Monthault combines striking granite landscapes with walking trails, cultural traces and rural architecture. Three routes of different lengths are central to planning your visit: the one-kilometre Sentier Secret de Vallée, the 3.1-kilometre Circuit Entre Vallée et Rocher, and the 7.7-kilometre Circuit paysages et couleurs. This lets you compare the options by distance while discovering nature and cultural heritage.

Granite and a Changing Landscape

The Vallée du Bois Ainaux tells a story of changing uses: it was once a granite quarry, then used for agriculture. Today, the valley is a wetland for the fauna and flora of wet habitats. At the summit of the Buttes de Monthault, woodland and more or less rounded granite boulders shape the landscape. In Monthault, you can encounter both traces of earlier uses and different forms of granite landscape.

Three Trails, Three Distances

The Sentier Secret de Vallée is a one-kilometre, very easy and well-signposted discovery trail. Its playful, sensory format sets it apart from the other options. Check local trail conditions before travelling.

The easy Circuit Entre Vallée et Rocher runs from the Vallée du Bois Ainaux to the Rocher de Monthault and is 3.1 kilometres long. The Circuit paysages et couleurs is also an easy walking route, runs through Monthault and covers 7.7 kilometres. Both routes are classified as easy; the second is 4.6 kilometres longer. This allows you to compare the stated distances directly without treating the routes as if they follow the same course.

Almost seven granite artworks line the Circuit paysages et couleurs. They were created as part of three sculpture symposia organised in the Pays de Louvigné a few years ago. The route carries the FFRandonnée quality label and is available on the free MaRando® app. Before setting out, check whether the digital listing is accessible.

The Vallée du Bois Ainaux also has a geocaching treasure hunt with the cache “Monthault tout en haut”. As the cache’s status may change, it is advisable to check its availability beforehand. Alongside the signposted walking and discovery trails, art and a digital treasure hunt offer different ways to explore the area.

Heritage and Architectural History

There are four legendary stones at the Rocher de Monthault. The Stations of the Cross at the Rocher has 15 stations and was created in 1892. Both details make the site interesting for travellers who want to discover Monthault’s religious and traditional culture as well as its landscapes.

The present-day Chapelle Notre Dame de la Délivrance is the building rebuilt in 1877; it was constructed in the neo-Gothic style. Rural architecture also contributes to the character of the area: Monthault has preserved it, and many houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Together, the chapel and houses reveal different traces of history, while the trails and granite artworks offer further ways to explore Monthault.

Discover more destinations: Pléchâtel, Tinteniac, Médréac, Saint-Aubin-D'aubigné, Montours, Janzé, Saint-Pierre-De-Plesguen, Martigné-Ferchaud.

For the broader travel overview: Ille-Et-Vilaine.