Walk in Château-Gontier

Park in the car park at the end of Parc Saint-Fiacre, along the Mayenne river.

(S/E) Follow the Mayenne river upstream, pass the hospital, cross the Rond-Point du Vieux Pont roundabout, then take the first street on the right, Rue Félix Rigot, and continue to the end.

(1) Turn left onto Avenue Maréchal Foch. At the end of the avenue, turn right onto the Voie Verte until you pass under a major road (the N162).

(2) When you come out of the tunnel, take the path furthest to the left. Cross the bridge over the Mayenne and, 40 m further on, turn onto the path that branches off to the right, then right again onto the path that descends towards the river. Follow the Mayenne on your left, pass the Écluse Pendu, then under a bridge and continue along the Mayenne for about 250 m.

(3) Leave the riverbank, cross Rue Alsace Lorraine and take Rue des Cosnes. At the first bend, take the steps on the left to the top, then turn right onto Rue Dr. Bénard Tertrais until you reach a crossroads. Turn left onto Ruelle Pavée, which climbs and ends with a few steps.

(4) Continue right on Rue Jean Bourré. Then take the first left, Rue Bruchemotte, which goes uphill. At the end of the street, turn left and then right onto Rue Chevreul. Then, continue on Rue Gilles Marais, which ends with a small staircase. Opposite are the Church of Saint Jean-Baptiste de Château-Gontier and the Jardin du Bout du Monde.

(5) Stroll through this garden and exit at the bottom. Take the path that turns right at the bottom of the garden. Follow Quai de Verdun along the Mayenne river until you reach house no. 8. Just after this house, on the right, take the passage between two houses, which then turns left. Pass by the small Place des Trois Moulins and continue until you reach the Grande Rue.

(6) Take Rue de Thionville opposite. A little further up this street, turn left onto Rue Couverte, which leads to Ruelle Pavée. Turn left and walk down towards the river. Follow the quay on the right until you reach the bridge. Cross the garden on the right just before the bridge. At the top, at the roundabout, cross and go over the bridge over the Mayenne.

(7) Just after crossing the bridge, take a small staircase on the right that leads down to a site with allotments. Follow the river, turn left at the end of the allotments and then left again to cross them again, but this time through the centre. At the end of the road, turn right and continue for 150 m.

(8) Before the roundabout, take the first exit on the left, continue on the pavement and cross at the pedestrian crossing. Continue right on the pavement, then left to reach the car park (S/E).

(3) and (5) Public toilets at the bottom of the garden, on the quay, and at the entrance to the Jardin du Bout du Monde.

(5) Saint Jean Baptiste Church and its underground crypt.