Bonnemain walks

Bonnemain is one of the twenty-six communes in the canton of Combourg (also known as Romantic Brittany). This walk complements the one to the north-east, which runs between the village and the Domaine des Ormes. It winds its way through the countryside, via sunken paths and a few pretty little houses.

Bonnemain is one of the twenty-six communes in the canton of Combourg (also known as Romantic Brittany). This walk complements the one to the north-east, which runs between the village and the Domaine des Ormes. It winds its way through the countryside via sunken paths and past some pretty little houses.

Located in the north-west of the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Bonnemain is one of the twenty-six parishes in the canton of Combourg, also known as Romantic Brittany. This gentle walk allows you to discover the surrounding countryside and the Domaine des Ormes, renowned for its campsite. The path is lined with some beautiful stone houses and two wayside crosses. The path around the Étang de la Sablonnière is particularly pleasant.

This route runs largely through the countryside and follows sunken lanes. It passes through several hamlets whose names raise questions about their origins: Les Forges, Le Portail des Forges and La Ville Feu.

A peaceful hike along grassy paths and a few quiet roads. You will follow part of the Chemin des Évêques, which was used by bishops to reach their summer residence. The nearby Château du Domaine des Ormes was once (in the early 14th century) the summer residence of the bishops of Dol-de-Bretagne. Today, it is a campsite. The paths are shaded. If you walk them in autumn, you can collect lots of chestnuts.

A very pleasant route along sunken paths (sometimes wet) and hedgerow paths. You will walk alongside small streams with the incessant sound of lapping water as they cross a stony area. The highlight of this hike is the Butte menhir.

This route allows us to alternate between the discovery of a hilly landscape, marked by hedgerows and embankments, and the open landscape of the Dol marshes, criss-crossed by its vast network of canals and ditches and punctuated by the omnipresence of Mont-Dol and Dol-de-Bretagne Cathedral.

The route is mainly in the countryside, through the Marais Blanc and Marais Noir marshes, with no particular difficulties except for the ascent of the Mont-Dol hill via the north face (slippery in wet weather) and the descent to the town hall (uneven steps). The route takes the Chemin Vert between Dol de Bretagne and Mont-Dol. Beautiful view of the Marais Blanc and the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel from the top of the Mont Dol hill.

Dol-de-Bretagne is a small town full of character offering numerous hiking opportunities, the most popular being the Marais Blanc and Marais Noir trails. The route suggested here follows part of the Nominöe route, but differs in that it passes through the countryside further south, taking in the Menhir du Champ Dolent and the Fontaine Saint-Samson.

This is an easy route through the Marais Blanc and along the Canal de la Banche and the Banche itself. It allows you to discover a few old farms scattered throughout the marsh.

Trail, half on dirt track, half on road. Beautiful sights with the Saint-Macaire (or Maker) Fountain on one side and the megalithic rock site (also known as the "Field of Tombs") on the other. Part of the trail runs along the Canal de la Banche, which joins Dol de Bretagne at Quercourt.

From Étang du Pas Gérault, take the paths and trails on the plateau, then on the Claye plain. The trail takes you through the somewhat wild Guyoult before following a circular route back to the plain and the lake. This area is rich in wildlife, with numerous egrets and cattle egrets, and sometimes grey herons. Game is often seen here, but it is very shy.

Throughout this route, there are superb views of Mont-Saint-Michel and the polders.But you will discover no less than three different landscapes: the ecologically rich site of the two valleys, the market gardening area of the polders and the infinite space of the salt marshes.

Discover romantic Brittany, between the two departments of Ille-et-Vilaine and Côtes d'Armor, by travelling along part of the Ille and Rance Canal!

This hike follows the path along the dyke between Chapelle Sainte-Anne and Polder du Nouveau Conseil and, on the way back, takes the Greenway linking Mont Saint-Michel to Cancale and continuing on to Saint-Malo and beyond. Beautiful view of the bay when the weather is good, which is often the case!

This hike follows the path along the dyke between the Sainte-Anne Chapel and the Bertrand Polder and, on the way back, takes the Greenway linking Mont Saint-Michel to Cancale and continuing on to Saint-Malo and beyond. Beautiful view of the bay when the weather is good, which is often the case!

The main attraction of this hike is the Fort de Saint-Père, built between 1777 and 1785 to protect Saint-Malo from English attacks by land and to complete the defence system designed by the famous Vauban. Part of its enclosure was destroyed in 1944 by the Germans as they fled during the Liberation. Today, the fort has become a cultural and leisure space. Every year, it hosts various trail events, flower markets, festivals and concerts. The fort is open to the public during the events it hosts, but the outer rampart walk is accessible to walkers all year round.

Built in the 18th century, the fort completes the coastal fortifications designed by Vauban to protect the bay of Saint-Malo from English attacks. With a capacity of 3,000 men, 26 casemates and a 46-metre-long powder magazine, it was delivered too late to play a defensive role. During the 1914-1918 war, it housed German prisoners and, during the last war, it was converted into an ammunition depot by the Germans, who blew up part of the casemates during their evacuation. Decommissioned in 1988, it is now owned by the municipality of Saint-Père-Marc-en-Poulet, which has restored it; shows are organised there.

This is a short, peaceful walk, partly through built-up areas and partly through what is known locally as the white marsh. In fact, the only remaining evidence of the marsh is the leat Jean. The route follows part of the GRP® Tour du Pays Malouin.

This route allows you to discover a whole range of small architectural heritage sites: guardhouses, typical houses, a wash house and a church. But of course, as everywhere else in the area, the star attraction is Mont-Saint-Michel, which visitors can see in the background throughout their journey.

Roz-sur-Couesnon consists, as its name suggests, of an upper part (roz = hill in Breton) where the village is located, and a lower part made up of former marshes, polders and salt marshes, where the Couesnon river once flowed. This unique feature gives the town an exceptional view of the bay and Mont Saint-Michel, as well as a wide variety of landscapes, which the route proposed here seeks to highlight.