- Walking in France
- Walks are very mell signposted
Brittany has more waymarked walking trails than any other part of
France and provides an extraordinary variety of landscape and history
to enjoy en route. The exceptional coastal path is well-known, but
walking the wild interior can be just as dramatic, and there are also
many interesting towns to explore on foot.
The main footpaths are designated Grandes Randonées (GRs), shown by
red on white waymarks (balisage) and these are long linear routes,
passing sites of major interest. Shorter and usually circular routes of
up to 6 hours walking are Promenades et Randonées (PRs) and the
signage is yellow, but other locally marked walks may be shown in
green, red or blue. The quality and consistency of the directions is
very variable, from excellent to absent, and it might be wise to carry
one of the detailed maps (1:25,000) from the IGN Série Bleue, which are
readily available and currently being updated.
It is possible to walk fairly freely in the countryside as most
tracks are still communal land (having been the old routes of
communication for rural outposts) and the private property issues so
well-known to walkers in England are rarely a problem here.
- Coastal Path walks...
Nowhere in Brittany is too far from the coast, and its earliest name
was Ar-mor, the land of the sea. The GR34 is the coastal path going
right round the region, a distance of over 1000kms, providing
spectacular views of sea, estuaries, islands, lighthouses and sea-going
vessels.We have often walked alone small sections of this coastal path
around the Gulf of Morbihan with its 365 islands and Neolithic remains.
The interior of Brittany was originally truly a land of the forest
(Ar-goat), but much of the ancient woodland has been cleared for
ship-building and agriculture over the centuries. Fine forest walking
still remains, however, and such routes are usually good choices for
family outings, with well-made tracks and clear signage. The forest
walks at Monteneuf are fantastic, varying in length from a couple of
kilometers to 10km. The fairy walk is magical... particularly for small
children..
- Forest Walks...always good
Town trails are a good way to actively find out more about the
history and architecture of Brittany. This is obviously so in large
places like Rennes, Vannes and Quimper, but there is also much of
visual interest in, for example, Malestoit, Josselin and Redon.
- Saint Congard Coastal Path
This part of Brittany also has a huge network of canal paths and
'voie vertes'... These are disused railway lines that have been
resurfaced. Fantastic for getting into the very heart of the country
away from cars, noise and everybody else !!.. Also brilliant for
children.. they can run and cycle without any concerns of traffic.
- Use the Voie vert to get into the heart of Brittany
