GR^® de Pays des Portes de Cornouaille

Your walk along the GR^® de Pays des Portes de Cornouaille begins in Clohars-Carnoët, past the intriguing Roche-Percée beach. On the way to Quimperlé, you will cross the Toulfoën national forest, which houses some truly impressive trees, some of which are hundreds of years old. You are now at the confluence of the Isole and Ellé rivers, in Quimperlé, an ancient medieval town where you can spend time getting happily lost in its narrow streets. 

Passing through fields, you reach Le Trévoux, Bannalec and then Rosporden, nicknamed ‘the town of ponds’. Then head for the coast and the magnificent walled town of Concarneau. From the headland of Cabellou to Trévignon, you’ll follow the coastal path before heading up the River Aven to the famous city of painters: Pont-Aven. Throughout the various waterways of Belon, Brigneau and Merrien, you can contemplate soothing landscapes punctuated by the interplay of fresh and salt water before returning to your starting point.

In the heart of the city of painters, you’ll find an extraordinary fine-arts museum, the Musée de Pont-Aven. Awarded the Musée de France label, this centre is an educational, entertaining visit for all the family. Around 200 paintings and artistic works on paper teach visitors the aesthetics of the famous ‘Pont-Aven School’ of art, characterised by flat areas of pure colour and circles outlining simplified shapes. Multimedia displays for all ages help visitors to understand how Pont-Aven must have buzzed with creative and artistic energy in the late 1800s, thanks to Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, Paul Sérusier and Maurice Denis. Temporary exhibitions are held regularly throughout the year.