Walks in France: the slopes of Mont Dol
Posted by LN, Tuesday 18 May 2010 at 10:39 - Mounts and mountains of Western France - Tags
Welcome to a short walk of discovery: prehistory, chapel, windmill, caves ... The ascent of Mont Dol is a great adventure.
First of all : This site provides a practical course of history of relief: tens of thousands of years ago, when it was really cold, the sea was closer ... And the Mont Dol was an island.
From the summit, one can guess the terrain of the ice ages and the limit where the ocean stopped! Today the sea has receded, it was even more distant during the prehistoric times ... In short, sea is going back and forth!
Mont Dol welcomed men, prehistoric men, in caves, north of the hill. Neanderthals, lovers of big elephants, have left the remains of their feasts. At that time, people were watching the mammoths'arrival from the summit and were driving them into the swamps ... where the animals got stuck ... The hunters just had to finish their work : cut in small pieces the beast ... to preserve and enjoy it during the following months ...
You can learn more by visiting the church at the foot of Mount Dol : an exhibit explains the history of the place ... you can also admire beautiful restaured murals... polychrome ... It's unusual in churches in Brittany, the walls were whitewashed ... to disinfect after epidemics !
Today, at the top of the site, there is a tiny religious building, a monumental statue set on a tower, ancient trees, a mill ...
The site has seen many religious occupations. There is this little chapel with a stained glass window dedicated to the war 14-18. And the tower of Notre Dame de l'Espérance (1857) which dominates the landscape.
Weather permitting, you have the best panoramic view of the coast, the Mont Saint Michel, Cancale and the bay. And in very clear weather, you can even notice the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey. It is not that far away...
There is also the legend ... the devil has worked here!
The mill dates from 1843 and ran until the 50s. It is open in the summer and can be visited on weekends (from Easter to September).
There is a crêperie at the top of the site open during the warm seasons. To continue the walk you can go down the other side and go around the mountain before to reach the parking lot. Choose the right side to see the caves!
Read it in French : Rando en Bretagne : les dénivelés du Mont Dol
First of all : This site provides a practical course of history of relief: tens of thousands of years ago, when it was really cold, the sea was closer ... And the Mont Dol was an island.
From the summit, one can guess the terrain of the ice ages and the limit where the ocean stopped! Today the sea has receded, it was even more distant during the prehistoric times ... In short, sea is going back and forth!
Mont Dol welcomed men, prehistoric men, in caves, north of the hill. Neanderthals, lovers of big elephants, have left the remains of their feasts. At that time, people were watching the mammoths'arrival from the summit and were driving them into the swamps ... where the animals got stuck ... The hunters just had to finish their work : cut in small pieces the beast ... to preserve and enjoy it during the following months ...
You can learn more by visiting the church at the foot of Mount Dol : an exhibit explains the history of the place ... you can also admire beautiful restaured murals... polychrome ... It's unusual in churches in Brittany, the walls were whitewashed ... to disinfect after epidemics !
Today, at the top of the site, there is a tiny religious building, a monumental statue set on a tower, ancient trees, a mill ...
The site has seen many religious occupations. There is this little chapel with a stained glass window dedicated to the war 14-18. And the tower of Notre Dame de l'Espérance (1857) which dominates the landscape.
Weather permitting, you have the best panoramic view of the coast, the Mont Saint Michel, Cancale and the bay. And in very clear weather, you can even notice the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey. It is not that far away...
There is also the legend ... the devil has worked here!
Once completing his Wonder of Mont-Saint-Michel, he challenged St. Michael asking him to make another perfect masterpiece ...
The Saint chose the second hill of the bay of Mont Saint Michel and in just one night, he realized a huge and beautiful crystal palace.
The devil furious wanted to destroy it, but the Archangel Michael offered to exchange monuments. The Devil agreed. Once in front of the palace of Mont Dol, he realized the mistake... The palace was not crystal but ice... And it was a nice warm day!
Really upset, the devil tried to kill the Saint. Mickael managed to send him in a crack he had opened with his sword. And he jumped back to the Mont Saint-Michel ... And he left his impression in a granit rock on the Mont Dol. Look for traces of claws among the rocks!
The mill dates from 1843 and ran until the 50s. It is open in the summer and can be visited on weekends (from Easter to September).
There is a crêperie at the top of the site open during the warm seasons. To continue the walk you can go down the other side and go around the mountain before to reach the parking lot. Choose the right side to see the caves!
Read it in French : Rando en Bretagne : les dénivelés du Mont Dol
French