Danse Macabre Route

A walk through the Pludual countryside: chapels, woods, fields, orchards, wash houses, fountains, etc. – there’s plenty of variety to be found everywhere.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.06 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 131 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 131 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 338 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 197 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Pludual (22290)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.665492° / W 2.983371°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 0815SB, 0916OT
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Car park on the square in front of Pludual Church.

(S/E) From the church square, head up Rue du Manoir towards Plouha via the pedestrian path. Opposite the town hall, turn left in front of No. 17 onto the grassy path.

(1) After 300 metres, just before the first houses, turn right onto the shaded path, then follow the embankment through a field.
Cross the road and take the path opposite. 50 metres before Kersauz, turn left into the field and follow the embankment. Head down towards a wooded area, then cross the stream and continue along this path.

(2) You’ll come out onto the tarmac road; carry on straight ahead, then turn right to cross the hamlet of Kergolo. After the last house, turn left onto the grassy track. Continue along the sunken track, keeping to the left.

After a short descent, carry on straight ahead along the grassy track as it climbs again. At the bend to the right, as you climb up into the field on the left, on a clear day you can see Menez-Bré (303m) with its chapel perched on top.

After this right-hand bend, the track joins a road. Turn left, then, at the three-way junction, take the road on the right. When you reach the wayside cross, turn right onto the tarmac road which takes a sharp bend to the left. At the end of this street, walk back and forth to admire the Chapel of Kermaria An Iskuit. (Picnic facilities and toilets available).

(3) Take the time to visit the Chapel of Kermaria An Iskuit and admire the famous ‘Dance of Death’ fresco (information on visits is available from the Plouha Tourist Office). Retrace your steps back to the bend, turn left and continue straight on along the D94 (350 metres).

Take the first path on the left at the sign for Le Scavet. At the first junction, turn left, then at the next junction immediately after, continue straight ahead along the sunken path. Turn left to reach a T-junction.

(4) Carry on straight ahead and, at the end of the sunken track, you’ll reach the Kerbriand road. Turn right and follow the tarmac road. At the next junction, carry on straight ahead, then cut across the bend and turn right onto the stony track.

After about 450 metres, pass the pylon and, just after the house, turn right. You will arrive at the rear of the Manoir de Guily-Boeuf, which you will walk alongside on the right. Almost immediately afterwards, turn right behind the farmhouse and continue straight on. Shortly after passing a farm, you will come out onto a sort of square in the village of Saint-Laurent.

Go round the farmhouse on the left, take the Route de Plouha on the left for a few metres, then head down to the right towards the Chapelle Saint-Laurent.

(5) Walk past the chapel, the fountain and then the wash house, and continue along the sunken path between the houses. This leads out onto a tarmac road. Turn left and, at the first bend, go straight on along the stony track (at the edge of the field, you’ll have a view of the Ménez-Bré). Carry on along this narrow track and, after passing a narrow section, look out for a small stream.

(6) Turn left into a field just before the stream, and follow the willow hedge and the stream. At the far end, after descending the steps, you’ll reach a place called Kermorin. Turn left and immediately, just before the houses, turn right onto the grassy path which crosses a wetland.

(7) When you reach the church square, turn left to see the village fountain and washhouse 30 metres away. At the far end, in the orchard, there’s a table where you can have a picnic if you like, before returning to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 207 ft - Place de l’Eglise
  2. 1 : mi 0.3 - alt. 236 ft - Turn right just before the houses
  3. 2 : mi 1.09 - alt. 249 ft - Tarmac road, go straight on
  4. 3 : mi 2.19 - alt. 243 ft - Kermaria Chapel, An Iskuit
  5. 4 : mi 2.95 - alt. 308 ft - Junction for the alternative route
  6. 5 : mi 4.69 - alt. 305 ft - Saint-Laurent Chapel
  7. 6 : mi 5.22 - alt. 262 ft - Turn left into the field
  8. 7 : mi 6 - alt. 197 ft - Fountain, wash house, picnic area
  9. S/E : mi 6.06 - alt. 207 ft - Place de l’Eglise

Notes

Start from the car park at Place de l’Eglise in Pludual (shelter and toilets nearby).

(3) You can also start from the car park behind Kermaria Chapel (toilets nearby; shelter in the chapel’s entrance porch. In this case, cross the main road and join the small path.

(4) Shorter alternative route: at this junction, turn right, follow the path alongside the woods and continue straight on all the way to the Chapelle Saint-Laurent (5), where you can rejoin the main route.

