Merléac: Waterside Paths and Cultural Heritage

When choosing a destination for a stay, Merléac offers the chance to explore waterside paths and architectural history. If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Merléac, this overview can help you match the destination to your travel interests: local highlights range from hiking and cycling to churches and cultural activities.

Waterside Paths and Lac de Bosméléac

In the commune of Merléac, the Rigole d’Hilvern is a greenway for hiking and cycling. It runs from the Barrage de Bosméléac to Le Quillio. The watercourse itself is a 65-kilometre artificial structure that begins at the Oust, at the foot of the Barrage de Bosméléac in Merléac. These two figures describe different things: the 65 kilometres refer to the watercourse, not the length of the greenway.

The Bosméléac dam and its artificial reservoir were created between 1832 and 1838 to supply water to the Canal de Nantes à Brest via the Rigole d’Hilvern. Lac de Bosméléac extends across the territories of Allineuc, Le Bodéo, Merléac and St Martin des Près. Paths created by the Côtes d’Armor département make it possible to take a five-kilometre circuit around part of the reservoir. Conditions can also change along the Rigole and on the paths, so check them before setting out.

Lac de Bosméléac offers a range of activities: it is suitable for fishing, as well as walks, horse rides and mountain biking. On the western part of the lake, known as the Queue du Lac, waterbirds find a wintering and nesting area. These include great crested grebes and coots. The birds use this area seasonally, so nature watching here is tied to the time of year.

Churches and Cultural Discoveries

The parish church of Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul in Merléac was built mainly in the second half of the 17th century. The year 1673 is inscribed on a blocked-up doorway in the south wall of the nave. Side chapels and a baptistery were added in the 18th century. The ground plan also gives the church its distinctive shape: it is laid out as a Latin cross, while the nave has a single aisle.

The Chapelle Saint-Jacques is in the hamlet of Saint-Léon in Merléac and dates from the 14th century; its construction is thought to have begun in the last third of that century. In the following century, it was given exceptional wall paintings, a painted wooden vault and a magnificent main stained-glass window. The chapel can be visited free of charge during the day. As visiting arrangements may change, it is best to check them in advance.

Another way to explore the area is the Balade Numérique de Bosméléac. At its information panels, you can use a QR code to discover old photographs, unique accounts and a story in Gallo. The cultural project’s content may change over time.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Glen, Langourla, Saint-Connan, Vildé-Guingalan, Lescouët-Gouarec, Coatascorn, Trévé, Lanrelas.

See the broader travel overview: Côtes-D’armor.