The mills of Rance - Les Grèves

La Rance saw its first tidal mill built in 1181 (Moulin du Lupin near Rothéneuf). Were built between the sixteenth and seventeenth century. Today there are not many of these renewable energy suppliers. This tour allows you to see the ruins of two mills (Fosse Mort and La Herviais) and to walk around this estuary ideal for the construction of mills.

Technical sheet

183273
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 15.33 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 181 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 186 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 64 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 5 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start: Park at Minihic-sur-Rance, in the small car park in Place Thomas Boursin.

(S/E) Leaving the car park, turn left towards the church and go around it on the left. Turn right, cross the garden behind the town hall and then take the road to the right towards the camp site. This road BENDS to the left and down to the edge of La Rance.

(1) Climb the steps to the right and follow the GR (bird observatory shortly after). Before the port, the ruins of the Fosse Mort mill. Cross the dry dock of the Grand Val, get on the D114 road and, a few metres further, take the GR left and continue up to a wooden bridge.

(2) After the wooden bridge, turn left and continue on the GR to Langrolay.

(3) Take a small road branching off to the left. Below, on the shore, you can see the remains of the Moulin La Herviais. 150 m further on, keep right on a trail at the edge of the field down into the wood by the steps.

(4) At the road, climb into in the woods to continue following the GR. After a fence on your left made of wooden posts and branches, you can go back to a pristine marine trail on the banks. It is narrow, poorly maintained and steep.
Back on the GR, you will alternate between sections in the undergrowth and the edges of fields leading to a road.

(5) Cross the road, continue on the right, first on a wide stone path and then a path.

(6) At the corner of the field, cross the wooden bridge on the left and go opposite on the trail that goes into the woods on the Monplaisir circuit. Follow the yellow arrows of the circuit to the road. Turn to the left.

(7) Go down the right path in the wrong direction to the Rance. Turn left and follow the Monplaisir circuit until a wooden bridge already used.

(6) Head back across the bridge and up the field opposite to town. At the roundabout, turn left, go past the station and continue to the D12.

(8) At the junction, continue straight on the D28, leave when it makes a left turn and go straight. Head towards La Bourgaudière. At the corner of an orchard, turn right and follow the yellow markings to the D12. Head along the road for 150 m.

(9) Turn left and continue on the path. At Bourgaudière, pass the house with wood siding gable, pass by the road to the left, past a greenhouse on the left (10). Take the path to the right of the entrance of the field: it turns right and goes straight along the wooded valley.

(11) Arrive at the D12, turn left and cross opposite the Saint-Buc chapel, go around by the path that leads up to a road. Continue to the right then, at the junction, turn left into the Rue des Champs.

(12) When you see the shipyard, turn left on the road. At stop sign, turn right and continue on the narrow path between the hedges. At the road, turn right, then take the first left, on Rue de la Haute Rabinais. Finally, turn right into Rue des Vallées. Continue between the two fields, over two wooden bridges and follow the path along the stream. Turn left on Rue des Adriais and reach a crossroads.

(13) At the road, turn left, after the big pine, to take the small path marked "Le Bourg".

(14) After the washhouse, turn right and go up towards the town. Turn right into the Rue du Pron leading to the square and the car park at the start (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 35 m - Place Thomas Boursin, D14
  2. 1 : km 0.64 - alt. 8 m - At the edge of Rance, turn right - Rance (fleuve)
  3. 2 : km 2.57 - alt. 7 m - Left after the wooden bridge
  4. 3 : km 2.77 - alt. 19 m - Turn left onto the road
  5. 4 : km 4.2 - alt. 6 m - Grève de Morlet - Road
  6. 5 : km 5.21 - alt. 13 m - Towards Roue beach
  7. 6 : km 5.76 - alt. 9 m - Bridge
  8. 7 : km 6.5 - alt. 49 m - Viewpoint, manor house hotel
  9. 8 : km 9.28 - alt. 50 m - At the crossroads, continue straight ahead on the D28
  10. 9 : km 10.41 - alt. 53 m - The path is sometimes damp
  11. 10 : km 11.45 - alt. 51 m - To the right in the wooded valley
  12. 11 : km 12.52 - alt. 28 m - You can walk around the chapel
  13. 12 : km 13.15 - alt. 21 m - View of the construction site and the Rance river
  14. 13 : km 14.53 - alt. 11 m - Keep to the left of the D114
  15. 14 : km 14.93 - alt. 20 m - Guérouse fountain and washhouse
  16. S/E : km 15.33 - alt. 34 m - Place Thomas Boursin, D14

Practical information

Start: Park at Minihic-sur-Rance, in the small car park in Place Thomas Boursin.

