Route of the old paths in Lopérec

On leaving the village, park near Saint-Pérec Church.

(S/E) Head towards Brasparts via the D121, passing the grocery shop and then the cemetery. Shortly afterwards, turn left in front of the last houses in the village. The path leads onto a quiet, tree-lined country road.

(1) Turn left and follow the road to Draounen.

(2) Turn left towards Coat Santélan. A sunken lane, much like those that once criss-crossed the countryside, gives the impression of stepping back in time. You’ll come to a crossroads.

(3) Turn left and continue to the junction with the D21. Turn left onto this road and carry on to the Kervez crossroads.

(4) Take the road on the right. Shortly after the old school, turn left and head down towards the Bois du Dalguern. Follow a sunken track, once used by schoolchildren and by all those who attended the fairs at Brasparts, Sizun and Hanvec.

(5) At the first junction, keep left and at the second, turn right to head back up towards Spernéger.

(6) At the end of the track, turn left onto the tarmac road to cross the Spernéger farm and continue on to Breuil Braz.

(7) At the crossroads in Breuil Braz, follow the signposts and turn left onto a track leading up towards the Crével hills. This woodland track was once an important route.

(8) Once at the top, head up to the right. Pass by the site of a vanished village called Rome. The site overlooks the Cranou State Forest, whose oak trees were used to build the King’s ships at the port of Brest. From the ridge of the path, there is a sweeping panorama to the south of the department: the Aulne valley, the expanse of the Monts d’Arrée and the Montagnes Noires, with their iconic peaks – Montagne Saint-Michel on one side and Ménez Hom on the other.
(Off the route: before the D21, 700 m to the right, the ruined church of the Old Village of Quimerc’h, abandoned in the late 19th century; on the D21, 250 m to the left, a viewpoint).

(9) Cross the D21 and take the Route de Kerguelfen opposite. About 150 metres after the water tower, turn left onto a sunken lane leading to Guern Ar Born. After the village, continue straight on to reach Kroaz Kervinic.

(10) Cross at the junction and take the village road opposite to return to the village of Lopérec, passing near the Saint-Pérec Fountain (S/E).

County roads: take care when crossing and walking along them.
Lopérec has been awarded the ‘Communes du Patrimoine Rural de Bretagne’ (Brittany Rural Heritage Towns) label.

Park an Dour i lin (field of water for flax)
You’ll be walking alongside a site with a history closely linked to water.
There is also a wash house and a fountain here. In the past, flax and hemp from the local area or Haut-Léon were retted here. This involved keeping the flax and hemp stalks – stripped of their leaves and seeds – just below the surface of the water, in order to dissolve the pectin that binds the fibres to the wood.

The village of Lopérec
Many of the village’s buildings were once occupied by traders and craftsmen catering to the needs of the local population: bakers, tobacconists, grocers, haberdashers, saddlers, wheelwrights, clockmakers…
As part of the regeneration of the present-day village, many of these old buildings have been renovated by the local council and are now used as shops, homes, and community and voluntary organisation halls.

Saint-Pérec Church and Calvary
Saint-Pérec Fountain