GO MEnez-Hom!
Climb the local Kilimanjaro
Easier than climbing Tanzania's famous Sparkling Mountain (much easier!), we suggest climbing our own little "magic" mountain in Brittany, the famous Menez-Hom. It has to be said that 330 metres high... for us, that means a lot! A protected natural site, this sacred "mountain" of Armorique invites you to discover an exceptional panorama of the Bay of Douarnenez, the Crozon peninsula, the Aulne valley and, in the distance, the Montagnes Noires. In bygone days, this small mountain served as a lookout, keeping watch over the entire region from its heights. Today, it's a popular hiking and walking spot, and a favorite with paragliders and aeromodellers. It's not unusual to witness a magnificent aerial ballet, whatever the season! On foot, you'll need 6 hours 20 minutes and 19 km to complete the PR® circuit entitled "Vers le sommet du Menez-Hom" (Towards the summit of Menez-Hom). If you want to take the easy way out, there's also a parking lot at the summit, and after a quick and easy climb of around 30 metres, where the hardest part is sometimes resisting the wind (depending on the weather, make sure you're well covered up!), you'll be on the roof of our beautiful destination, an UNFORGETTABLE spot with a 360° view!
A CAST
A tour of the savannah
You never really leave the heights of the Menez-Hom Atlantique... In autumn and winter, Cast's Menez Quelerc'h takes on the air of an African savannah, with its scattered pine trees, 220 hectares of moorland and tall grasses, shimmering colors and golden sunsets. With no large predators on the horizon, you're more likely to come across wild species such as foxes or rabbits. Ashy harriers have replaced marabouts here, and the atmosphere is almost savannah-like!
PS: Keep your eyes peeled... maybe you'll be able to spot the royal fern, a cosmopolitan fern that can also be found... on the African continent!
IN PORT-LAUNAY
Off to Canada!
The gentle waters of the canal, combined with the lush greenery, give the small port town of Port-Launay a Canadian feel. It doesn't take long to find yourself at the water's edge or in a rowboat, with a fishing rod in one hand and a (Breton!) drink in the other!
There's no poutine or maple syrup here: the village specialities are the pastries from Maison Kermoal: the Breton cake, of course (a reference in Brittany!), but also Pastiou, the gâteau des gras, which can be found in various shops in the surrounding area.
A DINEAULT
Visit the Camargue without the mosquitoes
35 hectares of reeds as far as the eye can see: welcome to the Rosconnec marsh reed beds! It's the ideal place to observe wild birds. This natural area, made up of meadows and reedbeds that flood with the tides, will reveal its secrets to you after a short twenty-minute walk along a grassy, wooded path. There are no pink flamingos here, but rather pretty aquatic warblers, small passerines that are very rare in Europe, spotted locustelles and warblers. Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to catch a glimpse? It's a great place for a family nature walk. Don't forget your binoculars!
ALONG THE GR®34
A sweet scent of Scotland
Let's get away to the Breton "Highlands", which are full of wonders: high cliffs with changing colors according to the sun's reflection, and swept by the wind and the sea, multicolored moors according to the seasons, mysterious atmosphere on stormy evenings or luminous during the multicolored sunsets at the end of the year... Here, we feel like a sweet and mysterious perfume of Scotland. The rocky outcrops of Tal ar Grip and Tréfeuntec are the starting points for magnificent hikes along the GR®34, and a great opportunity to take a break from time and recharge your batteries by breathing the invigorating air, in the peace and quiet of a beautiful wilderness setting... GRANDIOSE! The traditional Scottish castles (and their ghosts) have given way to old customs houses or a manor house with atypical architecture that is sometimes said to be cursed (and never inhabited!) but is just as full of history... to be discovered along the way, we won't tell you more!
TO PLEYBEN!
A triumphal arch "made in" Brittany
Paris has its Arc de Triomphe, and so do we... well, almost! You don't have to travel 550 kilometers to pose in front of the famous monument... From its golden centuries, Pleyben has inherited a magnificent parish enclosure and, in particular, a monumental calvary of exceptional dimensions and four faces. Listed as a Monument Historique, it is now one of the finest examples of Breton heritage, and one of only seven monumental calvaries in Brittany. This stone picture book invites visitors to discover no fewer than thirty skilfully sculpted tableaux. La Croix du Christ, the tallest of these crosses, reaches a height of 11 metres. Some summers, thanks to the Association des 7 Calvaires, it too lights up to reveal its original colors and the many secrets engraved in its stone... A must-see!
Here's a fun fact: you can start reading the various paintings on the calvary counter-clockwise from the south-west corner!
STILL IN PLEYBEN!
Comme un air de Vatican
In the center of Pleyben, near the town hall, stands the pretty little chapelle de la Congrégation, built in the 17th century. It takes its eponymous name from the congregation of men and young men of which it was once the seat. Enter and be amazed... The magnificent, monumental fresco was painted by Locronan artist Alain Ronan in 1995. This masterpiece of sacred art is reminiscent of Michelangelo's exceptional work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance... one look and you're almost instantly in the heart of the world's smallest state, with your feet firmly planted in Brittany of course!
Photo credits: © Photos Ar Ty Gwen (Header)