Climb to the top of
Brittany
For as long as you can remember, you have always heard about the Monts d’Arrée mountains as a land of mystery, where legends come alive and where the magic happens. Here, in deepest Brittany, a trip to the Land of Marvels awaits you!
Before you go, everyone must wake up, get dressed and have breakfast! An entire agenda, before tackling the real agenda for the day! Although setting off is difficult, now everyone has hiking shoes on their feet and the walking poles are neatly arranged in the car…
Time for the big departure, head for the Abbaye du Relec abbey, today’s first stop…
Upon leaving the campsite, it takes you half an hour’s drive to go to Plounéour Ménez. This village in Argoat, the name given to inland Brittany, is amidst a valley in the Monts d’Arrée. It is home to the Relec abbey, a Cistercian abbey consisting of a large Romanesque church, cloister remains, monumental fountain and lake.
Before discovering the abbey and losing yourself in the cloister ruins, going round the lake and walking in the vegetable garden or ancient moat-enclosed gardens, stop in the abbey’s exhibition area. You’ll learn everything here about the secluded life of Cistercian monks and this lively typical village in central Brittany…
After the visit, it is time to get back into the car to discover one of the most mysterious locations in the Monts d’Arrée…
After around 20 minutes by road through the countryside, you arrive at the entrance to one of the most famous and legendary forests in Brittany, the Huelgoat forest…
After parking the car in the car park and tying your shoelaces, it is now time to plunge into the forest meaning “high forest” in Breton, which conceals numerous treasures…
It won’t be long before you come upon the first of these, then the second, third, fourth, etc. These bizarrely shaped rocks, menhirs, waterfalls, etc. all have mysterious names, sometimes referring to King Arthur, the Devil, the Virgin Mary or even Gargantua!
During your walk, the curiosities are connected: the Argent river, Grotte du Diable (Devils cave), chasm, the Moulin du Chaos (Mill of Chaos surrounded by water and giant boulders), the Camp d’Artus hill fort site or even the mysterious and bewitching Roche Tremblante (trembling rock boulder)…
Roche Tremblante
Legend has it, Gargantua was crossing the Huelgoat forest. When he asked the forest inhabitants for hospitality, being poor and lacking supplies, they could only serve him a simple buckwheat gruel. Furious with this meagre feast, he headed for the richer and more welcoming Pays du Léon and, out of revenge, hurled all the rocks he found along the way. Today, these make up the Chaos d’Huelgoat.
Familiar with this legend and fearing also being served a simple buckwheat gruel, you’ve been warned and have brought plenty with you for a picnic! What better place for a bite to eat than the Roche Tremblante.
Weighing more than 100 tonnes, this giant stone rocks slightly under the mere press of a child’s finger.
Having gone all over the Huelgoat forest trails, you’ve gone back to the car heading for Mont Saint Michel de Brasparts. Unlike its namesake (the island of Mont Saint Michel), it is not subject to debate and is well and truly located in Brittany!
It is actually one of the highest summits in the Monts d’Arrée mountains, as it reaches its highest point at an altitude of 381 metres. Up there, you make the most of a unique and imposing 360° viewpoint over the region, and can also discover a small 17th century chapel.
The day’s final leg is around 15 kilometres south of Morlaix, on the way back to Carantec and the Les Mouettes campsite. The Le Cragou and Le Vergam heath and peat bogs are part of the Réserve Naturelle de Vergam Scrignac nature reserve.
There is a natural landscape of heathland and peat bogs here, typical of the Monts d’Arrée, as well amazing flora and fauna. Again, a multitude of footpaths enable you to explore the area, and here and there meet the Nantes breed of cow and Dartmoor ponies.
Having covered several dozen kilometres on foot and by car today, it is high time to go back for a rest, and make the most of the evening entertainment offered by the campsite’s activity leaders…