Saint-Dolay walks

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.

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.

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.

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.

As you approach La Roche-Bernard, the Vilaine river winds its way through the geological folds of southern Armorica. The result is a rugged, wooded landscape that is very pleasant to walk through.

A very pretty route which starts in the countryside and forest and then follows the course of the Vilaine river. The start and finish are at the very pretty port of La Roche-Bernard.

Although La Roche-Bernard is an urban centre that locals refer to as a ‘town’, its area (40 ha) and population (approx. 700 inhabitants) make it one of the smallest county towns in France. It is surrounded by the communes of Nivillac, Herbignac and Férel, across which the majority of the urban area is spread. The proposed route takes you around the area.

An hour-and-a-half circuit with a few tricky sections. This pleasant walk alternates seamlessly between passages at water's edge and ridge-climbing, and also spans two bridges some 50 m above the Vilaine. The bridge circuit allows you to discover a small section of the river as it crosses the Sillon de Bretagne. Get your calves ready!

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

Farming in the marshes has always relied on mowing and grazing the meadows when they were no longer covered in water. Cows prefer dry land to the aquatic environment, and providing them with winter refuge areas is key to ensuring the continuation of this farming practice. This route invites you to discover the pastures of La Chapelle des Marais.

On your way to and from Pontchâteau town centre, discover the Brière marshes. With a bit of luck (in season), you may spot a nest of storks.

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.

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.

A Sunday stroll through the woods of Coët-Roz, the venue for the French, European and World Cyclo-cross Championships. Nature and bird lovers will be in their element. Mountain bikers will appreciate the challenging terrain. Another special mountain bike route is described.

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.

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.

Discover the Oust Valley and the Nantes-Brest Canal, near Redon, and Bains-sur-Oust with this circular route that combines towpaths, forest paths and communal roads. A few high points will give you a magnificent view of Île aux Pies and the Oust Valley.

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.

The Château de Ranrouët is a medieval gem nestled on the edge of the marshes. Here, there is no fortified rock, but a slight elevation in the greenery. The marshes that surround it provided protection, and the proposed route winds through the surrounding countryside where land and water constantly mix.

Passing through clay extraction sites and former pottery villages, this route pays tribute to one of Herbignac’s traditional trades, which continued until the mid-20th century.

Remnants of a time when much of what enabled the people of Bréca to make a living was extracted from the marsh, thatched cottages are still very much in evidence around Saint-Lyphard. There are said to be no fewer than 500 of them. To discover this exceptional heritage, why not hop on your bike and explore the narrow roads and farm tracks that criss-cross the Saint-Lyphard area? A complete change of scenery is guaranteed!