A lovely walk in Moisdon-la-Rivière

Moisdon-la-Rivière is a small village situated a few kilometres from Châteaubriant, on the D178. About 2 km from the village liesthe Étang de la Forge, a former site of industrial forges. There is a museum, a café, and a beautiful pond surrounded by schist rocks. The route around this site is very pleasant and open to all from April to September (check the exact dates each year). The pond is fed by the River Don. The route runs between the pond and the river, making for a very pleasant walk.

Details

72575846
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.84 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 66 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 66 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 57 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 38 m

Photos

Description of the walk

From Moisdon-la-Rivière, follow the signs for “Site des Forges de Moisdon” via the D29 road. Once at the site, head towards the pond and park in the car park at the end of the bridge.

(S/E) Return to the car park entrance and take the path on the left that goes uphill, marked in yellow. 

(1) Turn left and continue along the main track.

(2) When you reach the road, turn left onto the path between two large boulders. Continue straight ahead.

(3) Ignore the path on the left leading to a footbridge and go straight on.

(4) When you reach the road, take the path on the left below.

(5) Turn right. The narrow path leads onto a wide track at a junction. Take the left-hand track, heading due north. At the end of the track, take the path on the left until you reach a fork.

(6) Take the small path on the left. Be careful, as this path is not very visible. Continue towards the riverbank. Follow the path until you reach a road. Take this road to the left until you reach a wider area, just before a bridge closed to traffic.

(7) Take the path on the right. Continue along the river. The path climbs, offering a lovely view of the river and the surrounding area at the top. Continue along the path that runs alongside the river for about 2 km. When you reach a busy road, cross the bridge to the left, keeping well to the narrow pavement.Take care as vehicles travel quite fast at this point.

(8) Just at the end of the bridge, take the path on the left which descends towards the riverbank. Continue along the river. The path is crossed in two places by small access roads to the river, for anglers. Cross these paths to continue along the path opposite.

(9) At the top of the climb, continue slightly to the left, along the path that runs past a few houses. Cross the small road, then take the short but fairly steep path on the left that leads down. Cross the road and climb up the slope opposite, to a clearing above the pond. Continue along the path towards the houses. Turn left onto a small, barely visible path that descends to the edge of the pond. Continue along the edge of the pond. Go back up onto the bridge and turn left to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 43 m - Car park at the Forges de Moisdon site - Don (rivière) - Affluent de la Vilaine
  2. 1 : km 0.7 - alt. 45 m - Junction of two trails
  3. 2 : km 1.07 - alt. 45 m - Local road
  4. 3 : km 1.77 - alt. 43 m - Junction of two trails
  5. 4 : km 2.55 - alt. 45 m - County road
  6. 5 : km 3.31 - alt. 49 m - Junction of two trails
  7. 6 : km 4.02 - alt. 57 m - The path is not very visible; it is on the left
  8. 7 : km 5.75 - alt. 42 m - Just before the bridge
  9. 8 : km 7.57 - alt. 47 m - Access on the left, at the end of the bridge
  10. 9 : km 9.29 - alt. 53 m - Residential area
  11. S/E : km 9.84 - alt. 43 m - Car park at the Forges de Moisdon site

Notes

The trail is very accessible but includes a few short climbs, which may be difficult for those with mobility issues.

You can shorten the route by not taking the path at (7). In this case, cross the bridge and continue straight ahead. Turn left at the first street. Walk down the street, cross the bridge leading back to the car park. This reduces the route to approximately 6 km.

Worth a visit

Visits to the museum are free of charge from Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 6 pm.
On Mondays from 2 pm to 6 pm in July and August.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
tugny44
tugny44
• Edited:

Thank you for your message.
Your advice regarding playing on a wet pitch is spot on. Thank you for pointing that out.

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BOULEUX
BOULEUX

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 11, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk!
A remarkable site; I recommend a visit to the museum, which traces the history of the forge.
(free entry, thank you)
Please be careful: when it’s damp, the rocks are very slippery, so I recommend using walking poles and wearing sturdy shoes.

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tugny44
tugny44

Hello
Thank you for your comment.
Enjoy our other Visorando routes.

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User 1035581

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A brilliant walk along the water's edge. Easy to follow with the app and the signposts.

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tugny44
tugny44

Thank you, Chloe, for your comment.
Good luck on the Visorando circuits.

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ChloeM18
ChloeM18

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with varied scenery.
Quite a bit of an uphill climb, but the views are well worth it.

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tugny44
tugny44

Hello
Sorry to hear that you found this trail difficult to follow. Perhaps you don't have the Visorando app on your smartphone. The app is free. For your next trails, you should download it, as it makes it much easier to follow.

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User 12209754

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The routes are very difficult to follow and understand.

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