The balconies of Monterfil

Monterfil is located between Rennes and Plélan-le-Grand, close to the Paimpont forest and the Brocéliande site. Here, visitors will get a taste of the moorland and schist landscapes. They will also have the opportunity to cross deep, steep-sided valleys where small streams flow peacefully.

Details

3527809
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.30 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 238 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 240 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 110 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 35 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Monterfil (35160)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.065242° / W 1.979644°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 1118SB, 1119SB
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Small car park at the junction of the D240, D40 and D63 roads.

(S/E) Turn right and climb the steps to reach Rue Cote Saint-Genou, which continues as Rue du Presbytère, passing the church on your left, then Allée des Roctays to leave the town.
Turn right at the Rond-Point des Roctays roundabout, then after 75 metres, at No. 4, turn left onto a path.

(1) Turn left to cross a wood, then follow a small stream. Cross it and continue on the right. The path zigzags through the wood and leads to a road.

(2) Turn left, then after 50 metres, take the path on the right. Continue along this path until you reach a road.

(3) Continue along the road on the left to cross the Movenais. At the crossroads, turn right towards Ménilou. Before the hamlet, turn right onto the downhill road, then take thesecond path on the right and continue to the right to cross the footbridge over the Serein.

(4) At the fork, turn right and follow the stream. After a wide left-hand bend, take the path on the right, which joins a country road leading to Le Breil.

(5) Turn right for 150 metres, then turn left. Continue for 100 metres and turn left again. Continue to the right until you reach the crossroads.

(6) Turn right and, when you reach Le Perray, continue along the road on the left. After the houses, turn left towards Le Bignon. First turn right then left onto the D 40 departmental road and take a path heading south. Continue along this path.

(7) At the fork, turn right between the rocky outcrop and the meadow to follow the Ruisseau de la Besselais stream. Continue right for 50 metres, then turn left onto the country road.

(8) Climb up to the right into the rocky moorland. Head left and, after 75 m, turn right to climb up to the Grosse Roche (a block of pink sandstone, rare in the region). Descend and follow the track to the right. Continue in the same direction on the road.

(9) At the T-junction, turn left, then, after the bend, climb up the path on the right through the moorland. Pass in front of Rocher du Candu, then descend into the Vallon des Vaux valley and follow it upstream before climbing up the other side, turning right, then taking the path on the left that runs alongside a clearing on the right-hand side.

(10) Turn right. At the road, make a 40-metre left/right turn. In the bend, ignore the path on the left and descend opposite into the Vallon des Couettes.

(11) After crossing the Ruisseau des Couettes, turn left to reach the road and follow it for 100 metres to the right. At the crossroads, continue to the left. The road crosses the Serein and climbs towards Les Epinais.

(12) Follow the road to the right, then enter the moorland on the left. Turn right to descend a long hairpin bend into the Careil valley. After crossing the Careil stream, climb back up to reach the plateau covered with gorse.

(13) When you reach the D 40 road, in front of the Château du Logis, turn right to enter Monterfil and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 68 m - At the bottom of Rue de la Côte-Saint-Genou
  2. 1 : km 0.81 - alt. 89 m - Les Roctays - path on the left
  3. 2 : km 1.93 - alt. 65 m - Road on the left
  4. 3 : km 2.64 - alt. 51 m - Route to La Movenais
  5. 4 : km 3.33 - alt. 37 m - Path on the right after the - Serein (rivière)
  6. 5 : km 4.56 - alt. 64 m - Le Breil
  7. 6 : km 5.29 - alt. 84 m - Crossroads
  8. 7 : km 7 - alt. 60 m - End of the PR at the rocky outcrop.
  9. 8 : km 7.7 - alt. 63 m - Right into the moorland
  10. 9 : km 9.14 - alt. 61 m - T-junction
  11. 10 : km 10.74 - alt. 107 m - Corner of the clearing
  12. 11 : km 11.88 - alt. 62 m - Ruisseau des Couettes
  13. 12 : km 12.94 - alt. 88 m - Road on the right
  14. 13 : km 14.68 - alt. 89 m - Château du Logis
  15. S/E : km 15.3 - alt. 68 m - At the bottom of Rue de la Côte-Saint-Genou

Notes

Please note: this route follows theGRP® Tour de Brocéliande (red and yellow markings) from the start to (7) and then from (12) to the end of the sections, but follows thePR® (yellow markings) in its entirety. The description below follows it to the letter, as does the attached map.
Revised by the author at the end of July 2021: please note that between (1) and (2) and between (9) and (10), the unmaintained path is overgrown with ferns and some brambles.

Worth a visit

In several places, if the vegetation allows, walkers can enjoy numerous views of the valleys and moors.
La Maison du Carouj (Breton games).
The Château du Logis.

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 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
joguil
joguil

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route takes detours to allow visitors to discover the schist escarpments.

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Hamo
Hamo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful route with very little road and a slight incline, making it very interesting.

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steph.ledro
steph.ledro
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike with varied landscapes. It is true that upon reaching the wind turbine, it is easy to lose your way, but simply continue downhill towards the road and then take the road opposite (passing to the left of the large farm with a biogas digester).
At the end of the route, you can take a slight shortcut: when you are walking along the stream on the right bank, you can take a steep path that climbs steeply to the right. You will rejoin the original path once you reach the top.

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domivasseur2935
domivasseur2935

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, with elevation changes, scenic views, streams, and not much development.
Be careful, after point 10, the wind turbine installation causes you to lose the trail. Turn right when you reach the wind turbine (leaving it on your left), descend towards a path that you take on the left, then immediately right downhill, towards a farm with a methane digester.

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patrick.guilmin@gmail.com
patrick.guilmin@gmail.com

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful route, but quite physically demanding. Signage is sometimes lacking.

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dil
dil

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This route is very doable on foot (very long) and on horseback. I've done it several times; there are several possible variations.
very enjoyable!

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MMJJ
MMJJ

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

However, the track has been cut off by the wind turbine construction site. What a shame.

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jchbdn44
jchbdn44
• Edited:

Between the Ménilou mill and Mauvenais, volunteers from Monterfil have worked hard to remove the dangerous road crossing in favour of a path along the Serein river. Unfortunately, hikers, who probably prefer tarmac, do not use it. We are sorry about this. Perhaps one day we will no longer want to maintain this path.
I also have a slightly different version that removes the hill on the tarmac road at the exit of Monterfil on the road to Saint Péran. I will send it to you in the near future.
J Ch Badin
Former president of CD 35 Randonnée

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