Discover Mont-Dol: Views, a Walking Trail and History

Mont-Dol is a granite massif that rises to 65 metres. This makes the landscape an obvious starting point when considering Mont-Dol as a destination for a hotel stay: views, a walking trail and historic sites each give the place a distinct character. As you plan, you can consider whether you would rather focus on sweeping panoramas, a clearly described route or the history of buildings and collections. These themes offer different starting points for planning a stay.

Sweeping Views Around the Tertre

From Mont-Dol, the view stretches across the bay from Cancale to Granville. The Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Espérance stands on the summit, offering a view over the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. From the tower of Notre-Dame de l’Espérance, you can also see Mont-Saint-Michel and Mont Tombelaine. In good weather, bouchot poles used for mussel farming are also visible from the tower. The Calvaire du Tertre offers an elevated view of the village, Dol-de-Bretagne’s Saint-Samson Cathedral and the Marais noirs. In this way, the broad horizon over the bays and the landscape’s specific landmarks sit side by side.

On Foot Along the Circuit du Tertre

The Circuit du Tertre is an easy, 4.5-kilometre circular walking route starting in Mont-Dol. It climbs to the summit of the Tertre, where it offers panoramic views over the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. A 1.5-kilometre section of the Circuit runs alongside the coastal river Guyoult. The distance figures describe different parts of the route: 4.5 kilometres is the length of the circuit, while 1.5 kilometres refers to the stretch along the river. The section beside the Guyoult is therefore part of the route described, not an additional walk.

Churches, Telegraph and Windmills

The Église Saint-Pierre is mentioned as early as 1158 and preserves wall paintings from the 12th and 15th centuries. A different period of history is reflected in the Chapelle Notre-Dame de l’Espérance: around 1802, a telegraph station was built for the Paris–Brest Chappe telegraph line. The telegraph was discontinued in 1854, after which the tower was converted into a chapel. The tower of Notre-Dame de l’Espérance was blessed in 1857. The Tertre is also home to the Calvaire du Tertre, a monumental cross dating from 1891. Two 19th-century windmills also stand on the Tertre. The timeline thus spans the medieval mention and wall paintings, the history of the telegraph and 19th-century structures.

Musée du Tertre and Gallery

The Musée du Tertre is housed in the miller’s historic home next to the mill on the upper Tertre. In July and August, it displays objects from the prehistoric site discovered in Mont-Dol. A collection of rocks, including rocks that make up Mont-Dol, complements the exhibition. The history of the finds and the nature of the granite massif thus offer two different ways to explore the place.

Another seasonal cultural venue is the Galerie du Tertre. It hosts amateur and professional artists, who can each exhibit their work for one to two weeks. The gallery is open from the April school holidays until the All Saints’ school holidays. Dates vary depending on the artist.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Méloir-Des-Ondes, La Ville-Ès-Nonais, Bain-De-Bretagne, Thourie, Baguer-Pican, Baulon, Billé, Saint-Germain-En-Coglès.

Go to the main travel overview: Ille-Et-Vilaine.