Worth a visit

At (3), cross the main road and admire the stately chapel of Kermaria An Iskuit (13th and 15th centuries). It is usually open in summer. Enquire at the Plouha tourist office.
Inside, you can admire a stunning fresco depicting the Dance of Death.
Follow this link to watch a short video describing the chapel and explaining the significance of the Dance of Death:
http://tv-tregor.com/patrimoine/chapelle...

Another very comprehensive link on the history and description of the chapel:
http://www.infobretagne.com/plouha-kerma...

At (5) is the 16th- and 17th-century Saint-Laurent Chapel. Adjacent to the chapel, you’ll find the washhouse and the fountain, which has been restored. It is said that water flowing from this fountain is beneficial for the eyes. Inside, there are some beautiful statues of Saint Lawrence, Saint Yves, Saint Anne, Saint Margaret and Saint Francis of Assisi.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 20 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
lozach.pierrick
lozach.pierrick

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 23, 2026
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A very easy walk, an untroubled route – albeit during a summer that was, admittedly, far too dry – taking in sunken lanes and small, tarmac-surfaced but deserted roads. Ultimately, its only interest lay in offering a glimpse of local agricultural production and old rural buildings; a few embankments and hedgerows have survived, planted with a wide variety of species; no memorable landscape, but three chapels along the way, the most famous of which – Kermaria – we were able to visit that day, a potential highlight of the walk. Scholarly commentary on the unique and famous ‘Danse Macabre’, a way of reconciling care for the body with intellectual curiosity.

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User 15241866

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with three chapels well worth seeing 👍

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User 16484207

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A few short sections completely overgrown with nettles and impassable...
Clearing is essential for these sections.
Otherwise, a lovely hike

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Gilou22
Gilou22

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 02, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very easy route, well marked, but don't be afraid to get dirty. Unfortunately for us, the chapel was not accessible, which was a shame. But we had a very pleasant afternoon between showers☺️

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Roselyne Denis
Roselyne Denis

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

very good route, butvery wet and muddy when it rains

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LeSouricierGris
LeSouricierGris

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The Dance Macabre route is easy, and I recommend taking the alternative route as the short circular is not particularly interesting.

As mentioned above, the chapels are closed except for Kermaria an Iskuit Chapel, which can be opened by calling ahead. Allow a good hour for the guided tour (which is very interesting).

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@joel
@joel

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

the Dance Macabre route is easy. There is a variation that allows you to walk either about 10 km or 8 km
the route is easy
be careful in rainy weather as the paths can be difficult, so it's best to do it in the drier season
during the hike, the three chapels were closed, which was a shame as we couldn't visit them!

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grandiere
grandiere

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We hiked from Castel Pic to Pludual and then returned to Plouha by road because the rain had made the paths difficult. We had a good time anyway, but we should have worn boots rather than hiking shoes. Recommended in slightly drier weather.

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coco68@
coco68@

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A complete, beautiful and interesting hike with many points of interest to discover.
It's a shame that Kermaria Chapel was closed.
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

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objectifcucugnan
objectifcucugnan

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A route whose highlight is the Kermaria an Iskuit chapel (check opening hours). A beautiful succession of sunken paths, undergrowth, open trails and hedgerows. Mostly off-road. No difficulty apart from one or two sloping sections. Don't get lost at the St-Lambert Chapel: take the path between the houses to the south-west of the wash houses. Do not follow the signs for Village du Bonhomme. This is just a warm-up for the more dramatic trails of the nearby Côte de Goëlo.

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cyrcava
cyrcava

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This route is not very busy, so much so that in some places, vegetation has reclaimed some of its power And for a visit to Kermaria Chapel, a free guided tour is organised by the tourist office from 10 a.m., I believe, to 12.30 p.m (to be sure, we arrived at 12:45 p.m. and in the afternoon from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.!

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Tossen Bre
Tossen Bre

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant route, some paths are a bit muddy but that's to be expected at this time of year.
The Kermaria chapel is worth a visit and was open when I passed by.
A few issues around Saint Laurent, confusing signage, but the satnav got me back on track

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cleroux1
cleroux1

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very attractive route with mostly trails and very little tarmac. The description is spot on.
two superb chapels in a well-maintained setting
What's more, the weather was beautiful... a really lovely hike!!!!

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psb22
psb22

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Above all, visit the Kermaria an isquit chapel (the telephone number is on the door if it is closed).
Please note: at (5), when you are facing the wash house, next to the Saint Laurent chapel, the path is just to your left, heading towards the house.
Enjoy your walk!

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Chrysomele
Chrysomele

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Interesting walk with chapel and wash houses. Kermaria Chapel closed on Saturdays and Sundays. St Laurent Chapel closed. PDF format of the map is good, but a little cluttered around Pludual. Without the written explanation, we would not have found the starting point of the trail.

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