GR® 34, the customs officers’ path

A succession of postcards

To my right, rocky points, wild coastline, dunes, beaches and coves. To my left, marshes, a variety of fauna and flora, a rich historical heritage… and always the sea or the ocean in the background. Every bend on the GR® 34 plunges you into a new postcard. As you walk, the spirit of Brittany invades you, winning your heart, and you feel invigorated by the ocean breeze. The bay of Mont Saint-Michel, the Emerald and Pink Granite coasts, the Abers of the Finistère headland, the Crozon peninsula, the Cornouaille coast and Pointe du Raz, South Finistère, the Gulf of Morbihan, the marshes and the ledges of the Côte d’Amour coast …, etc. In a large splash of green and blue, get ready to be amazed!

Read also8 stunning views along the GR®34

A path steeped in history

Created in 1791, the path was travelled by controls of customs officers – hence its name – in charge of preventing smuggling. To keep an eye on trafficking and on the pillaging of shipwrecks, they strode up and down the coastline, night and day, in all weather: think of this when your legs are tired! After falling into disuse in the early 20th century, the path experienced a revival in 1968, when a few passionate walkers decided to make it into a walking route. The famous white and red markers that signpost the route first appeared near Lannion: the GR® 34 was born! Today it goes all around the Brittany coastline, from Mont-Saint-Michel to the bridge of Saint-Nazaire. It leaves a permanent mark on anyone who walks it.