Park on the esplanade in front of Combret cemetery, which is located on the edge of the D33.
(S/E) Start the walk by turning left at the cemetery (wooden sign with a menhir statue) to see the small megalith by the path just after the first bend.
Return to the D33, cross with care and follow the tarmac road opposite until you reach the junction with the cul-de-sac leading to a few houses on the left.
PR®® Yellow markings
Turn right onto a wide grassy path that descends gently.
No markings
At the first junction, let thePR®® head left and continue straight on. At the second (not shown on the IGN map), turn left and continue to a road (D91) which you reach at a small high-voltage transformer.
YellowPR®® signposting
(1) Follow this road to the left for about 350m. Leave it and take a narrow path that starts on the left and crosses through dense undergrowth before joining a small tarmac road (picnic area opposite). Turn left towards the Monastery of Notre-Dame d’Orient and note, as you pass, the second menhir statue on the left.
No signposting
(2) Turn left to walk alongside the monastery (you can stop at the beautiful chapel, which is open to visitors). Continue along the road to the right, which descends towards the Rance and runs alongside it before crossing it via a concrete bridge that looks rather out of place in the landscape. At the junction (rubbish bins), ignore the road opposite leading to Les Lauzes and turn right.
(3) At the end of the first bend, leave the road and take a wide, grassy path on the left that climbs steeply. At the first fork (not shown on the IGN map), facing a meadow, turn left. Do the same at the next one, which is also not shown on the map. At the third, take a sharp right-hand bend and, after a sharp left-hand bend, reach a junction where two paths branch off to the right (elevation 416).
(4) Take the second path, which goes uphill, and arrive at a wide fork on the edge of the woods facing a large meadow.
PR®® Yellow markings
Turn left onto thePR®® and you will soon reach a crossroads with four paths.
No markings
Let thePR®® continue straight ahead and turn left onto a wide grassy path.
(5) Just as this path begins a sharp left-hand descent (the IGN map is incorrect here), leave it and follow a less obvious track to the right through a wood of oak, beech and conifers.
(6) Where the path turns sharply right at a 90° angle to begin a steep climb (the IGN map is incorrect here too), continue straight on along a path whose start is partially obscured by vegetation. After a particularly muddy section (as of September 2017), the path suddenly widens and leads to a clearing where several paths cross. Continue straight on and exit the woods onto a field, which you must follow before reaching a small tarmac road. Turn right until you reach the junction where the path meets thePR®® you left earlier.
PR®® Yellow markings
(7) Turn left onto the wide track, which follows the ridge for a long while, offering beautiful views to the south over the Rance valley.
No markings
(8) At the edge of a wooded area, turn right onto a wide grassy path which joins a tarmac road just by the menhir statue of Saint-Léonce.
YellowPR®® markings
(9) Turn right for a few metres, then turn left onto the signposted path that runs alongside the old Saint-Léonce Church, which is almost in ruins and now on private property. The path becomes stony (watch your ankles as the stones give way underfoot), turns right just after crossing a small bridge and leads to a wide, compacted track.
(10) Take a short detour to the right to enjoy a beautiful view of the village of Combret, which is now very close. Turn back, continue straight on to the road and follow it to the right. Turn left at the Fork in the road towards the castle ruins. At the top of the hill, turn left again and continue down the slope, walking alongside the cemetery, which is situated on the right, higher up.
Take the steps on the right leading to the forecourt of the Church of Saint John the Baptist (12th century), which was unfortunately closed when I visited (September 2017). Enjoy the lovely view over the village rooftops, return to the street and continue down the slope past a few stately homes to reach a small square with a fountain.
(11) Cross this square towards the statue of the Virgin Mary, then take a cobbled alleyway on the left. Once on Rue du Serre, turn left towards the covered market, then turn right downhill at the corner to come out onto Rue du Barry. Turn right towards the lower part of the village and the bridge over the Rance. Cross the bridge and follow the road for about 350 metres.
(12) Turn left onto a narrow, stony path that begins a steady climb through the woods.
(13) At the junction with a wide grassy path, take the narrow path straight ahead and slightly to the right, which descends gently to the road linking Combret to Saint-Maurice (D91).
No signposting
(14) Follow this road to the left, taking the usual precautions. Over long stretches, it is possible to use the well-mown verge on the right (as of September 2017) to avoid the tarmac. Pass through Saint-Maurice and continue along the road, which takes a sharp bend to the right.
(15) About 400m further on, at the start of a right-hand bend, leave the road and take a narrow, very inconspicuous path on the left (not shown on the IGN map). This path climbs through the undergrowth to reach the road leading to the hamlet of Ségézy.
(16) Turn right and follow this road to the junction with the D91. Turn right.
(1) Turn left onto the wide grassy path from the start and head back to the village (S/E).