Saint-Just — Ille-et-Vilaine (Bretagne, France)
We don’t have to go far, just 5 kilometers from our accommodation are the megaliths of Saint-Just. Despite the overcast and gray sky, it is a wonderful walk.
Especially when we come to a rocky gorge over which we can see the river winding its way between the now bare trees. It looks as if it is standing still. It is a breathtaking sight. It was definitely worth coming here.
But lets start from the beginning. We park at the church Église Saint Just, from where we start the hike. A sign points in the direction we need to go. But as it is not clear and we discover more of the yellow signs with hiking trails, we ask in a small mediatheque.
A moment later, we are walking along a gravel path along the road that leads us out of the village. Every 5 to 10 meters it is interrupted by markings where we stop. Each of these markings describes a point in time or period, starting today and going back to the Neolithic period from which the megaliths date.
We walk along the gravel path, which is easy to walk on, past stone formations. We stop at plaques, which we skim over because we don’t understand them, and look at the formations. Some form burial sites, another a kind of court. It is impressive to witness these formations, which were set over 7000 years ago, even if we can’t always make sense of them.
Part of the path leads along the GR39. There are white and red markings on wooden paths and stones. We continue until we come to a rocky precipice, where we stop and look out over the vast expanse of water of the Étang du Val, surrounded by bare trees and yet with a beauty that I have not seen anywhere else.
We descend to the lake until we reach a rock formation that is used for climbing. From there, we turn around and take a direct route back to the church. Once there, we take another look inside the church and then set off on our way home.
Activity: Walk the Les Landes de Cojoux.
Distance: 6,5 km
Total Time: 2 h
Start/End: 47°45’54.2”N 1°58’26.4”W