The Guelhouit Route

(S/E) From the car park, turn left towards the church, then turn right onto Rue du Guelhouit. Continue for about 500 metres until you reach the hamlet of Talroc’h.

(1) Turn left onto the small path leading to the Saint-Isidore wayside shrine. The Cabedoche brothers, stonemasons and sculptors from Talroc’h, created this work in 1821. At the junction, turn left, go round two bends and head right to follow the path, which soon leads to a first crossroads.

(2) Carry on straight ahead, then take a path on the left to follow a circular route leading to Boterff.

(3) Before you reach the houses, take a path on the right. At the Fork in the road, turn left to come out onto a small road; follow this to the left until you reach a T-junction.

(5) Take the sharp right-hand bend to enter the Bois de Boterff via a footpath: beech, oak and chestnut trees share this woodland with conifers (pine, Scots pine, spruce, etc.). At the Fork in the road, keep to the right, then head down the road to the left.

(6) Turn right. Keep left at the next two junctions to reach the Moulin de Poul.

(6) Once you’ve passed the old mill, cross the bridge over a diversion of the Sarre dating from the Ancien Régime: its timber-framed deck rests on granite rubble. Follow the path as it winds through the meadows, cross the small road and continue straight ahead. Then stay on the path on the right, which, after a short climb, leads you to the neighbouring hillside, from where you can look out over the Saar Valley. Designated a Natura 2000 site, this valley is home to 15 species of European importance, notably the European otter and the Atlantic salmon. Return to the road you crossed earlier.

(7) Turn right. Then turn left to cross the Sarre and head back up to a road. Follow this road to the left to reach the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Guelhouit. Built in 1683 on the site of a former sanctuary, the chapel is dedicated to Saint Isidore and Our Lady. The annual pilgrimage features a grand open-air mass. Listed as a historic monument since 2003, the site is set in lush greenery.

(8) Walk past the chapel, take the tree-lined path to the right behind the fountain, then head left to return to the junction you passed on the way out.

(2) Turn left to return to Talroc’h, where you can take a short detour to the left before rejoining the original path.

(1) Carry straight on to reach Melrand church, then head left to return to the car park (S/E).

Car park, shops and restaurants at the start of the walk.

(1) Saint-Isidore Calvary

Located in the hamlet of Talroc’h, the Calvary was erected in 1821 (the date is inscribed on the plinth). It is the work of the Cabedoche brothers, masons and sculptors, as evidenced by the inscription engraved on the reverse. The calvary is dedicated to Saint Isidore, patron saint of labourers, and was erected on the initiative of Joachim Ezannic on his land in Talroc’h. It stands on the procession route leading to the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Guelhouit.

(6) Poul Mill

The Poul flour mill, known as ‘Milin Poul’, was built on a diversion of the River Sarre in 1848; it is now partially in ruins.

(8) Notre-Dame du Guelhouit Chapel

The chapel was built in 1683 (the date inscribed on the west façade), on the site of a former sanctuary dedicated to Notre-Dame du Guelhouit (Notre-Dame de l’Ermitage des Bois). Both Our Lady and Saint Isidore are venerated there, although the latter’s patronage appears to have been predominant. The pilgrimages held in honour of Mary and Saint Isidore were very well attended in the^19th century.
As the chapel had become too small to accommodate the influx of pilgrims, Father Constant Daniel had an open-air sanctuary, known as a ‘scala santa’, built in 1885. The architect Lucien Douillard landscaped the hillside into several terraces accessed by steps and dominated by an oratory flanked by two devotional fountains, one dedicated to the Virgin Mary and the other to Saint Isidore.

The Sarre

The River Sarre flows through the commune of Melrand, forming a natural valley rich in biodiversity. It is home to remarkable species such as brown trout, Atlantic salmon, the European otter and numerous aquatic insects. Its wooded banks and wetlands provide a valuable habitat for local flora and fauna. The river is protected under the Natura 2000 scheme, which aims to preserve these sensitive natural habitats.