Circular route to Mont-Dol via the river and the two Biez

Start from the Le Porteray picnic area on the D4.

(S/E) Head west towards the bridge and follow signs for La Planche. Then turn right. After crossing the railway level crossing, immediately take the path on the right for 1,100 m.

(1) At the crossroads, turn left to reach the Pont de Chanteloup.

(2) Do not cross the bridge, but turn left onto the dirt track running alongside the Guyoult. Keep the Guyoult on your right and continue straight on for about 2 km. Pass the hamlet of La Rivetière and continue straight on to the next crossroads.

(3) Leave the bridge on your right and continue straight ahead along a dirt track. Cross a bridge over the Cardequin and, after about 650 m, take the sharp left-hand bend onto the road.

(4) Follow this road and continue straight on for 1 km. Pass the small Marian shrine on the right and continue straight on.

(5) At the crossroads, turn right, pass the hamlet known as Les Turmeaux, and head towards the Croix de Kermeur.

(6) Cross the D78 carefully and , at the wayside cross, head straight ahead towards Hirel. At the first fork, at the hamlet of Groussay, take the left-hand path towards l'Aupinière/Gatinel. Pass through the hamlet of l'Aupinière and, after 250 m, take the grassy path on the left.

(7) Follow it to the Route de Kermeur, running alongside the stream. Turn right; at the junction with a wayside cross, turn left, cross the railway line, and reach the D4.

(8) Cross the D4 carefully, and take Rue des Rosières, slightly to the right, opposite. At the junction, turn left, and cross the bridge over the Biez de la Ceinture Nord.

(9) After the bridge, turn left and follow the stream. Cross the D78, then, after about 1,200 m, at the third footbridge, cross the stream.

(10) Continue straight on to reach the D4, cross it carefully, then follow it for 500 m to the left to return to the starting point (S/E).

Take care when crossing roads and railway lines. You will need to use minor roads, so caution is advised.
The picnic area can get busy during the season.

If necessary, you can park your car at a place called La Salle, just before the (1) (48.56544, -1.777863) or in the town of Mont-Dol (48.56943, -1.764609), but the latter option will add 2 km to the route.

Saint-Pierre Church in Mont-Dol
The presence of a church on this site has been known since the^6th century. The present church dates from the early^12th century. In the^13th century, two square-sectioned Romanesque pillars were replaced by cylindrical ones. In the^14th and^15th centuries, the Romanesque paintings were covered over (side walls of the nave, above the large arches, between the high windows). The^12th-century frescoes depicted ashlar masonry with friezes and foliage; those from^{the 14th} and^15th centuries depicted scenes from the Passion and Hell. In 1823, the choir was extended. (source: POP)

Notre-Dame de l’Espérance Tower, Mont-Dol hill.
Former Chappe telegraph tower, used for communications between Brest and Paris (itself built in 1799 using stones from a former priory). The local council reclaimed the building in the^19th century, when it stood 10 m high, and levelled the top to convert it into the present chapel.
Beautiful view of the marsh and the bay of Mont Saint-Michel.

The mills on the Mont-Dol hill.
Two mills stand at the top of the hill; one is privately owned and the other is open to visitors.

The old chapel on the Mont-Dol mound
In 1778, Abbé Rever, visiting it whilst it lay in ruins, discovered that the altar tables were in fact two large taurobolic stones, the remains of a pagan temple dating from the Roman occupation. Historians remain divided as to which cult was worshipped there: Mithras or Cybele.

Near Dol-de-Bretagne
A charming little town with plenty to visit and see, particularly the moat, the ancient fortifications, the^13th-century cathedral and the main street with its old houses.