You start from the bridge over the river. Go up the towpath to the Maignanerie lock where the Merveilles stream joins the Mayenne. An entire program ! Then after a detour on the road, you pass in front of a small Marian garden. Push the gate to direct you to the cross which bears a sentence, quite a symbol for an Easter day because it was addressed to walkers who were called travelers in 1766. Test the reading of a sentence by expressing your wishes for you to make happy, it is written. As you happily ride this circuit, you see, I put you on the track. For the complete translation, turn to page 35 in the topo “Autour de Laval”.
Get ready for a 70m drop to reach the summit of the plateau in which the Mayenne has dug its bed in some 500,000 years. It’s a real festival of paths surrounded by their hedges which, as you climb, reveal panoramas. Signposts reassure you of your direction while you always follow the yellow markings. On the way back, take a very recent cycle path to then descend towards Saint-Jean-sur-Mayenne.
To find out more about the history of Saint-Jean as in all the towns around Laval, buy the “Laval Agglomération” guide published by the Société d’Archéolgie et d’Histoire de la Mayenne.
By walking every week and at your own pace, you are ready to walk safely on May 1st in Pontmain with your family or friends on one of the 5 to 50 km routes. Registration possible on Hello Asso on the France bleu Mayenne or FFRandonnée Committee website or directly at the Maison du tourisme, avenue Robert Buron in Laval.