| Description | Miles or Meters from La Madeleine |
| Fontain at La Madeleine | 100 meters |
| The fontain at La Madeleine is a sacred well fed by a natural spring. In ancient times Brittany was a thick forest with a small pagan population, pagan settlements were often based around natural springs which were worshiped as a reliable and constant source of clean water even in the driest of summers. Christian monks started to arrive in the 5th century from Britain, and started to convert the local pagans to Christianity. The fontain at La Madeleine is evidence of the Christianisation of this ancient spring-worship. In June it is blessed as part of the Festival of La Madeleine, when a service is held at the chapel followed by a procession from the chapel to the fontain where it is blessed. This is then followed by a meal and a boul competition. | |
| Les Sources des l'Aer | 900 meters |
| Within walking distance Les Sources des L'Aer is a 16 Km circular footpath in the country side just to the north of La Madeleine exploring the spring water sources of the river Aer. | |
| Lake Du Dordu | 4 |
| The lake Du Dordu is set in the valley just below the village of Langoelan. Its facilities include a beach, play area and a wide circular footpath with a level and firm surface suitable for wheel chairs or people with impaired mobility, In the summer months a small lakeside cafe is open. This is a typical example of lakes that are owned and maintained to a high standard by the local village. | |
| Plouray Lake | 4.3 |
| Plouray village lake is just outside Plouray, it has a play area, beach, cafe, a circular foot path and pedalo hire. | |
|  Chateau merlan
| 4.3 |
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|  Valley d'Aer
| 4.8 |
| The forest of Kergoff is set on the side of the valley formed by the river Aer, it has walks, mountain bike and bridle way route. In the autumn it is an excellent place to find the much prized Cep mushroom. | |
|  Lake de bel aire, Priziac
| 5.9 |
| Plouray village lake is just outside Plouray, it has a play area, beach, cafe, a circular footpath and pedalo hire. Most weekend in the summer it will bustling with local families and informal groups of people playing boul. | |
|  Brest Nantes canal
| 6.1 |
| The Brest Nantes canal runs the width of Brittany. Much of it has been renovated and you can walk or cycle along most of the towpaths as with most water ways and lakes a fishing weekly permit can be purchased. The canal and its river and its banks are rich with wildlife including otters. | |
| Chateau and lake at Kernescladen | 7.9 |
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| Rostrenen | 8.5 |
| Rostrenen is a small picturesque market town just to the north La Madeleine. All year round on every Tuesday it has a lively market which sells everything from livestock to locally made art and crafts. | |
|  St Barbe
| 9 |
| St Barbe is a church that sits in the stone cliff near the top of one of the sides of the valley d'Elle. When you arrive it is traditional for you to ring the bell of Saint Barbe, it is more difficult than it sounds unless you are a bell ringer. There is walk along stone path through the forest down to the fontain that is said to have healing powers, many people make this trip to visit the fontain for this reason, the path continues to the banks of the river Elle. There are marked footpaths in the forest that make up the sides of the valley d'Elle. | |
| La Faouet | 9.8 |
| In the centre of La Faouet there is a very large ancient wood and stone open barn that is still very much the centre of life in the town. It is used today as it has been for hundreds of years to hold markets and festivals in. | |
| Chateau of bon repas | 11 |
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| Ancient graves | 11.4 |
| Just beyond the Chateau of bon repas you can walk along footpaths over heath land and see the strange ancient stone structures believed to be stone age burial chambers. | |
| Lac de Gueriédan | 14 |
| Separating Morbihan from Côtes d’Armor is the Guerlédan lake with bathing, canoeing, water skiing and pedallos. To the northeast is the Forest of Quénécan, the "Swiss Brittany". With peaks rising only to 287 meters, the description is a little ambitious, but there are three lakes and some good marked walking trails. At the eastern end you can see the massive dam wall which holds back the water for miles up the valley. | |
| Pontivy | 19.5 |
| Pontivy is a medieval town with its fortified 15th century château overlooking the river and the regimented streets laid out to Napoleon's plan. It was a military base and he renamed it Napoleonville. The old town, around Place du Martray, has narrow streets and overhanging wooden houses and a good Monday market. | |
| Chateau Trévarez | 22 |
| The chateau and park of Trévarez has 85 hectares of walks and gardens to explore. The chateau has had an interesting recent history including be bombed by the RAF during the war, because it was being used as a place for Japan's submarine crews to rest and recover between missions. Trévarez attracts each year nearly 150 000 visitors. | |
| Beaches | 25.4 |
| To the north are the beaches of the north coast, but much closer are the beaches to the south. There are miles of sandy beaches to choose from, so even in the summer you can find a quiet stretch. | |
| Lorient | 27 |
| Lorient plays host to important yacht races each year and the Festival Interceltique takes place the first fortnight of August. Uniting Celtic peoples from the British Isles, Spain and Brittany, the festival draws more than 4,500 artists and musicians every year for traditional music and dancing in the streets. Cider, crêpes and cotriade (fish stew) are on sale around the fishing harbor, complete with Astérix-style village. The festival is highly recommended, with over 300,000 people attending. | |
| Huelgoat | 27 |
| Huelgoat is a delightful village surrounded by forest. From the centre of Huelgoat you walk in to forest following the rapids of the river as it winds it way through and sometimes under the giant rocks deposited there by the a glacier during the ice age. | |
| Concarneau | 32.3 |
| One of France’s largest fishing ports, Concarneau is also a popular resort. The view of the medieval walled town is one of the most photographed in Brittany. Vauban improved the fortifications against pirates and invaders, and the town still gives a feeling of entering a time warp. The town has been a haven for artists led by the American Robert Wylie in the 1860s, spilling over into nearby Pont Aven where Gauguin set up his studio. The walk around the bay and ramparts is the best way to see the town. The early morning fish auction, la criée, is a great experience even if the daily business of selling the fish remains a mystery. In mid-August, the fishermen’s festival, La Fête des Filets Bleus, is one of the liveliest in Brittany with traditional music. There are boat trips out to the Iles des Glénan, a small archipelago, home to a famous sailing school and seabird sanctuaries. | |
| Standing stones of Carnac | 36 |
| The small town of Carnac in southern Brittany is world-famous for the long rows of standing stones stretching over a mile or so in a north-easterly direction to the north of the town. Much plundered in centuries past for stone and generally getting in the way of earlier generations, these fabulous relics gained greater respect over the 20th century, and are now under State protection. | |
| Quimper | 37 |
| Quimper is Brittany’s oldest city beckons those who enjoy nothing more than to wander through cobbled streets and sample the wide selection of cafes and bars. This idyllic town, spreads around the junction of the Steir and Odet Rivers on the western edge of Brittany. Fortunately it was spared the bombs of WWII and has escaped too much modern development, so the medieval character remains intact with old buildings overhanging narrow lanes and footbridges. You can also take a tour of one of the pottery studios that has been turning out internationally renowned Quimperware for centuries. | |
| Vannes | 40 |
| A truly attractive town, Vannes hosted the 16th century summit when the Duchy of Brittany became united with France. Since then the old town, behind its ramparts, has remained more or less untouched. The cathedral is worth exploring with the ancient houses, Musée des Beaux Arts and the old streets with some very chic shops. Beside the aquarium, there is the Musée des Automates, with mechanical toys from the 19th century and the butterfly house | |
