Saint-Gilles-Vieux-Marché: Routes, Ponds and Heritage

If you’re looking for a hotel in Saint-Gilles-Vieux-Marché, your travel interests can help narrow down the options: hiking routes, ponds, historic buildings or the annual Pardon de Saint Gilles. The municipality has numerous routes to explore on foot, by mountain bike or on horseback. There are also bodies of water with different features, as well as historic sites and buildings whose stories span from prehistoric times to the 19th century. When planning your trip, you can decide whether to focus on a particular route, cultural sites or an event date.

Routes and ponds

Le Tour des étangs offers a specific point of reference among the available routes: it is 7.9 kilometres long, rated as moderate and estimated to take two hours. This lets you consider the distance, difficulty and time required for this route together. The duration is only a guideline; conditions and trail markers may change. The route starts at the car park by the church; this start-point information may also change. Check the latest route information before setting out.

The two ponds also offer different features. Etang de Poulancre covers seven hectares, and fishing there is managed by the fishing association. If you plan to fish, check the conditions locally. Etang de la Martyre is a water reservoir built in the Middle Ages as a pike reservoir. So, Poulancre is notable for its size and fishing management, while la Martyre is notable for the reservoir’s history and purpose.

Traces of local history

The menhir at Les Champs de Callac dates from the Neolithic period and has been classified as a historic monument since 26 February 1974. It is privately owned; check whether a visit is possible before attempting to access the site.

The Église Saint-Gilles was rebuilt between 1894 and 1896. It houses old statues as well as modern stained-glass windows depicting Saint Gildas and Saint Yves. The Fontaine de St Gilles Vieux Marché was built from granite and slate; it was probably constructed at the same time as the former church, in 1585. The Chapelle Saint-Yves was almost entirely rebuilt in the 18th century and houses a significant 18th-century altarpiece. The dates thus range from the Neolithic menhir to the Fontaine, probably built in 1585, and the chapel and church rebuilds in the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively.

Pardon de Saint Gilles

The annual Pardon de Saint Gilles takes place on a changing date: either the last Sunday in August or the first Sunday in September. As the exact Sunday varies from year to year, check the date for your travel year if you plan to attend. The Pardon includes a communal meal; menus and arrangements vary. The 2025 edition featured a musical meal followed by a traditional auction. This describes the 2025 edition; future programmes may differ.

For an overview of the wider destination: Côtes-d’Armor.