Malansac walks

Set amidst moors and woods, Rochefort-en-Terre, perched on a rocky outcrop, is one of the most beautiful villages in France. With its cobbled streets and stylish shop signs, the town is a little gem nestled in the heart of Morbihan. Starting from this village, enjoy a lovely walk along the ridges and through the old slate quarries of Pluherlin.The route is very varied, taking in moorland, woodland and ridges.Passing through the villages of Rochefort-en-Terre and Pluherlin.

This hike is circular, taking forest paths and roads on the return journey, via the Circuit des Ardoisières, the Circuit des Pins, and passing through the village of Malansac.

Rochefort-en-Terre is built on a rocky outcrop partly surrounded by the Ruisseau de Saint-Gentien. It is hard to believe that this slender stream is the source of the gorge that opens up to the north of the town, yet it is indeed this stream that feeds the beautiful Étang du Moulin Neuf. The shores of this lake, along with the rocky ridges overlooking the Arz valley, provide a beautiful setting for this medieval gem. And strolling around, discovering the hidden corners of this famous place, offers a very different experience from that of the many visitors who are content to simply walk up and down the main street.

Located on the edge of the southernmost fold of the Landes de Lanvaux, the village of Limerzel overlooks a wide valley where the Trévelo and Pinieux streams converge. The former has carved out a sort of gorge at the bottom of which it meanders, downstream from the Saint-Clair Chapel. The proposed route allows you to discover a very unspoilt corner of the countryside and many elements of rural heritage.

The village of Limerzel is built on the slope of the granite plateau that marks the south-eastern edge of the Landes de Lanvaux. The commune’s territory is criss-crossed by several watercourses that have carved out a rather rugged landscape. The suggested route winds its way around the wooded area surrounding Pinieux Castle and the valley bordering it to the north.

This is a gentle, enchanting walk that allows you to enjoy the woodland paths and the coolness of the long pond at the 18th-century Moulin de Quip mill.

The Oust Valley is designated a “Grand Site National”, and cycling through it is a great way to explore it. The Malestroit region offers several ways to explore it, whether by following the Nantes-Brest Canal along the towpath, or by crossing the countryside along the Voie Verte, a cycle path built on the former Questembert-Mauron railway line.

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.

The seigneury of Couéguel occupies the northern part of the commune of Péaule. In this stretch of land on the border with the commune of Limerzel, everything bears this name: mill, farm, stream.It is also an ideal spot for a pleasant walk through heathland and wooded valleys where peaceful streams flow.

Following the suggested route is a lovely way to explore the northern part of the commune of Péaule. Whilst the first few kilometres of this route simply take you through beautiful, undulating countryside with little variation in elevation, the landscape changes completely once you reach the Ruisseau du Pesle, to the north of the commune. And along the way, you can admire some fine examples of local architecture, such as old mills or the chapels of Saint-Leufroy and Saint-André, as well as many other civil buildings.

This first day of a two-day route will take us up the River Oust via the upper reaches. We’ll be walking above the river, offering lovely views of Île aux Pies. The final stretch will be mainly through woodland and meadows.

The Arz valley lies at the bottom of one of the geological folds of the South-Armorican Fold System. Dominated by the Landes de Lanvaux to the north and the plateau overlooking the Gulf of Morbihan to the south, it features a beautiful hollow relief that will delight rollercoaster enthusiasts. The gradients are far from negligible, and whilst the terrain isn’t particularly high, the route’s profile alternates between gentle slopes where you can coast along and challenging, leg-breaking climbs. And all this amidst beautiful, wooded countryside dotted with lively towns and villages.

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.

The landscape around Questembert is characterised by wooded, steep-sided valleys through which pretty streams flow. For a long time, these streams powered a multitude of mills, which you can discover along the route, between two breaks in the rich countryside criss-crossed by beautiful tree-lined paths. As for the popinettes, perhaps we passed them without knowing what they were!

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

To cross the geological fold that extends the Landes de Lanvaux, the Oust has carved its way through the rocky plateau to wind its way through the Île aux Pies gorge. Upstream, at the confluence of the Oust and the Aff, the alluvial plain is sometimes dry, sometimes covered in water. You need to choose the right time to set off. Early spring seems to be the best season to fully enjoy the landscapes you pass through... without getting your feet wet.

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.

Starting from the marina, we begin by following the banks of the Aff, a charming little Breton river. Then, crossing the Forêt Neuve, we cross the Ruisseau des Brelles to enter the Forêt Noire. At the end of the path, we can stop for refreshments in the shade of the Chapelle Saint-Jugon. The return journey is just as peaceful, taking the sunken lanes and ending up in the streets where the craftspeople's stalls are well worth stopping at.

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.

On either side of La Roche-Bernard, the Vilaine flows through the South Armorican Fold, the first range of hills behind the coastline. Here, the river has carved out a steep-sided valley, and the proposed route allows you to explore the section immediately upstream of the Morbihan Bridge. The wooded slopes, varying in steepness, line the mirror-like surface formed by the dark waters of the Vilaine.

As is often the case in Brittany, the Noyal-Muzillac area has a hollow relief, in which streams of varying sizes have carved out their beds. The proposed route plays leapfrog over the Tohon and the Pont Pily and Pont Noyal streams. In between, it climbs back up to the top of the relief to visit a few villages with beautiful architectural heritage.

An easy hike that can be enjoyed with the whole family. Departure from Malestroit, a pretty little town with half-timbered houses. The first half of the route is flat, following the towpath along the Nantes-Brest stream. The second part takes you through the countryside: fields, woods, chapels, calvaries and picturesque hamlets, following theGR®347.

Saint-Dolay features the typical landscapes of the region, though with a notable abundance of water and mills.This runoff and surface water has created marshes and ponds around the Moulin de Roho.This circular route is part ofthe PR®® known as the Boucle du Marais de Roho.

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 moors of Pinieux offered the resistance fighters of the Maquis de la Nouette a fragile shelter during dark times. This wooded area occupies a hilltop between the Claie and Oust valleys and offers some views of eastern Morbihan. And a gem nestles in the hollow of one of the valleys: the Kerfontaine bog. Please note: crossing the bog requires off-track walking.