Between Erve and Charnie

Parking available at Place Ambroise de Loré.
Start at the entrance to the medieval town.

(S/E) Walk up Rue Henri IV to Place Hubert de Beaumont (passing the Tourist Office) and walk down Grande Rue until, at the bend on the right, you reach the Porte du Guichet.

(1) Walk just a few metres along the Promenade de la Poterne, then turn left down the Chemin de la Mule Blanche before reaching Rue aux Chevaux.

(2) Walk past the Grand Moulin (well worth a visit), cross the bridge over the Erve and head up to the former Saint-Jean de la Fousillère retirement home

(3) Follow the wall surrounding the home along a path that veers diagonally to the right. Turn right towards Haut Essart.

(4) When you reach the tarmac road at Haut Essart, take a short detour to the right to the famous Tertre Ganne viewpoint (220m).
On the way back, head down the little Route de la Sorie, past 300-year-old chestnut trees, to the Gros Chêne.

(5) Then turn left to enter the Grande Charnie forest, then right towards the Vierge des Bois, also known as the Vierge de Beausoleil.

(6) Turn right once more to rejoin, 600m further on, the Chemin de la Sorie. Continue to the left and go straight on for nearly a kilometre, leaving the paths on your left, and head down to Rue Pavée. The street was paved with heavy sandstone cobblestones in the 17th and 18th centuries to facilitate mule transport to the numerous tanning, paper, cloth and finally oil mills.

(7) Cross the Erve at the Pont Neuf, then turn left and follow the river for a short while before turning left towards Les Choiseaux. Cross the river again. Please note: this section is closed to bicycles and horses, which should continue straight on, then turn left to rejoin route no. 28. Admire the Chemin des Dames and the pretty hamlet of La Rivière.

(8) Turn right at the wash house, cross the wooden bridge, cross the D7 and D25 to head up the Chemin du Meslier.

(9) Turn right onto the Chemin des Fossettes, which runs alongside the swimming pool. Reach the Croix Couverte, cross the D7 to return to the town via the Chemin des Vignes (S/E).

Parking available at Place Ambroise de Loré

Find all the walks offered by the Sainte-Suzanne les Coëvrons Tourist Office at www.coevrons-tourisme.com

- Place Ambroise de Loré: The town’s most recent fortifications, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries.

- Place Hubert II de Beaumont: Markings on the ground indicating the site of the old market hall, well. Church remodelled in 1884. Renaissance-style façade and portal, 16th century. Guide available for the interior.

- Porte du Guichet: Sweeping views over the Coëvrons: Montaigu, Mont Rochard, the Voutré quarries, Évron, the Erve valley, the English camp (information boards).

- Banks of the Erve: Grand Moulin district (Vicomte’s mill and former tannery), River Erve.

- Le Grand Moulin: Guided tours only and by booking. Educational workshops and family workshops during school holidays.

- Pont Neuf: Old mill (reconstructed waterwheel).

- Sentier des Dames: Panoramic view of the southern slope, overlooking the town.
Former mill (open to visitors): La Mécanique.

- Hameau de la Rivière: Chemin des Moulins. A suburb with tiled-roof houses, developed around the mill industry (particularly paper mills) to produce writing materials and playing cards.