Country:
District:
Departure from the commune of Domgermain, at a place called Champ d'Alouette
To get there, you will need to drive through the village of Domgermain on very steep and narrow streets.
When you leave the forest, the car park is immediately on your right.
This hike is not marked in its entirety, so please pay particular attention between points 1 and 5. The landmarks visible on the ground are included in this description to help you find your way (plot numbers).
(S/E) From the car park, head towards the beautiful open space by following the tarmac road, which quickly turns into a stony track. Go past the crossroads and continue straight ahead.
(1) Shortly after entering the forest, ignore the first path on the right and continue straight ahead. There are many paths, so follow the description carefully. Also follow the landmarks on the ground.
(2) Pass the first wide path on the left (not shown on the IGN map) and take the second one on the left. Pass the entrance to the quarry, with a barrier on the right, and continue along the same path.
(3) At a large T-junction, turn right and ignore the markings. A few metres further on, at a three-way junction, leave the wide path and take a smaller one to the left of plot no. 9.
After a slight bend, the path leads to a clear crossroads with four paths. Continue straight ahead between plots 38 and 39.
(4) At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead.
(5) When you reach the road, take it to the right for about 150 metres, then leave it to the left via a path between plots 15 and 16.
At a T-junction, at an octagonal marker, turn left and follow the yellow rectangle markings.
Continue straight ahead, walking alongside the forest on your left and cultivated fields on your right. Continue straight ahead until you reach a tarmac road.
Follow this road to the right for about 180 m, pass a first path on the right and continue to a large crossroads with a forest road.
Turn right onto a wide path marked with a yellow rectangle for about 300 metres, and you will see your first tag. Continue straight ahead for about 130 metres.
(6) Variation (see "Practical information").
If you are not taking the alternative route, leave this wide path (and the yellow rectangle markings) and take a path that climbs slightly to the right. Follow this path until you leave the forest and continue straight ahead between the fields until you reach a crossroads.
Turn left until you reach the forest, which you will cross straight ahead, ignoring any paths on the right or left.
The path leaves the forest, turning right, then briefly re-enters the forest before descending to the left between the forest and pastures, then quickly climbing back up to a wide stony path
(7) When you reach this stony path, follow it to the left until you come to a crossroads of forest roads.
(8) Turn left for a return trip of about 500 metres to discover a second tag in the forest on the left.
Once you have admired this beautiful tag, retrace your steps back to the crossroads.
(8) Take the path that descends steeply to the left. During this somewhat challenging descent, after a few steps, you will discover athird tag slightly recessed on the right.
At the bottom of the descent, take the wide forest path on the left, but not before admiring thefourth tag on your left, just at the junction of the two paths.
Continue down this wide forest path, then take the path on the left marked with a yellow rectangle.
(9) 100 metres further on, you will come to the "Le Sans Souci" open-air café.
Take the time to walk around it and discover the many tags on the wooden shelter and on the walls of the small building.
After this short break, turn your back on the guinguette and descend the path on the left to the road. Follow it to the left for a few metres, then take a wide path on the left again.
Continue along this path for 1 km straight ahead towards the village, ignoring the paths on the right.
(10) At the three-way junction, take the path on the right that descends towards the village. At the crossroads of Rue du Han and Rue du Progrès, go up to the left, then take Rue de Bellevue, pass in front of the church and the town hall, then turn left just before the playgrounds.
Climb up to the water tower, follow the path up into the forest, cross a crossroads and continue climbing opposite until you reach the forest road.
(11) When you reach the crossroads, take thesecond wide path (forest road) on the right for a few metres, then turn left and stay on this path to discover the Ouvrage de Charmes in the heart of the forest.
Be careful not to venture inside the buildings.
Retrace your steps back to the crossroads.
Take the path that turns sharply left and is marked with an X and two yellow horizontal bars.
Do not leave this path, which will take you back to the car park after about 1.5 km.
Along the way, take note of the various information panels explaining the fauna, flora and remains of the fort.
Take a particular look at a shelter on your left, which you can enter to see some explanatory photos of the site.
Also note the ventilation chimneys of the various tunnels dug at this location and a beautiful view of the Toulois plain and Mont Saint-Michel.
When you leave the forest, take the road on the left, which will take you directly back to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Easy 
Difficult 
