From Victor Hugo to Chateaubriand

We propose a 3-stage itinerary for exploring Dol de Bretagne. It's an opportunity to discover beautiful old homes, a spectacular cathedral and and a few historical points of interest. You'll also walk in the footsteps of famous writers Victor Hugo and Chateaubriand.

Departure

Start by parking in the Dol de Bretagne Cathedral parking lot. Grab your GPS and head towards 48°33'021N 001°45'279W.

A stroll through the city

Stage 1
Start your stroll through the city. Amid vegetation and age-old stones, you'll find the city ramparts still proudly standing. You are on the moat walk, which hugs the city walls. At the end of the walk, you'll see a small sign indicating the name of a famous person for whom the walk was named.

1st Riddle: Take note of the year this person died. The last digit of the year will be the letter A in the final coordinates. (For example, if the person died in 1950, the letter A will be 0).

Photo of the ramparts

Stage 2

From here, head towards the coordinates 48°33'077N 001°45'099W in the direction of Place Chateaubriand, following Rue des Carmes.  Stop by the statue of Chateaubriand, and note the sculpted object beneath the writer's portrait.

2nd Riddle: How many letters are in the first word of the name of the object? Subtract 2 from this number and you will have B.

Stage 3

Enter the coordinates 48°33'018N 001°45'187W and then proceed along Grande Rue. Start with an urban tour of Dol de Bretagne, in one of the city's most lively streets. Here you can explore the historic medieval center of Dol de Bretagne. Open your eyes and pay close attention to the storefronts - sometimes the columns have slid down into the windows. These are the remains of Dol's former visage. This time, the coordinates will lead you to the statue of Victor Hugo. You can read the quotes on the statue, and a plaque on the house will explain why Victor Hugo and Chateaubriand set foot here several centuries ago…

3rd Riddle: What is the last digit of the year on the front of the statue? This digit will be the letter C in the coordinates of the final cache (for example, if it's 1840, the last digit is 0, so C=0).

Stage 4

Cross the road in the direction of the Thoreau Fountain, named for the bishop whose statue rises above the water. He is pointing the way to Saint James (Santiago) of Compostela. The best place for admiring the house across the street is from the foot of this fountain. This house is the oldest in Brittany and is called "les petits palets."

4 Riddle: What is the word written after "maison" on the red sign on the wall of the house? How many consonants are in the word? That number corresponds to the letter D in the final coordinates.

The Cache

You now have all the clues you need to figure out the cache's coordinates. To get there, take the Rue des Ecoles back towards the Cathedral. To obtain the exact coordinates, replace the letters in the coordinates below with the answers to the above riddles:

N48 33.0(A+D) (C-B)

W 001 45.(A-D) (Ax2) (B+D)

On your marks!