The Moustoir Route

Starting from Châteauneuf-du-Faou, the route follows the Nantes-Brest Canal and sunken lanes.

Details

54569
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.97 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 181 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 181 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 127 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 38 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure: Pen ar Pont, next to the Pont du Roy bridge.
Mostly green markings +GR®38.

(S/E) After crossing the Pont Du Roy (17th century), turn right and continue along the Quai Jean Guivarc'h

(1) Leave the towpath on your right and follow Rue de Bizernic. At the pumping station, turn left towards Kervaëz. Enjoy the view of Châteauneuf-du-Faou. Continue to the next road and turn right opposite a farm.

(2) Go straight down a small road, which then continues along a grassy path leading to Coz Foënnec.

(3) Turn left, then take the first road on the right towards Kernéatret to reach the towpath.

(4) Turn left and continue to the Moustoir lock, following the Aulne river.

(5) Just before the lock keeper's house, look for a path on the left that leads into the woods and gradually climbs to join a small road at Kerroz.

(6) Turn left and continue climbing to reach the Moustoir Chapel via the path on the right. The chapel is open every Sunday and every day during school holidays.

(7) Continue climbing, then take the wide grassy path on the left that runs alongside a pine plantation. This is theGR®38. Pass Guenbleuniou and join the road at Kerven.

(8) Turn left onto a sunken path that descends straight down to a road. Turn left and continue towards Pontadic. Pass the water treatment plant on your right and continue until you reach Rue de La Libération.

(9) Cross the road and turn left towards the Notre Dame des Portes Chapel. Turn right, then left onto a footpath that leads to the Pont du Roy bridge. All you have to do now is cross the bridge to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 47 m - Pen ar Pont car park - Aulne (fleuve)
  2. 1 : km 0.31 - alt. 40 m - On the left, Rue de Kerzenic
  3. 2 : km 1.59 - alt. 125 m - Fork in the road. Livestock farm opposite.
  4. 3 : km 3.08 - alt. 47 m - Coz Foënnec
  5. 4 : km 3.71 - alt. 42 m - Junction with the towpath
  6. 5 : km 5.86 - alt. 43 m - Lock keeper's house.
  7. 6 : km 6.36 - alt. 68 m - Kerroz
  8. 7 : km 7.32 - alt. 113 m - GR38 fork
  9. 8 : km 8.43 - alt. 113 m - Sunken lane after Kerven
  10. 9 : km 9.42 - alt. 87 m - Intersection with Rue de la Libération.
  11. S/E : km 9.97 - alt. 47 m - Pen ar Pont car park

Notes

Moustoir lock: Along the route, views of the old slate quarries of Saint-Goazec.

Worth a visit

Moustoir Chapel

Visit Châteauneuf-du-Faou. Perched on a rocky outcrop, the town overlooks one of the most beautiful meanders of the Aulne river in the heart of Finistère.

Notre Dame des Portes Chapel. One of the largest in Brittany, the Notre Dame des Portes pardon is celebrated on the penultimate Sunday in August and lasts for three days.

The discovery route of the painter Paul Sérusier, a disciple of Paul Gauguin (approximately 1.5 hours) http://www.chateauneuf-du-faou.com/page....

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.2 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
BADADEI
BADADEI

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A varied and easy route, with a little tarmac but necessary to connect the interesting sections. One pitfall to avoid (which I didn't, as I was captivated by the lock) is at point 5, where the GR trail leaves the towpath and branches off to the left before the small car park located before the lock keeper's house. Do not go as far as the house.

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Roger Flao
Roger Flao

Thank you for your comment, and for visiting this route... Best regards.

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catherineQr
catherineQr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A varied route with a beautiful spot to stop at the Moustoir chapel after a climb....

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FredoS
FredoS

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, alternating between woodland, grassy paths, towpaths and tarmac roads. Very beautiful scenery. Slightly challenging at the start and end of the route with some steep climbs.
A stop and a visit to the chapel at Le Moustoir are a must!

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Pierre isa
Pierre isa

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful morning, a little chilly at first but by late morning
the sun came out*
A lovely walk
St Ruellin Chapel is magnificent, a pity that it is closed at this time of year

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Roger Flao
Roger Flao
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Thank you for this beautiful hike.... The route followed on the GPS was very reliable!!!
One small downside: the Pont du Roy bridge is no longer accessible, so you have to take a detour via the nearby bridge...
No problem after the St Ruellin du Moustoir chapel, the path is easily accessible.

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Blacaïn
Blacaïn

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike between the Nantes-Brest canal, woods and countryside. The views are splendid and a short break at the Moustoir chapel is a must!
I do wonder, however, about the practicability of the path between the canal and the chapel in winter or in rainy weather.

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PENARVOAS
PENARVOAS

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

The local council has marked this route in the opposite direction to that indicated on Visorando. This may be a little confusing for beginners.
The GR is not marked in the woods above the lock, so we hesitated at the stream whether to go up into the woods or follow the alder tree.

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chtidu29
chtidu29

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A must-do for anyone in the area who wants to explore the Nantes-Brest stream, the town of Châteauneuf and the Château de Trevarez. Otherwise, the signage is fine. Best regards.

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domlan
domlan

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Nice walk, but the route has probably changed in the woods above the lock, as I couldn't find the passage shown on the map.
Alternating between undergrowth and towpath.
Too many tarmac sections for my liking.
Beautiful views of Chateauneuf.
Thank you.

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gypsi29
gypsi29

You're absolutely right, we didn't study the route properly, but never mind, at the same time the weather was so nice that we got some fresh air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Josie

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Hello,
I don't understand your comment.
If you had read the information (introduction, description, and map), you would have seen that the aim of this route was not to follow the Aulne river along the entire route.
To do that, you just need to follow the towpath or counter-towpath.
If that's the type of route you're looking for, I can suggest this one: https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-le-lo...

Best regards
FLOCH

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gypsi29
gypsi29

Hello, we did the route on 1 December and didn't like it. Too many sunken paths, not enough of the Aulne river. Wouldn't recommend it, which is a shame... THE BANKS OF THE AULNE ARE SO BEAUTIFUL.

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FLOCH
FLOCH ★

Thank you for your comment.
The description of this route is a little outdated.
Your comments will help me refine my description.

All the best on Visorando

FLOCH (Moderator)

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abaussan56
abaussan56

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A good route, but the description is not always very clear, especially at the start after the old bridge. It should be pointed out that you should not follow the towpath. Further on, on the way up to the Moustoir chapel, there are several paths without signposts. In any case, it's a lovely walk in beautiful surroundings.

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