Along the Oust, from the Château de Josselin to the Chapelle Saint-Gobrien

Dominated by the tall silhouette of the Château de Josselin, the River Oust is one of the sections of the Nantes-Brest Canal. This walk follows the shaded course of the river and leads to the charming Chapelle Saint-Gobrien.

Details

305716
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.80 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 5 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 5 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 34 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 27 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Josselin (56120)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.950865° / W 2.545758°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 0919SB, 1019SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park located on the banks of the Oust, south-east of the Château de Josselin.

No signposts

(S/E) Head south-east, passing a lock on your right and a stopover lodge on your left. On the towpath (tarmac), follow the Oust on your right. Pass the Josselin racecourse (on your left) and reach the Saint-Jouan lock.

(1) Cross a small road and continue along the canal until you approach a footbridge. Just before the footbridge, leave the towpath and take a path on the left that climbs briefly.

Red and white markings

(2) At the top, turn left onto a shaded path (opposite, there is a signpost with the left-hand panel missing; on the right is the footbridge). After about 100 metres, turn right at the intersection. At the next intersection, continue east on theGR®37and ignore the paths branching off to the sides. TheGR® then turns right.

(3) Cross a small road and continue east on the GR®.

No markings

(4) At the next junction, turn right onto the D123 road (let theGR® continue straight ahead).

(5) Cross the bridge over the Oust and continue along the road. At the fork, turn left towards Saint-Servant-sur-Oust and you will soon reach the Chapelle Saint-Gobrien (on the left).

(6) Retrace your steps and cross the bridge over the Oust again.

(5) Follow the towpath to the left. Pass the Clan lock and continue along the river.

(2) Pass under the footbridge you saw on the way there and reach the Saint-Jouan lock.

(1) Continue north-northwest along the canal. You will see the tall silhouette of the castle in the distance and reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 32 m - Car park on the banks of the Oust
  2. 1 : km 1.89 - alt. 32 m - Saint-Jouan lock
  3. 2 : km 2.19 - alt. 31 m - Footbridge
  4. 3 : km 3.37 - alt. 32 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 4.05 - alt. 32 m - Crossroads - Leave the GR
  6. 5 : km 4.33 - alt. 31 m - Bridge over the - Oust (rivière)
  7. 6 : km 4.62 - alt. 31 m - Chapelle Saint-Gobrien (Saint-Servant-sur-Oust)
  8. S/E : km 8.8 - alt. 32 m - Car park on the banks of the Oust

Notes

Good sports shoes are sufficient for this hike.

The towpath is used by cyclists: caution and courtesy are required.

Although the route is mainly along the river and easy to follow, a 1:25,000 map is still useful (at least the one accompanying this description).

Hike completed by the author on 16 July 2016.

Worth a visit

- Pleasant walk along the Oust, locks.
- Josselin Castle (11th-16th century) (S/E). The entrance to the castle is located inside the town, on Rue des Trente.
- Saint-Gobrien Chapel (14th-16th century) (6). The chapel is open during the day. It contains several beautiful polychrome wooden statues.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
User 3946673

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk. It is possible to skip the detour through the fields. In this case, follow the canal.

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Marie 22
Marie 22

No difficulty. It is better to return via the towpath to enjoy a beautiful view of the castle and the old town. The Chapel of St Gobrien is very curious: there is no explanation as to why it is divided in two. Is it linked to financial contributions to the parish? The separation of lepers? Or ...?

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dregis
dregis

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Easy route that can be completed in wet weather.

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Marie 22
Marie 22

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The Chapel of Saint Gobrien is a gem with a rich history. The return trip along the canal offers breathtaking views of the castle.

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JZL
JZL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful route, very well maintained along the towpath of the Nantes-Brest canal. Very few roads, so very few cars.

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luodmarcheetreve
luodmarcheetreve

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We set off from point 6, at the St Gobrien chapel, to gradually explore Josselin from the towpath.
There were lots of cyclists, but the path is wide.
Really very poetic and easy going.

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Olivier Bonnet
Olivier Bonnet

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

For a change of scenery, you can return via the GR37 trail through the Bois St Jean. The St Gobrien chapel is a must-see on this hike, so don't hesitate to push on to get there.

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Martin Luc
Martin Luc

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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mariedaniel
mariedaniel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

-The route, which mainly follows the canal, is easy going but is also used by many cyclists. The charming Saint Gobrien chapel, which is currently being restored, is well worth a visit
-Of course, Josselin Castle is a must-see on this pleasant hike.

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Dodu44
Dodu44

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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avel56
avel56

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

No markings when the hike leaves the banks of the Oust to make a circular loop inland, which makes it difficult to find your way.
This section was very muddy and practically impassable. It would be good to provide real-time updates, for example by posting this information on the website.

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Jojoartins
Jojoartins

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Ideal for novice walkers, no difficulty, completely flat.

Be careful when on the cycle path. Cyclists sometimes forget to signal their presence. Ringing your bell is not aggressive, but a precaution to warn them you are passing. And it's only April, so there aren't many cyclists around.

This canal is really beautiful, and when in Josselin, it's a must-see

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aynil
aynil

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Lots of bikes, which sometimes forget to signal, so you don't really know where to go. They come up from behind, from the front. A ride to do in winter during the week

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mc.daveau
mc.daveau

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Nice walk, but there are far too many bicycles without bells that come up behind you... Not very interesting if you're from the area, which I am, but otherwise you can visit the castle and the village, which are worth seeing.

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josiane le Guelvouit
josiane le Guelvouit

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very interesting

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