Start : Start at the Parking Gare de Vitré (PEM) free car park. Rue Pierre Lemaître, 35500 Vitré.
(S/E) From the car park, find and climb the stairs (or take the elevator) to go up to the footbridge (A) and start the walk with a panoramic view on the medieval city of Vitré and its Castle. Cross the footbridge and go down on the other side of the railway.
Once you're down, turn right (East) towards the train station (B).
(1) Then with your back to the station, go to the roundabout, turn left (West-North-West) and walk along the footpath parallel with "Promenade Saint-Yves" to the Place Saint-Yves. From there, go right up the rue d'Embas (C). While doing so, take the time to admire the many timber-framed houses, in particular the Hôtel du Bol d'Or (D) at n°10.
(2) At the end of the rue d'Embas, keep going straight on the rue de la Poterie where you'll fin the Maison de l'Isle (E) which you can easily spot thanks to its disposition in the middle of the street, like an island.
At the end of the street, turn right (South-East) and go down the rue Duguesclin. Then, turn left (North-East) into the rue de la Borderie.
After the post office (yellow and blue logo, with La Poste written on it), on your left-hand side, you'll see the Tour de la Bridole, a tower which used to defend (with another one which does not exist anymore) the Porte d'En-Haut ("Top Door"), located at the South-East angle of the city. You can still spot the chemin de ronde, the arrow-slits and the gun loops.
Keep going straight away and at the junction, go down the rue Bertrand d'Argentré (South-East).
Pass by the Saint-Martin Church (F), then above the railway and keep going until the next roundabout.
(3) Go across the street and walk up the Boulevard des Rochers. When you reach the next roundabout, turn right (West) on Boulevard Pierre Landais and then left (South) after the McDonald's. Walk along the Boulevard de Châteaubriant until you reach the entrance of the Jardin du Parc (G), not so long after the Boulangerie du Parc (bakery).
(4) Enter the park on your left and as you have a pond in front of you, go right (South-East). Pass by the kiosk and then take the first alley on the left. Walk over a small bridge and turn right (East) at the end of the alley. Keep straight forward to go out of the park to reach Boulevard des Rochers road.
Go out on the left and walk along that road to the roundabout. Keep going straight and turn right almost immediately at the next street junction onto the rue des Viviers. Once at the next junction, choose the street in the middle (Rue des Castors) and walk up to the roundabout. At the roundabout, turn left to walk along rue de Paris (H) road.
At the end of the street, at the junction with Rue Bertrand d'Argentré, turn immediately right (North) towards the Place de la République. At the end of the square, turn left, walk by a house with mosaics under the windows and the roof and turn right (North) just after this house. Walk under a red wrought-iron gate.
(5) Go down the street (Promenade du Val) and after 150 m or so, turn right (North-east-East). Walk about 100m and turn left as you reach Rue de l'Eperon street. Keep going straight and then turn left to cross the Vilaine river. Once on the other side, go left (West) to discover the Pré des Lavandières (I). Follow the path until you reach another bridge (480 m or so). Cross it and then turn right (West) and walk to the rue du Val (Street).
(6) Turn right (West) a first time, then a second time (North) at the road junction to go into the rue Pasteur (J). Ignore the turn and keep straightforward along Rue du Rachapt past Monastère Saint Nicolas on your left-hand.
(7) Then past it, turn into the first street on your left (West). Go up the Chemin des Tertres Noirs (K) to have a beautiful viewpoint on the city. Then, take the first right just before the fork and right again 20m further. Go around then go left to walk back to the start of waypoint (7) where at the end of the Chemin des Tertres Noirs, you keep going straight into the rue du Puits Pèse.
After 50m or so, at the end of this street, go down on the right and once at the bottom of the street, turn left (North-East) and walk up the rue de Fougères until house n°36. Turn right (South-East) just after and go down the path to Pont Marin.
(8) Turn right (South-East) and follow the path that goes accross the river (where you crossed before) and then, go right to reach the Promenade du Val which runs along the ramparts of the old closed city to the Pré des Lavandières where you also walked before. This time, keep going on the promenade until the Poterne Saint-Pierre (L), which you'll have to go through on the left to go back to the old city and the place Notre-Dame.
Walk across the place (East) and by the Notre-Dame Church (M), behind which you'll find the Benedictines Priory, and go left to the rue Notre-Dame. Pass by the Hôtel Ringues de la Troussanais (N) and then turn right (South) and walk down to the rue de la Borderie.
(9) Turn right (South-West) along the street and go down to a little square with a fountain. Here, turn right along the street then left (South-West) into the rue de la Trémoille. At the next junction, turn right (North) and go up the rue de la Baudrairie (O). At the top of the street you reach Rue Notre-Dame where you turn left (West) to reach the square and the Castle (P), last but not least of the tour !
Take the time to admire it and then pass by, turn left and keep going along the street until the rue Garengeot (street). Turn right (South) to go down the street to go back to the train station and climb the footbridge again to return to the starting point. (S/E)