Historic and spiritual paths in BrittanyReconnect with yourself and the world

Historic and spiritual paths in Brittany

Walks, heritage and spirituality: here are three notions that go well together in Brittany, a land of plenitude and religious wealth, with multiple emblematic routes heading to Santiago de Compostela and elsewhere. The ways of Saint James, Mont Saint-Michel or Tro Breizh are options for unwinding, recharging and walking. There are paths that change you. What if you found yours in Brittany?

The way of Saint James

5 starting points and 1,500 km of routes in Brittany

Signposted and using paths for green modes of transport, the paths in Brittany that head to Santiago de Compostela are punctuated with remarkable natural and religious heritage – abbeys, chapels and Calvary crosses mark the journey… The Breton Association of the Friends of Santiago de Compostela has undertaken vast work to bring these pilgrimage paths to Galicia back to life and 1,500 km of paths now cross the region. You will have the choice of five starting points: Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Moguériec, Locquirec, Beauport abbey and Mont-Saint-Michel. These are provided as a guide; you can of course join the routes at other points.

Association Bretonne des Amis de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle

The paths of Mont-Saint-Michel

On the tracks of another great pilgrimage

For centuries, pilgrims from a variety of origins have come in droves to Mont-Saint-Michel, weaving a network of routes known as the “Chemins montais”. These are the ancient paths that the association “Les Chemins de saint Michel” busies itself with discovering, restoring and giving back to the public. It is therefore a similar approach to that of the way of Saint James. These routes to Mont-Saint-Michel use some of the same tracks, but in the opposite direction. They use the Grande Randonnée^® (GR^®) and Grande Randonnée de Pays (GRP) paths, but have their own signposts, always with the same mythical reward: the silhouette of the abbey on the Mont…

Les Chemins de saint Michel

The Tro Breiz

Brittany's version of Santiago de Compostela

The 1,500 kilometres of the Tro Breizh® loop offer an original and inspired way of completing a grand “tour of Brittany” in the footsteps of its founding saints.

Whether you do it in several times or in one go, this age-old journey will take you along the sunken paths at the heart of the history of Brittany. Like pilgrims in the Middle Ages, you’ll stop in the nine towns that pay homage to its first bishops, from Rennes to Nantes via Dol, Saint-Malo, Saint-Brieuc, Tréguier, Saint-Pol-de-Léon, Quimper and Vannes.

Along this circular route, you’ll discover the most beautiful Breton cathedrals. The journey is also a journey to your soul, set to the pace of walking. You can do this walk at any time of year, following the marking developed by the Mon Tro Breizh® association, or as part of the “Marche de l’été” organised by the Chemins du Tro Breizh® association. The idea of this pilgrimage is to cover a section of around 150 km in one week, with a different section every year.

Tro Breizh