Guilers walks

The Keroual woods and their manor house are a veritable green oasis just on the outskirts of Brest. You’ll feel as though you’re in a forest and can enjoy the tranquillity of the surroundings whilst taking in the varied flora and fauna. Streams and ponds add variety to the landscape. This walk takes you round the woods, but there are plenty of alternative routes to explore the area in greater depth or extend your walk.

A countryside walk between Plouzané and Guilers, offering the chance to discover the sunken paths and charming landscapes of this little corner of Brittany.

Circular route around Saint-Renan and Locmaria, Lake Ty Colo and Lake Pontavennec, the Source de l’Ildut in a marshy area rich in biodiversity, its rolling countryside and its woods.

A route around the Cavale Blanche – a neighbourhood that could just as easily have been called the Cavale Verte, given how green this area, built in the late 1970s, is.

The bed of the Penfeld, Brest’s iconic river, was long used by the navy to store tree trunks between piles for use by shipwrights. Since the 1980s, this part of the river and its banks bordering the western edge of the Bellevue district have been transformed into a park open to the public, featuring a navigable stretch of water for kayaks. These banks offer an easy and pleasant route, mostly in the shade.

As the song by the famous Brest band Matmatah goes, “if you enjoy walking, why not come and have a wander around Lambé?”. Here’s a walk to help you discover this neighbourhood of Brest and the Spernot valley. Although this walk is largely urban, make sure you wear suitable footwear as some paths may be damp. This walk is not signposted; do not rely on any signposting you may come across.

Route exploring part of the Brest Arsenal’s site along the River Penfeld. The route takes in Rue de Saint-Malo, the only street to have escaped Allied bombing during the Second World War, as well as the Capucins plateau, a new neighbourhood since its handover by the navy.

This walk follows the coastal path from the hamlet of Maison Blanche in Brest to Porsmilin Beach in the commune of Locmaria Plouzané. It offers views of Brest harbour and its narrow strait, with a view of the Crozon Peninsula on the other side of the harbour.

An easy, flat walk around the three lakes in Saint-Renan. There is also a slight detour through the medieval town centre of Saint-Renan. These lakes are artificial. Previously, there were tin quarries here. In the 1960s, these were gradually converted into lakes. Lake Ty Colo is home to water sports activities such as a wakeboarding centre. The town of Saint-Renan is an important medieval town. The town centre still bears traces of this.

How to combine a visit to Brest with a beautiful walk: this walk takes you through the city centre neighbourhoods, the main streets, monuments and churches, the train station and the town hall. Start in the Recouvrance neighbourhood, then take Rue Vauban towards the Plateau des Capucins. Cross the Plateau des Capucins. Join and follow the Pont de l'Harteloire. Head towards Place Albert 1er, where you turn towards Saint-Martin. Join Rue de Richelieu to cross the Pont du Forestou bridge. Head towards Chemin du Merle Blanc before reaching the train station, then Brest Town Hall and walk up Rue Jean Jaurès to return to Saint-Louis Church. Cross Rue de Siam to reach Cours Dajot before reaching the Maritime Prefecture, Pont de Recouvrance and then the Tanguy Tower. Pass La Porte Jean Bart, then the Maison de la Fontaine before passing through the Jardin des Explorateurs to complete the loop.

Let’s explore the Brest Arsenal, deeply sunken around the River Penfeld, the ramparts hidden in the woods, and several vantage points overlooking the city and the harbour. The saying goes that Brest was completely razed to the ground during the Second World War… that’s not true: ‘only’ 80 per cent of it was. This route takes you on a journey to discover part of the remaining 20 per cent (towers, gates, ramparts, a few old streets and houses).

A peaceful walk around the communal lake in Bourg-Blanc.These former meadows were used for tin mining by the Société Comiren (Compagnie Minière Rennanaise).Since mining ceased, a 6-hectare lake has been developed as a place for walking and relaxation, not to mention fishing for enthusiasts.

As well as its much-loved seaside, Locmaria-Plouzané boasts a countryside rich in heritage: manor houses and various wayside crosses lining the small roads and paths. Let’s not forget the Chapel of Saint Sebastian, whose history is linked to the plague epidemic that ravaged the parish in 1640.

After travelling through the countryside on hilly, shaded roads, full of flowers in spring, enjoying beautiful views of the sea and the Crozon peninsula, you will descend to the wild, authentic coastal path...

From the Pointe du Petit Minou, the coastal path along the top of the cliff overlooks the rocky coastline, dotted with a few sandy coves. Further on, towards Anse de Bertheaume, several small beaches are popular with bathers in the summer months.Along this stretch of coastline, a few remains of the Brest strait defences serve as a reminder of the strategic importance of this area.The return journey, via small country roads and paths, will take you past the site of Lesconvel, a beautiful ruin.

Route combining exploration of the hinterland with a visit to the Lesconvel site, comprising a manor house, a small ruined chapel, a cottage with its bread oven, and a pond (a former fishpond).The return journey follows theGR®®34coastal path, which passes through the imposing gun batteries – remnants of the Second World War built to control the entrance to the Brest strait – and ends opposite the Pointe du Petit Minou and its lighthouse.

A walk along theGR®34coastal path: wild, unspoilt and undulating, alternating between rocky headlands and sandy beaches.