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Step 1: The Père Tacot crossroads
Famous clog maker of the forest of Fougères, at the beginning of the 20th century, Father Tacot owned, here, a small eatery in a wooden hut. Barrel of cider in the workshop, floor covered with shavings, large table flanked by two homemade benches, the man sold drinks to forest workers, carters, traders and pilgrims going to Pontmain. On Sundays, the Fougerais went there to enjoy a sausage pancake and dance, under the shade of the clearing, to the sound of the accordion.
Stage 2: The pond of Saint-François
Along the Saint-François pond, you pass the site of a former convent occupied by monks from the 15th century until the Revolution. Today, it takes a lot of imagination to imagine the places: chapel, cloister, monastic buildings. Only a few ruins around a remodeled farm and the remains of an annex building remain today. It is said here that a solid gold, life-size statue of Saint Francis was thrown into the pond by the monks before their expulsion.
Step 3: The Old Castles site
Make no mistake about it, here, it is not simple castles that you will observe but rather a few mounds of earth, vestiges of medieval fortifications and above all several closed wells flush 80 cm from the ground. These are manholes that facilitate the maintenance of a 12 km drinking water network. Yes, since the 17th century, the forest has been a remarkable water tower for Fougères and its neighboring towns.
Step 4: The Druid Cord
Curious this alignment of stones! No less than fifty quartz menhirs of different sizes stretch over more than 300 m. Many more or less fanciful theories have emerged to explain its origin. Sometimes attributed to the Gauls who would have used it, even built it, hence its name Cordon des Druides, this alignment, rare in Brittany, dates back, in fact, to the Neolithic period.
