Hédé walks

Circuit exploring the 11 locks of the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance.

A hike that will take you from Saint-Médard-sur-Ille to Saint-Germain-sur-Ille through the Bois de Cranne (protected natural area) and along the towpath (greenway) with its locks.

A very beautiful hike starting and ending in Evran (22), discovering the landscapes of romantic Brittany with its valleys, winding canal and locks.

A pleasant walk in the Forest of Rennes, passing through Saint-Sulpice-la-Forêt.

In Rophemel, the Rance flows through a valley of great beauty. Built in the 1930s, the hydroelectric dam submerged nine fulling and wheat mills. The dam and valley have been a "listed and protected site" since 1945. In addition to producing electricity, the reservoir also supplies drinking water to the city of Rennes. The reservoir was drained in early 2018 to carry out work on the dam. Another drainage operation is underway (2024) to carry out further work on the dam (see my hike: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-6431... )

Médréac, a small village in Ille-et-Vilaine, on the border with Côtes d'Armor. The route is particularly attractive: the picturesque Néal valley with the cave of Gabillard, a local Chouan resistance fighter, the megalithic alignments of Lampouy, the railway station, its museum and its rail bike with two routes. This hike follows theGR® 37 and part of thePR® "Circuit des mégalithes" (Megalith Circuit). The southern part of thisPR® has not been included as it is uninteresting and the paths are poorly maintained.

A short hike in the Rennes forest along shady forest lines and paths through the forest alongside the Caleuvre stream. This easy trail is particularly beautiful in early spring, when the beech trees have young, light-green leaves, or in autumn, when the leaves have turned yellow and red. It takes you along the old water supply line that brought water from the Minette (a tributary of the Couesnon) to Rennes.

A long hike for experienced walkers, from Lehon (Côtes-d'Armor), starting at the old Saint-Magloire Abbey (founded in the 9th century) to Saint-Pern (Ille-et-Vilaine), the mother house of the Little Sisters of the Poor. A page of history and religious life waiting to be discovered.

Loop around Dinan between Rance and Pays du Poudouvre via the Écluse du Châtelier to La Moinerie in the commune of Plouër-sur-Rance.

Wind your way along the banks of the Rance, stopping off at the Abbaye Sainte-Magloire-de-Léhon to visit the fortified heights and historic heart of Dinan.

A short trail in Brittany’s countryside with a section along the Veuvre that winds before flowing into Chevré lake. Do not miss the small Roman bridge with its stone arches.

This hike will allow you to discover the flora and fauna of the Rance estuary. The Rance is a wintering ground for migratory birds. Mordreuc's mascot, seal L 214, will let you take photos with him if the water level allows him to lounge on the slipway. Otherwise, look in the water to see if a whiskered snout is peeking out. In Mordreuc, if you continue 100 metres along the shore, you will discover the old lime kiln.

The first part of this hike takes you into deep woods. Then you will discover the archaeological site of the medieval castle of Boutavent. Continue this hike through open areas with beautiful panoramic views and steep ascents and descents to reach the Étang de la Chambre au Loup.The return journey takes you back up a steep, open and rocky climb with breathtaking views. :!: 9.07.2025: The signposting has been changed from blue to yellow.

A short hike between ponds and following the Seiche river.

Walk in the Pays Malouin between the sea and the Rance around one of the most beautiful villages in France. To be done at low tide, check before you go.

A pretty, easy, well-marked walk passing by a chapel, the Château du Gué, the Ancienne Fonderie de Servon-sur-Vilaine, the Oratoire Saint-Mathurin, the Vilaine, the old mill, the protected Pas Davy site, the greenhouses (mainly tomatoes) and the calvary. The return journey takes you along a leafy driveway through a housing estate.

In the midst of this tide-changing natural environment, Mont Garrot, a true promontory above the river Rance maritime estuary, offers a panoramic view of Saint-Suliac to the north and Anse de Vigneux to the south, where the foundations of an ancient Viking camp emerge at low tide.

A lovely walk around the northern tip of Saint-Suliac. Do it whatever the weather! Moderator's note as of 06/04/2021: Some modifications on the ground since the creation of this hike: see the comments at the bottom of this page. Moderator's note a description of June 2022 in reverse order to this one is available here

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.

Roz-sur-Couesnon consists, as its name suggests, of an upper part (roz = hill in Breton) where the village is located, and a lower part made up of former marshes, polders and salt marshes, where the Couesnon river once flowed. This unique feature gives the town an exceptional view of the bay and Mont Saint-Michel, as well as a wide variety of landscapes, which the route proposed here seeks to highlight.

In a bucolic setting, follow the course of the Ru Le Floubalay, which flows into the polders of the Bay of Beaussais-sur-Mer. In Ville-ès-Prêtres, see the sculpture at the foot of the Ferme du Maris: "À l'abri dans le Marais"(Sheltered in the Marsh). It symbolises the work undertaken to regulate the devastating effects of the tides on this submersible area.