Circular Vilaine Route via the Arzal Dam and the Roche-Bernard Bridge

A pleasant, easy walk along the banks of the Vilaine through wooded countryside, forests and small villages.
The path is fully signposted in white and red by theGR®39(left bank) andGR®349(right bank).

Details

35857986
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 23.16 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 7h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 330 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 326 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 54 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Arzal (56190)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.499455° / W 2.378632°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1021E, 1021SB, 1022ET, 1022OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the harbour master’s office car park on the banks of the Vilaine.

(S/E) From the car park, turn right towards the Arzal Dam and join the road.

(1) Turn left and cross the dam. The drawbridge may be raised to allow boats to pass, so you must wait for it to lower before continuing. Check the harbour master’s office website for timetables.

(2) After the dam, turn left to follow the left bank of the Vilaine to the La Chambre des Chèvres crossroads.

(3) Turn left onto the road and walk past the water treatment plant. The path resumes to the right of the plant’s gate and leads to the village of Le Cossois.

(4) Turn left towards the village, then left again at the next crossroads to rejoin the path and pass through the village of Kerléno.

(5) After the village, turn left to stay on the path and cross the village of Le Rosquet.

(6) On leaving the village, turn left towards the Vallées du Loriot.

(7) At La Roche-Bernard, turn left to stay on the banks of the Vilaine.

(8) Cross the car park, take a small stone staircase leading to the road above, cross the road and take the path going uphill directly opposite.

(9) Cross the road to take another stone staircase leading to the Roche-Bernard bridge, then cross the bridge.

(10) On the other side of the Vilaine, turn left onto a small wooden staircase to descend onto a narrow path. Cross the road by the old bridge and take another wooden staircase to reach the right bank of the Vilaine.

(11) Walk up to the Cale d’Arzal car park. The path continues to the left at the start of the crash barrier. Walk through the village of Kerpape.

(12) Turn left onto the road, then right to return to the path and follow it to La Noë.

(13) Turn left onto the road, then right onto a forest track and follow it to a Y-junction.

(14) Turn left towards the village of La Grée de Bas and head for the village of La Grée de Haut.

(15) Turn right towards Le Gaillard.

(16) Turn right and reach the D148. Cross the road to rejoin the forest path leading to Belléan.
Be careful, there is a sharp right-hand bend; drivers cannot see us crossing, so do not linger!

(17) Turn left and rejoin the D148.

(18) Turn left onto this road. To avoid walking on the road (dangerous), a small path has been created between the ditch and the field on the left. Before reaching the village of Belle Vue, turn left.

(19) Turn right just before the 4G mast to rejoin the path and, further on, cross through Colon.

(20) After the village, turn left and you’ll soon reach a road.

(21) Turn left towards the campsite, where the path continues to the right of the entrance gate to join a road.

(22) Follow it to the left towards the harbour area.

(23) Turn left towards the harbour master’s office and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 3 m - Harbour Master’s Office car park. Towards the - Vilaine (fleuve)
  2. 1 : km 0.27 - alt. 7 m - Barrage d'Arzal
  3. 2 : km 0.81 - alt. 7 m - The Old Castle
  4. 3 : km 3.71 - alt. 34 m - Water treatment plant
  5. 4 : km 5.27 - alt. 34 m - Le Cossois
  6. 5 : km 7.52 - alt. 24 m - Kernélo
  7. 6 : km 9.45 - alt. 39 m - Rosquet
  8. 7 : km 10.64 - alt. 3 m - La Roche-Bernard
  9. 8 : km 11.33 - alt. 10 m - La Garenne
  10. 9 : km 11.62 - alt. 37 m - Pont de La Roche-Bernard
  11. 10 : km 12.1 - alt. 53 m - Old bridge
  12. 11 : km 12.61 - alt. 9 m - Marzan slipway
  13. 12 : km 13.4 - alt. 38 m - Kerpape
  14. 13 : km 14.34 - alt. 23 m - La Noë
  15. 14 : km 15.23 - alt. 35 m - La Grée de Bas
  16. 15 : km 15.71 - alt. 51 m - La Grée de Haut
  17. 16 : km 16.37 - alt. 28 m - Le Gaillard
  18. 17 : km 18.28 - alt. 36 m - Belléan
  19. 18 : km 19.6 - alt. 48 m - D148
  20. 19 : km 19.99 - alt. 46 m - Belle Vue
  21. 20 : km 21.67 - alt. 25 m - Colon
  22. 21 : km 21.92 - alt. 4 m - Les Marines d'Arzal
  23. 22 : km 22.68 - alt. 6 m - Palus de Caulon
  24. 23 : km 22.88 - alt. 9 m - Port area
  25. S/E : km 23.16 - alt. 4 m - Harbour Master’s Office car park

Notes

Arzal Harbour Master’s Office: Telephone: 02 97 45 02 97

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.2 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Candlemass44
Candlemass44

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk with varied landscapes. The right bank is a little less pleasant as there are few views of the Vilaine and more sections on tarmac. A few slight inclines, sometimes rocky. During the week you hardly meet anyone, on Sunday mornings there are a few mountain bikers, trail runners and walkers. Completed in 6 hours with three 10/15-minute breaks, and a 10kg rucksack.

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User 26535680

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very diverse hike. I'm surprised it's classified as DIFFICULT. I didn't find it that way. I was worried about a few difficult sections, but in the end, nothing like that happened.

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LLAINE
LLAINE
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, which we did in the opposite direction to the recommended route. We were glad we did, as the route along the left bank of the Vilaine is more scenic than the one on the right bank: shaded paths through the woods with lovely views of the Vilaine, which you don’t see much of on the right bank.

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yannherbert
yannherbert

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk along varied paths, particularly on the left bank, with no particular difficulties and accessible even in wet weather

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abnoya
abnoya

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk along the banks of the Vilaine on one side (from the Arzal dam to La Roche-Bernard) and through the countryside on the other. No major difficulties, apart from the distance, which is 24 km.

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