Via the Locronan mountain

Park at the Bruyères car park on Rue des Charrettes.

(S/E) With your back to the car park, exit onto Rue des Charrettes and, at the barrier, go up to the left to join Rue du Four. Follow it to the right and pass the town hall.

(1) Turn left to pass between the church and the cemetery. On the left, note a small garden in honour of Donatien Laurent, an ethnologist who did a lot of work on the troménie of Locronan. Take Rue Saint-Maurice on the left, which climbs steeply, and continue straight on until you reach two crosses on an embankment, one of which is truncated.

(2) Leave the street, climb up to the left into a grassy area and turn right to cross an embankment (beautiful view). Continue along the path through the woods and, at the end, turn right at the hairpin bend to follow Chemin de Kerguénolé, which passes close to the manor house of the same name. At the end of the estate, continue left along the road. Ignore a path on the right and you will come to a wooden sign indicating "Karront ar Mengleuniou" (quarry path on the map).

(3) Turn left onto this stony path which climbs steadily to come out above the municipal campsite. Turn right and then right again at the next fork to follow the path through the woods which joins a road.

(4) Turn left and follow this road uphill. Pass Coat Beuliec (cross) and arrive at a hairpin bend in the road (beautiful view of Douarnenez Bay).

(5) Continue straight ahead uphill, take a left to see the small Ar Sonj Chapel, a must-see on the troménie procession route, and arrive at the highest point of the route.

(6) Turn left to begin a long, steep descent that requires great care due to erosion, first between meadows, then in a wooded area. Continue this long descent to a path that leads to an old chestnut tree.

(7) Turn right, pass a slope, follow the only path and go around a grassy area planted with trees. Turn left at the edge of the woods and come out onto a car park with picnic tables (this isthe most difficult part due to trees that have fallen during various storms. See the alternative route in the practical information section).

(8) Cross the D7 carefully and turn left onto a path. Follow this path along the edge of the fields, which leads to a road at Bourland farm.

(9) Continue along the path opposite to reach the next group of houses where a road ends. Follow this small road which runs parallel to the D7, then turns right towards a place called Le Créac'h (winter storage sign). At the pumping station on the right, ignore the path that branches off to the left and continue to the houses at Le Créac'h.

(10) At the "Chemin du Créac'h" sign, turn left towards the houses and continue along a wide path (no entry sign). Follow this wide path, which is blocked by concrete cylinders to prevent motorised vehicles from entering. Pass by a wooden hut that serves as an oratory during the grand troménie (every six years, next in July 2025) and continue to a crossroads near a cross (Croaz Ruz) and a new oratory for the troménie.

Yellow markings

Turn left, follow this road and keep to the right to cross the hamlet of Styvel (beautiful stone houses) and continue along the grassy path that leads to the D7 between two roundabouts (there is a stone block).

(11) Cross the D7 carefully (no pedestrian crossing) and go up the path opposite, which continues along a street. At the top, turn right and continue until you reach a path on the left, marked by a rubbish bin.

Blue markings

(12) At the rubbish bins, take this narrow path that runs alongside properties. Cross the street and continue straight ahead along the path overlooking beautiful properties. At the end, first turn right then left towards the calvary, the Notre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle Chapel and its majestic fountain (the chapel is usually open and features beautiful modern stained glass windows by Manessier, a French non-figurative painter who has inspired several stained glass windows in Europe).

Blue and yellow markings

Continue straight ahead.

(13) Turn left before a road and then left again to go up a small road, which you follow for a few dozen metres. Before the sign for Locronan, turn right onto an uphill path that runs alongside a caravan park.

No markings

Cross a street and continue along a narrow path between two car parks.

(14) At the crossroads, turn left along a car park, cross a street and then another dirt car park and continue along the alley opposite. Turn left at the first street, cross the main street of Locronan diagonally and continue straight ahead to go around the toilets on the right and follow the street on the left that runs alongside a school and leads to the Place de l'Église with its well on the right. Turn left onto a downhill street

(15). Turn left into the first street, Rue Moal, then into a discreet grassy alley on the right. At the end, go up to the right along the Vieille route de Plonévez.
At the top, near a small flower-filled square decorated with an old cart, take a narrow grassy alleyway to reach Rue des Charrettes at the end and arrive at the car park (S/E).

Since 2025, parking in Locronan has been subject to a charge: €5 all year round.

Please note: the descent from point (6) is steep and may be difficult for some people.

(7) Continue to follow the main descent and you will come out onto the D7. Follow the road to the right and rejoin the route at point (8).

Toilets are available at the starting car park and between points (14) and (15).
Picnic tables near point (5)

Rated as moderate due to the alternating ascents and descents and the long descent at point (6).

Ar Sonj Chapel.

Stained glass windows in the Bonne Nouvelle Chapel.
Troménie.
Locronan, city of weavers.

(5) Panorama of Douarnenez Bay and the Porzay countryside.
Beautiful country lanes.
Narrow streets of Locronan.