Dol Marshes and Mont-Dol

Car park at the Maison de la Baie in Le Vivier-sur-Mer.

(S/E) Head towards the coastal road. Just before it, follow the greenway to the left, then the Duchesse-Anne sea wall.
Cross the A-road and continue straight ahead.

(1) Before the Pont du Bec à l’Âne, turn left and take a path that runs alongside the meandering Banche for three kilometres.

(2) When you reach a road, turn right and, at the junction with the D82, continue straight on to follow the Banche again. At the hamlet of La Goutte, continue to the right, pass between the two houses, then follow the path to the left which, after a right and then a left bend, runs alongside the Banche once more. You will reach the D85.

(3) Cross the bridge and turn right towards Les Murailles to follow the Banche along its opposite bank. Walk through the hamlet of Les Murailles.

Red and white markings of^{the GR®34}

The^GR® comes from the left. Turn right and follow it as it curves to the left.
At Pont au Roux, cross the D282 and continue straight ahead on a dirt track that runs alongside the Vieille Banche for 3 km. At the end of the track, cross the Vieille Banche and turn left onto the road. Reach the D82.

(4) Turn right and after 300 m, turn left towards the sewage treatment plant. Take the path on the right below the plant, then follow the railway line to the bridge. Turn right onto the “Chemin Vert” road.

(5) At the fork, turn right. Enter the village and continue left. Before the Place du Marché, turn right and go up the steps.
See note “During the walk”.

(6) Turn right then follow the path to the left to pass in front of the church square. The Chemin de la Liberté leads you to the summit of Mont-Dol.
Admire the landscape which, on a clear day, stretches from Mont-Saint-Michel (20 km as the crow flies to the east-northeast) to Cancale (13.5 km as the crow flies to the north-west).

(7) After the second mill, head down a steep path. At La Barbotière, first turn right then left and follow the road through the white marsh. Take the first road on the left then continue right towards Le Haut Pont.

(8) Cross the D155 and continue straight ahead. Cross the Guyoult then turn right onto a stony track heading north. Cross the Biez de Cardequin and walk past the sewage treatment plant on your right.
When you reach a road, continue straight ahead and turn right after 100 m.

(9) Follow the D78 to the right for 20 m, then continue to the left, heading due north. You will reach Rue du Bord de Mer.

(10) Cross the road and join the greenway. Follow it to the right along the coast and below the Duchesse-Anne sea wall. Note the fish farming ponds on the left. Go round the “L’Abri des Flots” campsite, keeping it on your right.
Follow Rue de la Mairie, cross the Pont d'Angoulème and head back to the car park on the left (S/E).

This route is taken from the booklet "Hiking in the Dol-de-Bretagne & Mont-Saint-Michel Bay region" under the title "The Bec à l'Âne Route".

Alternatives:
(6) You can follow the^GR® which heads left, then turns right after 50 m and follows a very steep path leading to (7).

To avoid climbing Mont-Dol, you can follow the horse riding and mountain bike route, detailed below:
At (5), turn left and join the B-road, which you should follow to the right as far as Haut-Pont (8), running alongside the Guyoult.

The Pont d’Angoulème: Opened in 1817, this bridge is automatically adjusted to the tides: at ebb tide, it opens to allow fresh water to flow out to sea, then closes at flood tide to prevent seawater from entering inland.

The Haut-Pont: it maintains the continuity of an ancient path linking Saint-Malo to Dol. It was used by merchants and pilgrims who, via this shortcut, bypassed or subsequently climbed the hill of Mont-Dol. The paved descent facilitated access for livestock coming to drink, as well as the work of the washerwomen and the mooring of small boats.

The port of Le Vivier/Cherrueix: this mussel-farming port is one of the main centres for the cultivation of Breton and French bouchot mussels, a rare inland port with its peculiar craft: amphibious boats. The landscape of the bay is strongly characterised by the rows of mussel beds and oyster beds, and the comings and goings of tractors and boats as the tides ebb and flow.