oldest religious edifice in the entire forest of Fontainebleau.