Danse Macabre Route

A stroll through the Pludual countryside: chapels, woods, fields, orchards, wash houses, fountains, etc. There is variety everywhere.

Details

192937
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.75 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 40 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 40 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 103 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 60 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Parking is available in the square in front of Pludual Church.

(S/E) From the church square, walk 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, continue right along the shaded path, then along an embankment in a field.
Cross the road and take the path opposite. 50 metres before Kersauz, turn left into the field and follow the embankment. Descend towards a wooded area, then cross the stream and continue along this path.

(2) Come out onto the tarmac road, continue straight ahead then turn right to cross the hamlet of Kergolo. After the last house, turn left onto the grassy path. Continue along the sunken path, keeping to the left.

After a short descent, continue straight ahead along the grassy path that climbs uphill. In the right-hand bend, as you climb up the field on the left, you can see Menez-Bré (303m) with its chapel on a clear day.

After this right-hand bend, the path leads to a road. Turn left and then, at the three-way junction, take the road on the right. When you reach the calvary, turn right onto the tarmac road, which makes a sharp left turn. At the end of this street, turn around and walk back to admire the Chapel of Kermaria An Iskuit. (Picnic area and toilets available).

(3) Take the time to visit the Chapel of Kermaria an Iskuit and admire the famous fresco of "La Danse Macabre" (information on visits available at the Plouha tourist office). Retrace your steps to the bend, turn left and continue straight on the D94 (350 metres).

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

(4) Continue straight ahead and, at the end of the sunken lane, you will arrive at the Kerbriand road. Turn right and follow the tarmac road. At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead, then cut across the bend and turn right onto the gravel lane.

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 follow on the right. Almost immediately afterwards, turn right behind the farmhouse and continue straight ahead. Shortly after passing a farm, you will come to a sort of square in the village of Saint-Laurent.

Go around the farmhouse on the left, take the Plouha road on the left for a few metres, then turn right down towards the Saint-Laurent Chapel.

(5) Walk past the chapel, the fountain and then the wash house, and continue along the sunken lane between the houses. It leads to a tarmac road. Turn left and, at the first bend, go straight on along the stony path (at the entrance to the field, view of Ménez-Bré). Continue along this small path and, after passing a narrow section, look for a small stream.

(6) Turn left into a field just before the stream and follow the willow hedge and the stream. At the other end, after going down the steps, you will arrive at a place called Kermorin. Turn left and immediately, just before the houses, continue right along the grassy path that crosses a wetland.

(7) When you reach the church square, turn left to see the fountain and wash house 30 metres away. At the end of the orchard, there is a table where you can stop for a picnic before returning to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 63 m - Church Square
  2. 1 : km 0.48 - alt. 72 m - On the right just before the houses
  3. 2 : km 1.76 - alt. 76 m - Tarmac road, go straight ahead
  4. 3 : km 3.53 - alt. 74 m - Chapel of Kermaria An Iskuit
  5. 4 : km 4.75 - alt. 94 m - Crossroads for the alternative route
  6. 5 : km 7.56 - alt. 93 m - Saint-Laurent Chapel
  7. 6 : km 8.39 - alt. 80 m - Turn left into the field
  8. 7 : km 9.65 - alt. 60 m - Fountain, wash house, picnic area
  9. S/E : km 9.75 - alt. 63 m - Church Square

Notes

Departure 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 the Chapel of Kermaria (toilets nearby, shelter in the chapel entrance porch. In this case, cross the main road and join the small path.

(4) Shorter alternative: at this intersection, turn right, walk along the woods and continue straight ahead until you reach the Saint-Laurent Chapel (5), where you can rejoin the main route.

Worth a visit

At (3), cross the main road and admire the seigneurial chapel of Kermaria An Iskuit (13th and 15th centuries). It is usually open in summer. Ask at the Plouha tourist office for more information.
Inside, you can admire a fresco depicting the Danse Macabre.
Follow this link to watch a short video describing the chapel and the meaning 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...

In (5) the Saint-Laurent Chapel from the 16th and 17th centuries. Adjacent to the chapel, you will find the wash house and the fountain, which has been restored. The water from this fountain is said to be beneficial for the eyes. Inside, there are beautiful statues of Saint Laurent, Saint Yves, Saint Anne, Saint Margaret and Saint Francis of Assisi.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
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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dahuette
dahuette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant walk through the woods, with a beautiful chapel to discover, as well as wash houses and fountains. The route is very well signposted.

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daniel1958
daniel1958

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

the chapel was open on the day of our hike. Superb to see

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LE BRAS François
LE BRAS François

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We visited the chapel of KERMARIA AN ISKUIT and were fortunate enough to meet the person who looks after it (very friendly and helpful), who explained the history of the chapel to us (very interesting).
The paths were very wet in places (normal given the current weather), but it was a very pleasant walk.
Be careful with the signs (yellow markings) as they do not necessarily correspond to the hike.

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