"Hent ar Gurun" route and canal bank

A hilly route through the countryside with beautiful views of the Montagnes Noires.
Passage on the towpath of the stream-to-Brest canal.

NB: I have been informed of difficulties between (10) and (11) (see notice from May 2025). In this case, take the shortcut indicated in the practical information section.

Details

44151
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.77 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 178 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 179 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 184 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 44 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Saint-Goazec: "Hent ar Gurun" route and canal bank.
Yellow markings (renewed and relatively present with directional signs)
Starting point: Church square.

(S/E) With your back to the car park, walk down past the cemetery to Route de Kerbrat.

(1) Turn right then left towards the paper mill and continue along a sunken path to Quillien or Killien. Note the old stone houses, which are now abandoned.

(2) Go up to the right to the D41 Saint-Goazec - Roudoualec road.

(3) Turn left and follow this road for about 500 metres.

(4) Turn left at the first road, follow it and turn left onto a sunken lane (signposted).

(5) Continue straight ahead, cross the local road and take the dirt track opposite.

(6) You are now on "Hent ar Gurun" (Thunder Path), which you will follow for about 2 km (do not continue towards Prat Trévily, but turn left instead).

(7) Continue along this path, which turns right and leads to the D117 after passing alongside meadows.

(8) Turn left, then left again towards Kermorvan, Pont Mine, leaving the road leading to Kermorvan and then Gwennangoc on your left.

(9) Turn right to follow the road that leads to the Voaquer lock.

No signposts

(10) Before the bridge, on your left, admire the Moulin du Pré (a mill that became the Moulin Seigneurial de Trévarez in the 17th century). At the entrance to the bridge, go down the steps on the left to reach the towpath, which you follow to the next lock: Écluse du Moustoir. (You can walk a few metres along the bridge to get a view of the Voaquer lock).

(11) Leave the canal and climb up to Kreïz Ker via a wide, steep stone path, then continue along the road where the slope levels out to climb back up to the village of Saint-Goazec and return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 117 m - Parking: Church square
  2. 1 : km 0.37 - alt. 75 m - Road junction
  3. 2 : km 1.44 - alt. 128 m - Road junction
  4. 3 : km 1.76 - alt. 161 m - D41 on the left
  5. 4 : km 2.53 - alt. 184 m - Small road on the left
  6. 5 : km 3.14 - alt. 178 m - On the left, take the sunken lane
  7. 6 : km 3.78 - alt. 146 m - Hent ar Gurun
  8. 7 : km 4.46 - alt. 91 m - Turn left at a right angle
  9. 8 : km 5.53 - alt. 80 m - Turn left onto the D117.
  10. 9 : km 6.3 - alt. 59 m - Turn right towards the Voaquer lock.
  11. 10 : km 6.77 - alt. 49 m - Stairs on the left
  12. 11 : km 8.61 - alt. 44 m - Opposite the Moustoir lock.
  13. S/E : km 10.77 - alt. 117 m - Parking: Church square

Notes

Toilets at the start at the bottom of the church just before the town hall and the post office.
School bus shelter can be used in case of bad weather.

The start of the towpath has been partially damaged by maintenance work, but it is still passable without too much difficulty (May 2015)

Just before (10), there is a shortcut: take the road on the left and, at the crossroads near a transformer, turn left to climb back up to the village of Saint-Goazec: a route of approximately 8.5 km.

Worth a visit

Beautiful, impressive sunken paths such as "Hent ar Gurun", the path of thunder.

In the neighbouring commune of Laz, the Château de Trévarez:

Nicknamed the "Red Castle" or the "Pink Castle". A must-see site in central Finistère, the Domaine de Trévarez, built at the end of the 19th century, charms visitors with its Belle Époque castle, currently undergoing restoration, and its sumptuous outbuildings set in the heart of an 85-hectare forest and floral park.

Labelled a Remarkable Garden, the estate is renowned for the beauty of its collections of camellias, rhododendrons and hydrangeas, offering visitors a display of flowers throughout the seasons. Flower festivals, exhibitions and various events punctuate the life of the estate throughout the year. In the heart of an 85-hectare park, the Château de Trévarez, now recognised as a "20th Century Heritage Site", has dominated the Aulne valley for over a century. It bears witness to the dream of one man, the politician James de Kerjégu, who in 1893 undertook the construction of a prestigious, state-of-the-art residence in the hectic context of the Belle Époque.

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for your feedback
We apologise for this situation.
This area must not have been cleared since the last storm.
I will specify this in my description.

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Christian 1234
Christian 1234
• Edited:

I will remember this hike for a long time... Everything was going pretty well until point 10, then the horror from 10 to 11, with grass up to my chest, uprooted trees, one of which had fallen across the trail with all its branches in the middle, forcing me to crawl to get through. I left a calf there.
I strongly advise against this hike.

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CanyonMan
CanyonMan
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route with the panoramic view at the start (after the climb), the sunken paths and the section along the canal.

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Claude-Meignen
Claude-Meignen

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Two very different sections: DA-8-9-10: not very interesting and boring (canal banks, roads, streets, etc.)
On the other hand, the circular from 1 to 8 is very interesting and natural. Herds of cows have ploughed up some sections of the trails, but it's not a big deal! A little drizzle and the smell of manure: we're definitely in Brittany! We made a mistake at 6: we missed the road on the left! Instead of turning back, we decided to join the GR38 via Trevili Izella to go to the Gwaker lock. (We parked at this lock because the Gwaker bridge is a footbridge and our van couldn't fit under it!)

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Cat29
Cat29

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike along sunken paths and along the canal.
Some areas were slippery and very muddy before point 7 (path used by cows).
Nice to do in autumn, but also worth discovering in summer.

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FredoS
FredoS

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike alternating between woodland, hillsides and quiet country lanes.
The duration is closer to 3 hours than 3 hours 40 minutes.
Top

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jfhbt
jfhbt

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 12, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

very nice route!
perfect explanations...
i recommend it

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bruyère1959
bruyère1959

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 04, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very pleasant walk: particularly the sunken paths and towpath.

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gerard.auffret
gerard.auffret

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

a very beautiful parish-specific to Brittany hike without too many difficulties

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foyer laique
foyer laique

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike even in the rain – very well marked

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foyer laique
foyer laique

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful route and lovely botanical trail

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sandhi
sandhi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant walk with no particular difficulties.
Recent yellow markings.
A few trees across the paths due to the recent storm.
Perhaps it would be possible to continue along the towpath instead of returning to the village by road? Something to consider for next time.

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goodkind29
goodkind29

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

very pleasant hike. The estimated time to complete the route seems a little long to me, but I didn't encounter any difficulties.
The yellow markings are still clearly visible, as are the wooden signs indicating the route.
Pretty, undulating sunken paths in the countryside and beautiful views of Saint-Goazec and its castle.
The section of the towpath is very pretty, starting with the beautifully renovated Pré mill.

Thank you for these hiking ideas and the detailed descriptions.

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remimi
remimi

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 18, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

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