La Chapelle-des-Marais walks

Farming in the marshes has always relied on mowing and grazing the meadows when they were no longer covered in water. Cows prefer dry land to the aquatic environment, and providing them with winter refuge areas is key to ensuring the continuation of this farming practice. This route invites you to discover the pastures of La Chapelle des Marais.

The Château de Ranrouët is a medieval gem nestled on the edge of the marshes. Here, there is no fortified rock, but a slight elevation in the greenery. The marshes that surround it provided protection, and the proposed route winds through the surrounding countryside where land and water constantly mix.

Remnants of a time when much of what enabled the people of Bréca to make a living was extracted from the marsh, thatched cottages are still very much in evidence around Saint-Lyphard. There are said to be no fewer than 500 of them. To discover this exceptional heritage, why not hop on your bike and explore the narrow roads and farm tracks that criss-cross the Saint-Lyphard area? A complete change of scenery is guaranteed!

Discover the islands of Saint-Joachim and some of the islands of Saint-Malo-de-Guersac by bike, with some beautiful views of the Brière marshes.

A very pretty route which starts in the countryside and forest and then follows the course of the Vilaine river. The start and finish are at the very pretty port of La Roche-Bernard.

Although La Roche-Bernard is an urban centre that locals refer to as a ‘town’, its area (40 ha) and population (approx. 700 inhabitants) make it one of the smallest county towns in France. It is surrounded by the communes of Nivillac, Herbignac and Férel, across which the majority of the urban area is spread. The proposed route takes you around the area.

An hour-and-a-half circuit with a few tricky sections. This pleasant walk alternates seamlessly between passages at water's edge and ridge-climbing, and also spans two bridges some 50 m above the Vilaine. The bridge circuit allows you to discover a small section of the river as it crosses the Sillon de Bretagne. Get your calves ready!

As you approach La Roche-Bernard, the Vilaine river winds its way through the geological folds of southern Armorica. The result is a rugged, wooded landscape that is very pleasant to walk through.

Walk along the edge of the Grande Brière. As you circle the village, you will discover meadows sometimes flooded by the rising spring waters, separated by the canals you will be walking alongside. In Rozé, you can climb up to a viewpoint to enjoy a view of the entire Grande Brière.

The Mès, a small coastal river in the north of the Guérande peninsula, flows through a low, wide valley consisting mainly of marshes, draining the water into the ocean. The proposed route allows you to discover the upper part of these marshes and cross them via the Gras bridge, an ancient stone footbridge. This route should only be attempted when the water level in the marshes allows the paths surrounding them to be used.

Located opposite La Roche-Bernard, on the other bank of the Vilaine, the commune of Marzan stretches across a plateau overlooking the river. On these heights, exposed to sea winds, the remains of several windmills can still be seen. Streams have carved out the rock and flow at the bottom of the valleys. Where it was possible to dam them, water mills were built. The proposed route takes you from one to the other through varied and pleasant countryside.

Running along the left bank of the Vilaine, this path follows the riverbank closely, linking the two ports of Arzal and La Roche-Bernard, and offering a multitude of landscapes and views of the Basse-Vilaine. In summer, you can also return by boat or canoe.

Walk starting from the Arzal Dam, following the Vilaine upstream on the left bank, circular route via the two bridges and finishing at the port of La Roche-Bernard. The scenery along the Vilaine is breathtaking.

During this hike, discover a variety of landscapes: the river, the ocean and the countryside.

To the south of the Vilaine estuary, the gentle terrain encourages the intermingling of wetland and agricultural environments. The village of Camoël is built on a slight rise overlooking both the river and the marshes situated upstream of Pont Mahé Bay. The proposed route allows you to explore the river where its estuary begins and one of the streams feeding the Étang du Pont de Fer, a hidden nature reserve that can be glimpsed when the foliage is not too dense.

This hike allows you to discover the different faces of Brière: its marshes, its thatched cottages, its flora and fauna. Lots of paths, a few roads, all lined with oak trees, pines, gorse, willows and chestnut trees. Superb!

The village of Saint-Dolay overlooks the plateau that borders the south bank of the Vilaine. This flat landscape is cut by a valley with sometimes steep slopes, where the Moulin Neuf stream flows. While moors cover the slopes and heights of the valley, marshes and peat bogs cover the bottom. Add to this variety of vegetation a remarkable geological diversity, and you will have many reasons to explore this route.

The village of Arzal stretches from the foot of the church's pointed bell tower to the edge of the dam. Upstream, the river has become a huge body of water where thousands of boats are moored, while downstream, the maritime character of the estuary remains. The proposed route allows you to discover both aspects of the river and the bocage that overlooks it.

La Brière, France's second largest freshwater marsh, is a secret land hidden behind the surrounding hedgerows. The suggested route allows you to explore it from the land bordering it to the west and even catch a glimpse of it from the Sandun hill, which rises to a height of 28 metres. A real mountain in this flat country!But be careful, marshes are best explored when the water level allows it.Circuit temporarily closed

A country walk between Cosca, a stone's throw from the Arzal dam, and the Templar village of Lantiern.This walk along beautiful tree-lined paths and a few small roads connects the banks of the Vilaine estuary to the beautiful Saint-Jean-Baptiste Chapel, through pleasantly rolling countryside.The end of the route follows the botanical trail.The trail has been modified after the point (1), following the clear-cutting of the wooded area it used to cross, which made the trail disappear.

North of La Roche-Bernard, the Vilaine has carved its bed into a rocky plateau, and the streams that join it have also settled in fairly steep valleys. The remains of windmills on the heights and watermills along the streams mark this route, which winds around the former estate of Fescal Castle. This route runs mainly through wooded areas, interspersed with wooded hedgerow landscapes.

The Péaule countryside has a rather unique network of paths. Land consolidation has not been destructive here, and large, beautiful hedges still line the roads. Elsewhere, the Vilaine and its tributary streams have carved into the rocky plateau to create a generally wooded landscape where you can take a stroll. The long route on offer allows you to enjoy these different but always interesting landscapes, which follow one another during a beautiful day's walk.

Le port de Foleux marque la limite occidentale des marais de Redon. À cet endroit, la Vilaine se resserre et se fraie un passage entre les reliefs du Sillon de Bretagne. Le circuit proposé permet de découvrir la rive Sud de ce goulet. Il parcourt le bord de l'eau et joue aux montagnes russes à travers le relief assez accidenté de Nivillac.

Saint Cornely is the patron saint of horned animals. It is therefore fitting that his chapel is located in a very agricultural part of Péaule. But during this walk, which criss-crosses the plateau above the Vilaine, you will have other things to do than count cows and other quadrupeds. Keep your eyes open, there is much to see in this meander of the Vilaine

The commune of Péaule is located on a plateau that has been carved out by rivers, creating valleys of varying depths. In the eastern part of the commune, these valleys, which lead towards the Vilaine, create a forest atmosphere that is pleasant to walk through. Deciduous trees on the slopes and at the bottom of the valley, and conifers on the moors at the top, provide the setting for this well-shaded walk, where sunken paths give way to tree-lined avenues.

La seigneurie de Couéguel occupe la partie septentrionale de la commune de Péaule. Dans ce bout de territoire placé en limite de la commune de Limerzel, tout se réfère à ce nom : moulin, ferme, ruisseau. C'est aussi un lieu propice à une agréable balade entre landes et vallons arborés où coulent de paisibles ruisseaux.