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Boucle Le Palais - Circuit Vauban
Country walking circuits, Short circuit walks, Walks and hikes, Discovery trails, Discovery lanes on foot
in Le Palais
4.4
km
Loop
Walks and hikes
1h 30min
Very easy
- Alerte
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Along the trail, you will pass through wild areas whose beauty is due in part to the absence of facilities. For this reason, there are no bins, water points, or toilets. You must therefore take all your waste with you (including toilet paper) and ensure you carry enough water before leaving your accommodation.
Please note that since June 2022, walking poles with metal tips have been prohibited along the entire coastal path on Belle-Île. Walking poles without metal tips, or fitted with rubber ends, remain permitted.
These measures have been introduced to reduce trail erosion and damage to vegetation caused by the use of walking poles, and to preserve the quality and long-term sustainability of the path.
The trail is often steep and may be slippery after rain. Wear appropriate footwear, remain vigilant, keep away from cliff edges, and do not leave children or pets unattended.
The trail is open to all forms of pedestrian use, including hikers, walkers, and trail runners. Common sense and courtesy are essential to ensure everyone’s safety.
Help us monitor the trails: info@belle-ile.com
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Once a strategic location, Le Palais has preserved a unique military heritage in France. Indeed, fortification work has always been very important here. It was necessary to protect against attacks that could be made on the port and citadel. The first inspection by Louis XIV's military engineer, Vauban, dates back to 1683. He did not change the layout of the work begun in the mid-16th century, but he installed a new escarpment that would unify the city walls into a compact mass that gives a unique and singular character to the fortified city of Palais. This historical tour allows you to appreciate the rich past of Palais, which until the very beginning of the 20th century was the economic heart of Belle-Île.
- Departure
- Le Palais
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Difference in height
- 125.4 m
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Documentation
- GPX / KML files allow you to export the trail of your hike to your GPS (or other navigation tool)
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- See all reviews
How to reach the start
Start on Rue Jules Simon, which leads to Place du Marché. Turn left onto the stairway of Rue de l’Escalier and continue straight along Rue des Remparts.
Steps
Follow the ramparts overlooking the outer harbour. Continue along the dirt path that extends from the pavement (on your right are a former Atlantikwall command bunker and the remains of a 17th-century mill)
Follow this path to the “coupure”, a deep ditch marking the end of the town’s fortifications.
Follow the coupure to reach “Réduit A”, a former barracks and storehouse located on the inward-facing side of Bastion 19.
Turn right and descend from the earthworks, then pass under the Porte de Locmaria, also known as the “Voûte de Ramonette” (watch for traffic).
About 100 metres after the tunnel, turn right into the former moat, between the rampart and the counterscarp.
Follow the line of casemates built into the counterscarp until you reach the marker for “Réduit H”. Enter the redoubt, follow the ramp on the right, then exit onto the counterscarp path overlooking the dry moat.
Remain on this path, crossing over a road that passes through the outer fortifications at the “Porte de Bangor”. Continue past or through “Réduit G”, staying on the counterscarp above the moat. Follow the path until a dirt track on the left leads to the hospital car park. From here, a road descends back to the tidal lock basin known as the Saline, and to the centre of Le Palais.
On the opposite bank, a small hill topped by the Beau-Soleil redoubt is visible through dense vegetation.
Turn right and follow the Saline, then cross via the large drawbridge (if raised, walk around the Saline to the left).
Take Rue du Pont-Orgo (also called “Pont er Go”, meaning the Blacksmith’s Bridge), a small residential street to the left of the Sauzon road. On the right stands an 18th-century washhouse; straight ahead is an early-18th-century house at the junction with Route de Sauzon.
At the end of Rue du Pont-Orgo, cross the Sauzon road (also known as Route des Anglais). Opposite stands a low building known as the “Maison du Jardinier du Roy”, built in the early 18th century. Continue straight along the pedestrian path called the “Chemin des Fées”. At each intersection, take the leftmost path.
On exiting the path, turn right to a crossroads. The ruins of Château Fouquet lie to the left, partially hidden by vegetation. Take the road to the right and, at the right-hand bend, continue straight along a narrow lane between two houses.
After passing the fuel storage site on the left, follow signs for the Citadel, skirting the walls of the former Haute-Boulogne detention centre. Reach the Citadel’s Porte de Secours (open year-round), cross the drawbridge, then after about 50 metres take the ramp descending on the right toward the port of Le Palais via the moat.
Follow this path to the “coupure”, a deep ditch marking the end of the town’s fortifications.
Follow the coupure to reach “Réduit A”, a former barracks and storehouse located on the inward-facing side of Bastion 19.
Turn right and descend from the earthworks, then pass under the Porte de Locmaria, also known as the “Voûte de Ramonette” (watch for traffic).
About 100 metres after the tunnel, turn right into the former moat, between the rampart and the counterscarp.
Follow the line of casemates built into the counterscarp until you reach the marker for “Réduit H”. Enter the redoubt, follow the ramp on the right, then exit onto the counterscarp path overlooking the dry moat.
Remain on this path, crossing over a road that passes through the outer fortifications at the “Porte de Bangor”. Continue past or through “Réduit G”, staying on the counterscarp above the moat. Follow the path until a dirt track on the left leads to the hospital car park. From here, a road descends back to the tidal lock basin known as the Saline, and to the centre of Le Palais.
On the opposite bank, a small hill topped by the Beau-Soleil redoubt is visible through dense vegetation.
Turn right and follow the Saline, then cross via the large drawbridge (if raised, walk around the Saline to the left).
Take Rue du Pont-Orgo (also called “Pont er Go”, meaning the Blacksmith’s Bridge), a small residential street to the left of the Sauzon road. On the right stands an 18th-century washhouse; straight ahead is an early-18th-century house at the junction with Route de Sauzon.
At the end of Rue du Pont-Orgo, cross the Sauzon road (also known as Route des Anglais). Opposite stands a low building known as the “Maison du Jardinier du Roy”, built in the early 18th century. Continue straight along the pedestrian path called the “Chemin des Fées”. At each intersection, take the leftmost path.
On exiting the path, turn right to a crossroads. The ruins of Château Fouquet lie to the left, partially hidden by vegetation. Take the road to the right and, at the right-hand bend, continue straight along a narrow lane between two houses.
After passing the fuel storage site on the left, follow signs for the Citadel, skirting the walls of the former Haute-Boulogne detention centre. Reach the Citadel’s Porte de Secours (open year-round), cross the drawbridge, then after about 50 metres take the ramp descending on the right toward the port of Le Palais via the moat.
- 125 meters of difference in height
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- Start altitude : 4 m
- End altitude : 4 m
- Maximum altitude : 53 m
- Total positive elevation : 125 m
- Total negative elevation : -125 m
- Max positive elevation : 27 m
- Min positive elevation : -24 m
