Hikes in Berrien

A landscape like in the times of Asterix and ObelixThe hike leads through a dense forest, showing us how beautiful the landscape must have been in Celtic times before the major clearings in the Roman era. Especially impressive are the distinctive rock formations on the "Silver River".

Varied circular route without special challenges. Mostly in the shade.

Cradle of many Celtic legends, the Huelgoat forest (which means "high wood" in Breton) is especially known for the curiosity and beauty of its rocks: a pile of rounded blocks arranged chaotically, which inspired many stories. The Silver River also winds through it, the domain of the fairies of Huelgoat.

How did these enormous rocks in Huelgoat form? Molten rock from the Earth’s interior rose to just below the Earth’s crust and solidified into rock as it cooled. Erosion eventually exposed the rocks. Some of them remained in place, while others rolled down the slopes and gathered into huge piles and bizarre formations. On this tour, we’ll experience all the top sights of one of the most beautiful regions in central Brittany and enjoy an impressive natural spectacle. We’ll also hear about mysterious myths and centuries-old legends.> From the parking lot—the start and end of the hike—behind the Église Saint-Yves de Huelgoat, built in 1591, we walk to Place Aristide Briand and then turn right down the street toward the lake. Behind the bridge stands the old Moulin du Chaos mill, built in 1339 and the oldest building in Huelgoat. At the crêperie, we turn right onto the path between the massive, moss-covered rocks and reach the Devil’s Cave (La Grotte du Diable), where a slippery iron staircase leads down into the underworld. The trail continues past massive, smooth-worn granite boulders. At the first fork in the trail, we take the path slightly to the left, cross the stream—which now runs underground—and climb the first set of stairs past a small cave. Via a flat-worn rock and steps carved into the cliff, we descend to La Roche Tremblante01 (164 m). The so-called “Trembling Rock” sits on a narrow ridge. If you find the right pressure point—combined with the right frequency—the 100-metric-ton granite boulder will begin to vibrate by 2–3 cm! But where is that spot? On the way back, we head back to the flat-worn rock, but then continue straight ahead, passing a stone bench, walking a short distance parallel to a road, through the houses, until we reach a main road. On this road, we walk 60 m to the right and past the supermarket on the left. Above the path branching off to the right, we reach the 200-metric-ton granite boulder Le Champignon02 (177 m). Not only is there so much granite in one spot, but it also resembles a giant mushroom. We head back to the main road, cross it, and continue along the paved road for another 200 m. Well before a parking lot and just before a picnic bench, we turn left onto an unassuming path. This path runs parallel to a stream. At the first fork in the trail, we take the left path to reach another trail after a short descent. Once again, the trail joins another path; to the left, through the sparse forest, you can make out houses. We walk a short distance along a fence and, where the path becomes difficult to follow, along a moss-covered stone wall. This is an adventurous stretch; we have to go around holly bushes and fallen trees. The trail ends; we head uphill to the right, then turn left at the next intersection and follow the signs for Camp d’Artus. At the picnic bench, we take a sharp right and reach an information board. There, we head half-left, not half-right. Beyond a clearing, we ignore the right and left turnoffs. At another clearing and fork in the trail, we reach the virtual Camp d’Artu03 (220 m). What is this? In 1938, the British archaeologist Wheeler unearthed traces of a fortified Roman settlement. It is also said that the famous legendary figure King Arthur set up camp at this spot. We continue slightly to the left, following the signs toward L’Arquellen. At a bench, a path on the left leads to a beautiful viewpoint. After walking through a 180° hairpin turn, we reach the rock grotto La Grotte d’Artu 04 (159 m). It is said to have once sheltered the Knights of the Round Table on their way to Britannia. Just past the cave, we turn right and reach La Mare aux Sangliers. Well, well! We follow the signs toward L’Arquellen, cross the D769A at the picnic area, cross the road to the right 90 m past a parking lot, and descend the stairs to the next attraction, the Gouffre de la Rivière d’Argent—where the stream plunges from a height of 8 to 10 meters. We continue further downstream. After just a few meters, we can no longer hear the roar of the stream; it has plunged into the underworld, only to reappear 150 meters further on. There we also find the Fairy Pond, La Marre aux Fées05 (128 m). We walk back to the stairs, then cross the bridge to the left—also signposted toward Le Belverde. The path winds steeply uphill; we pass the memorial stone for the archaeologist, La Stèle de Victor Segalen. In May 1919, he died under mysterious circumstances while taking a walk along the Silver River, near the Gouffre de la Rivière d’Argent. This is followed by a steep descent, then, in a 180° switchback, we continue at the same elevation, circling the hill with the memorial stone. We reach a small gorge that leads out through a small side valley. As soon as the trail we’re on merges with another, it is signposted for Huelgoat, 1.5 km away. We then cross the small canal twice via bridges and walk parallel to it. After 80 m, we leave the road to the right onto a trail, now running parallel to the canal again. At the second wooden bridge, we cross the canal and, after a short climb of a few meters, reach the parking lot.

This superb hike takes us through a part of the Huelgoat state forest, filled with myths, legends, and inhabited by lush vegetation. We will discover iconic sites of the forest, including the Artus cave, the Boar and Fairy ponds, as well as some features of the famous granite chaos in the region, by closely approaching the Abyss. We can also marvel at the Trembling Rock and the Mushroom, rocks weighing more than one hundred tons!

From the Trédudon Pass parking to Trédudon-Le-Moine via Trédudon-l'Hôpital

Armorique Regional Natural Park - Huelgoat - Lake Huelgoat - Saint-Yves Church - Silver River - Chaos Mill - Canal - Huelgoat Forest - Trembling Rock - Chaos of the Virgin's Household - Memorial of the Executed - Restidiou Bihan - Restidiou Braz - Parc ar Méen - The Abyss - Victor Ségalen Memorial