Driving to start: To get there: N176 exit D366 Langrolay-sur-Rance, then D12 towards Langrolay-sur-Rance and Minihic-sur-Rance.
In the village: Toilet, sink, water; bakery, bar, restaurant, shops, camping.

Alternative route at point (4), At low tide you can go along the shore as far as the Virgin Mary, and then up through the narrow path to return to the GR34.

In the nearby area

To see during the hike: ruins of mills, shipyards, bird observatory, washhouse, panoramic views.
What to do nearby: Emerald cycling route on the banks of Rance, 37 km, the Rance dam, tidal museum,
Pirate city of Saint Malo.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 31 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Picson06230
Picson06230

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice, fairly easy walk, but beware of the wet parts of the path, which can be slippery and dangerous.
Bear in mind the tide times if you want to stay as close to the Rance as possible.
Don't hesitate to take a few minutes to visit the chapels and churches, which are often very beautiful.
The chapel of St Buc is only open in July and August.

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User 25293083

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely walk, lots of interesting scenery, old houses, wooded valleys....
It's a shame we sometimes get a bit lost, the PR trails are not always well signposted, especially in the undergrowth where several paths cross.

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Dembeni
Dembeni

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

I did this hike last Thursday (6 March 2025), the beginning of the route is absolutely magnificent, unfortunately after the road at point 7 (6bis), it's impossible to get through, the paths in the undergrowth are absolutely impassable.
the road at point 7 (6bis), impossible to pass, the paths in the undergrowth are absolutely impassable, snif... I had to rejoin the road.
I'm planning a 3-day weekend in the region, so I'll give it another go by combining two Visorando hikes.
In any case, I'll be doing the trail along the Rance again, it's superb!

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domivasseur2935
domivasseur2935

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Be careful during this period of rain, as there are a lot of very, very muddy sections, one of which is impassable between points 9 and 10 at la Bénatais. Otherwise, a very nice and varied walk. Picnic points at points 5 (benches) and 13 (tables).

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pls.BZH
pls.BZH

Hello everyone, nobody walks at the same speed, so it's difficult to take into account what's indicated. On the other hand, as far as the distance is concerned, I did it several times before putting this route online and it's exactly as indicated. Thank you all for walking the circuits.

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angela06
angela06

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

We did the walk in 3 hours 21 minutes instead of the 4 hours 55 minutes indicated.
What's more, the app indicated 15km, whereas Strava calculated 20km.
That said, the walk was quite pleasant apart from the high grass (insect bites) and mud.

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Laurence La Méziere
Laurence La Méziere

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

A beautiful, easy and varied walk, partly along the banks of the Rance and in the woods, punctuated by visits to beautiful hamlets.

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fzutterman
fzutterman

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Superb walk, done with my group of walkers (the Tamalous de Saint-François) for whom I am the guide. The banks of the Rance are superb, as are the woods inland, with an incredible diversity of vegetation. The Tamalous loved it.

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Yves 35
Yves 35

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk with the magnificent scenery of the Rance river

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Sankukai
Sankukai

Very nice inland walk on the Rance side, I didn't follow the route exactly.

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Mick88
Mick88

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : N/A
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice walk, both on the Rance side and on the land side. I followed the track on my GPS.
Well shaded route.
Very little traffic on Monday.
Thank you for this beautiful route.

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Grand Fanch
Grand Fanch

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Feb 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Nice walk on both the Rance side and the land side, the only negative point is the section on the road at Langrolay, but it's worth it for the rest of the trip.

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willau
willau

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

a very beautiful walk, both on the Rance side and on the land side
very few roads

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Xavier95
Xavier95

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 27, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very nice walk, easy and well explained.

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patchouli051
patchouli051

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely walk along the Rance estuary and the surrounding undergrowth

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