From Sacé, the banks of the Mayenne

This route gives pride of place to the River Mayenne, following its course for over four kilometres. As you travel upstream, you will pass five lock-and-dam complexes, some of which are linked to a small power station.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.59 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 97 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 92 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 122 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 59 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Sacé (53470)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.185638° / W 0.713456°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1418SB, 1518SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available around the perimeter of Sacé church.

(S/E) Head south along Rue des Lilas on the right. Once you’ve left the town, turn left at the wayside shrine. The road becomes a track and crosses the Ruisseau d’Ouvrain. At La Dalbardière, the track becomes a road again.

(1) When you reach a Y-junction, turn right and continue along this road until you reach the D250, which you follow to the left. Enter Montflours and, at the junction with the D101 (Rue René Gérault), continue straight ahead.

(2) Turn immediately right into Place de la Sergenterie. Continue left, heading due west, along a track that runs alongside houses on the right, and carry on until you reach a fork.

(3) Take the hairpin bend to the right towards Petit Montflours and rejoin the D101. Follow the D101 on the left.
At a right-hand bend, take the left-hand lane (signposted ‘La Guinguette’) and turn right after 50 m. Pass under the road bridge and join the Voie Verte, which runs alongside the Mayenne.

(4) Follow the Voie Verte to the right.

(5) At Lock No. 13 at La Foumondière Supérieure, continue along the Mayenne on the Voie Verte, heading north-north-east.

(6) At Lock No. 12 at La Richardière, continue along the Mayenne on the Voie Verte, heading north-north-east.

(7) At Lock No. 11 at La Verrerie, continue along the Mayenne on the Voie Verte, heading north-east.

(8) At Lock No. 10 at La Nourrière, stay along the Mayenne on the Voie Verte, heading north.

(9) At Lock No. 9 at Le Port, leave the Voie Verte by turning right towards Le Port. Follow the hairpin bend to the left until you reach the D620.
Follow it to the right. Pass the houses at La Vannerie and reach Le Verger.

(10) Don’t miss the path on the left (before two entrances leading to the houses). At the end of the field, follow the tree-lined path to the left (not shown on IGN maps). At the end of this path, at the three-way junction near a pond, continue to the left.

(11) At the end of the path, turn right and continue along this path which veers southwards, becoming a road, and cross the hamlet of La Croix before reaching the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 116 m - Around the Church
  2. 1 : km 1.37 - alt. 110 m - T-junction, turn right
  3. 2 : km 3.28 - alt. 100 m - Before the church, turn right
  4. 3 : km 3.98 - alt. 86 m - To the right at the hairpin bend
  5. 4 : km 4.94 - alt. 60 m - Junction with the Greenway, straight ahead - Mayenne (rivière)
  6. 5 : km 5.09 - alt. 62 m - Lock No. 13 at La Foumondière Supérieure - Mayenne (rivière)
  7. 6 : km 5.72 - alt. 65 m - Lock No. 12 at La Richardière - Mayenne (rivière)
  8. 7 : km 6.66 - alt. 67 m - Lock No. 11 at La Verrerie - Mayenne (rivière)
  9. 8 : km 7.6 - alt. 69 m - Lock No. 10 on the Nourrière - Mayenne (rivière)
  10. 9 : km 9.06 - alt. 70 m - Lock No. 9 at Le Port - Mayenne (rivière)
  11. 10 : km 10.05 - alt. 95 m - Le Verger, path on the left
  12. 11 : km 11.23 - alt. 104 m - T-junction, turn right
  13. S/E : km 12.59 - alt. 116 m - Around the Church

Notes

This walk is the northern extension, along the Mayenne, of the walk entitled “Around the Ruisseau de la Merveille” (No. 3156455). They share a common section of the route: for this one, the part from (2) to (4) is identical to the section of the other walk’s route between (6) and (9).

The small village of Sacé is best known for its grey granite, which was widely used in construction during the 19th century. The quarrying of this rock is a very ancient activity.
It developed considerably in the 19th century thanks to the opening of quarries on the banks of the Mayenne. Sacé’s grey granite is known for its hardness,

The lock-keepers’ houses we come across are currently being renovated (May 2020) for nos. 13 and 12, in a sorry state and uninhabited for nos. 11 and 10, and renovated and inhabited for no. 9. They all bear the date 1858 on the granite lintel above the entrance.

Worth a visit

At the (8), on the hill to the right but hidden by vegetation: the Château de la Juvaudière. Entirely rebuilt in the 19th century on the site of a late 16th-century manor house, the Château de la Juvaudière consists of two perpendicular wings, the corner of which is occupied by the staircase. As a private residence, it is not open to visitors

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 6 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
Jacques.Mouzer
Jacques.Mouzer

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a beautiful hike of moderate difficulty.
There is a car park near the town hall and school, which is more convenient for groups.
The church is also a good place to park, or at the very start of the hike, near the calvary.

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HABRO
HABRO

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely outing under a brilliant blue sky!

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vaçu
vaçu

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk along the Mayenne and along the narrow roads and sunken lanes, but without a GPS, we had trouble finding our way, particularly in Monflours

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jpincon541
jpincon541

took a wrong turn to the left when he should have turned right, and misjudged the distance
Route not comprehensive enough...............
Route to be redrawn.

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gisèleanita
gisèleanita

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, but the information isn't up to date as the route starts from the church square.
On Visorando, the route is shown in reverse, so it’s less well signposted.
And on arrival at Montflours, several walks converge and the information is lacking in detail: nos. 1, 2 and 12, several yellow routes
Without the mobile and the route map, we wouldn’t have found our way back.
Route needs to be re-mapped correctly

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Claude7222
Claude7222

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 07, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

It’s a shame they didn’t specify that there are several Yellow routes in Monflours...
It’s not easy to find the right one without a satnav

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perronnerie jean paul
perronnerie jean paul

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A great hike with plenty of shaded paths, but the signposting points in the opposite direction

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