Best of Brittany Walk

Upon your arrival in Dinan, you have time to settle in to your hotel and relax before explorations. This lovely medieval town, with its spectacular setting, perched over the Rance River, is worth some exploration. Wander through the twisting streets, admiring the many old buildings, some of which date from the 13th century, and the large sections of medieval walls which remain. Be sure to see the Jacobins Theatre, built in the year 1224, as well as the Gothic Flamboyant St Malo’s Church, the Romanesque Saint Saviour’s Basilica, and the impressive Chateau of Dinan. A map and small walking tour is provided in your trip package to help in explorations. We will touch base with you to go over any questions at the end of the afternoon. Dinner is included this evening.

A short transfer this morning brings you to the trailhead of the Tiemblais Menhir, an impressive vestige of this region’s ancient history, hidden along a forest footpath. From there, your walk brings you to the port town of Lyvet, and then follows the meandering Rance River on a great and easygoing tow path. As you approach with great views of Dinan from below we take you through the medieval village of Lehon, dating from the Gallo-Roman Empire, and home to the ruins of a 12th century castle, as well as the historic Abbey Sainte Magloire. The abbey was founded in the year 850, after the Breton King met 6 monks while out on a hunting expedition, and, swayed by their convictions, promised to help construct an abbey, as long as they accomplished the feat of recuperating the relics of a Breton Saint. As you’ll see by the magnificent buildings, they were successful! Return to Dinan for a second evening.

Today’s walk is a stunner, following the coastline from the Decollé Point into the Corsair town of Dinard, along the historic Douaniers pathway – where patrols of hearty customs officers walked, keeping an eye out for pirates smuggling in goods or pillaging shipwrecks. Their role eventually and naturally developed as well into a sort of early lifeguard, as they also kept an eye out for individuals caught out by the rapidly rising tides of the coast here. You’ll love the paths and spectacular views as you vary between high cliffside lookouts, and sandy-beached inlets en route to Dinard. Dinard itself is dotted with an astonishing collection of beautiful Manor Houses, the Malounieres owned by the wealthy Corsair (and pirating!) families. After explorations there, it is a quick and easy ferry ride across the bay back to St Malo – you’ll love having a bit of extra time to soak up the ambiance of the walled Cité, with its rich history… from 4th century Vikings, to 16th century Jacques Cartier, and the intense emotions of WWII brought to life in the top-selling novel All the Lighness We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, recently adapted as a popular miniseries.

This morning’s short transfer brings to to a small pond on the outskirts of St Coulomb – an inland countryside, dotted with farms and small villages. Your pretty walk brings you back to the seafront, with cliffside views as you pass the ancient chapel of Notre Dame des Flots, protecting sailors through the centuries. As you approach St Malo, you may decide to visit the unique sculpted rocks of Rotheneuf, where a deaf and mute priest spent the majority of his hermit life leaving his imprint on the dark granite rocks overlooking the waves – there are over 300 sculptures in total! You’ll also love clambering over the stones of the recently restored site of Arboulé Fort, originally a complementary protective structure to the St Malo ramparts from the 1500s. The walk back in to St Malo itself follows the spectacular long beach boardwalk, fronted by beautiful homes and historic hotels.

Another spectacular coastline walk today, as we transfer you to the Guesclin Fort beach, with views out to the island and fort of the same name. Climb away from the sandy shoreline, and enjoy the spectacular views along the walk today – including some of your first views of the Mont Saint Michel in the distance. Along the way, the paths take you past the Point de Grouin, dominated by a semaphore, constructed in 1871 to send out signals to passing water traffic, and provide valuable weather reports and information. The views from this point are breathtaking, as you continue on to Cancale. Many of Cancale’s visitors are drawn by its reputation as the “oyster capital” of Brittany. History has it that Louis XIV had his oysters brought to Versailles from here. Centuries later, the farming of oysters is still a major activity in the port and there are oyster beds covering about 7.3 square kilometres easily seen from the pier at the harbour. These beds harvest about 25,000 tons of oysters each year. Though a small town, it is well served by a large number of restaurants, many specialising in seafood. (note the Deluxe itinerary continue past Cancale to the Chateau Richeux outside of town).

No trip to Brittany would be complete without seeing the magical Mont Saint Michel, whose silhouette is one of the keystone sites of all of France. For a walker, the ultimate experience is to soak up the history at low tide, walking across the bay itself. With Europe’s highest tides, and the bay’s odd “quicksands”, this can only be done safely with one of the licenced local guides. After being transferred in the morning after breakfast, meet your guide at the base of the Mont, and enjoy the three hours crossing of the bay, mixed with the history of the Mont itself, flora and fauna, and the incredible eco-development of this site – a heartwarming success story. Before or after the guided walk (depending on the tide schedule for the day), you’ll have time to enjoy explorations on the Mont itself, with a visit of the abbey if you wish – we recommend it!

After a final breakfast, we transfer you to the train station in Pontorson, which has easy connections for your further travels – Bon Voyage!