Saint-Gildas: Hiking Trails and Heritage

Saint-Gildas combines easy circular hikes with reminders of regional history and religious tradition. Two routes provide clear points of comparison for planning: their length, starting point, and main focus. The Circuit du château d'eau passes Le Rozio; the Circuit de la chapelle de Kerdrouallan draws attention to the chapel, the nearby spring, and views across the countryside. A menhir, a monolithic cross, a Roman road, and a pond with castle ruins add to the range of sights.

Hiking on Two Easy Circular Trails

The Circuit du château d'eau is an easy, 10.2-kilometer hiking trail that starts and ends in Saint-Gildas. It is marked with green trail markers from the town hall. Le Rozio, a small spring, is one of the sights along the way.

The Circuit de la chapelle de Kerdrouallan is an easy 10.3-kilometer circular hiking trail starting from the town hall square. It leads to the chapel and its nearby spring; the route also offers views across the countryside. The stated distances differ by just 0.1 kilometers. Your choice therefore depends more on which features appeal to you: a small spring along the way on the Circuit du château d'eau, or the chapel, spring, and countryside on the Circuit de la chapelle. Both trails are rated easy, so you can choose based on the feature that interests you most.

Chapels, Monuments, and History

Notre-Dame de Kerdrouallan offers a destination with a clearly dated architectural history: the chapel was built in the 15th century and enlarged around 1740. Inside are several statues from the 16th and 17th centuries; two large griffins guard the entrance. These details bring together different aspects of a visit—a series of construction phases, sacred furnishings, and a striking feature at the doorway—all at one named site.

The Pardon ritual is also part of the chapel’s history. Its revival accompanied the restoration in the 1990s and included a procession and a stop at the spring. Alongside the dates of the building’s history, there is therefore a religious tradition linked to a specific ritual.

The Menhir de Keranhouët is located at La Grande Lande and has been protected as a historic monument since September 23, 1965. The Croix de Rhundault is considered one of the largest surviving monolithic crosses from the Early Middle Ages in the region. It stands on a former Gallo-Roman road that now forms the municipal boundary between Saint-Gildas and Le Leslay. Near Kernanouet, a Roman road is also among Saint-Gildas’s tourist attractions.

Another Site at the Étang du Quellennec

The Étang du Quellennec, with the castle ruins, is also among Saint-Gildas’s tourist attractions. Unlike the hiking trails and religious buildings, this site centers on a body of water alongside the remains of a castle. It adds another specific place to the selection.

Discover more destinations: Caulnes, Trémorel, Plouguiel, Saint-Martin-Des-Prés, Bréhand, Saint-Launeuc, Plessix-Balisson, Saint-Carreuc.

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