GR® de Pays des Monts d’Arrée
The mountains of Finistère
Go up in the world and walk the mountains of Brittany! This 240-km loop in the Armorique Regional Nature Park plunges you into the Breton highlands. And away you go, marvelling at the breathtaking beauty of these vast open landscapes.
On the heights of Brittany
The GR® de Pays des Monts d’Arrée is a path through the Arrée Mountains, giving you the chance to hike in a real mountain setting. You’ll enjoy a wide variety of landscapes from rocky ridges and peat bogs to farmland bordered by hedges, forests, rivers and lakes. You’ll also be walking through France’s largest expanse of Atlantic moorland. The route takes you to the highest points in Brittany including the beautiful Montagne Saint-Michel, with its breathtaking natural landscapes!
A unique heritage
During your walk, you will pass through several rural villages and hamlets, where most of the traditional buildings and architectural monuments are made from local granite and schist. The Abbaye du Relec is a former Cistercian abbey classed as a Historic Monument, a place of real tranquillity that is well worth visiting. This route, particularly the northern section, takes you through the land of ‘enclos paroissiaux’, parish churches and their churchyards that are famous for their flamboyant architecture. Mostly built in the 1500s and 1600s, these impressive structures were funded by the wealth of the local flax trade and can be found in several towns and villages along the route, including Saint-Thégonnec, Guimiliau, Lampaul-Guimiliau and Sizun. They are open to visitors all year round.
Landscapes steeped in legend
To walk in Arrée Mountains is to be bewitched by its mystical landscapes and local legends. In Huelgoat Forest you’ll see huge moss-covered boulders scattered as if thrown by giants, a silver river and a backdrop fit for fairies, so you can let your imagination run wild! Venture to Brennilis lake, in the middle of peat bogs and wet moorland, sometimes shrouded in mist, and you’ll be amazed by this striking landscape. Beware: according to the legend told by Anatole le Braz, this was where any evil souls that haunted the living were cast into hell.
Plan your trip along the Arrée Mountains GR® path
MaRando®, the official app from the French Hiking Federation (FFR), is the best way to plan your route.
Can we help?
The Tourist Office can also help you to prepare your route before you set off, and once you’re here, feel free to drop in for information and a warm welcome:
You’re also in the Parc naturel régional d’Armorique:
