Kersaint: Chapel, Pilgrimage History and Hiking Trails

Chapel, pilgrimage history, hiking trails and remnants of the former railway shape Kersaint’s varied themes. For planning your trip, two things are especially useful: the opening hours of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours Chapel and two circular hiking trails with different distances and durations. The castle, spring and coastal cove each add their own character.

Chapel and Pilgrimage History

Notre-Dame de Bon Secours Chapel is in Kersaint, near the GR 34. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Palm Sunday to All Saints’ Day and during the Christmas holidays; at other times, it is open on Sundays. Check the seasonal opening hours before your trip.

The present-day chapel was built between the 15th and 16th centuries and became a collegiate church in 1518. Three stained-glass windows by Léon Payan date from 1901. The Maison des Chanoines is also part of the site’s history: it was built between 1550 and 1560 for a community of six canons, founded in 1518 to care for the chapel. The building’s history and the community associated with the chapel can thus be traced through several different dates.

For centuries, the sanctuary of Kersaint was an important center of popular devotion, attracting pilgrims from across the region. Particularly important occasions included the Pardons for the Assumption of Mary, Trinity and Ascension. If you would like to plan your trip around a Pardon, check the dates in advance. In summer, the Cycle Musical de la Chapelle de Kersaint-Landunvez organizes five or six concerts; it is also worth checking the dates for this series.

Hiking Trails and Railway Heritage

The Circuit de Trémazan is a 12-kilometer circular hiking trail that takes three hours. It starts at Kersaint Chapel and follows the former railway line to Argenton. The return route follows the GR 34 along the coast from Penfoul to Trémazan and Kersaint. A shorter option is the Ballade à Kersaint, an easy 5.5-kilometer circular hiking trail. The difference is clear when choosing between them: the Circuit has a stated distance and duration, while the Ballade is shorter and rated easy.

The Viaduc de Kersaint is another remnant of the area’s railway history. Built from local granite, it has five arches and rises 12 meters above the River Kersaint. The former railway line at the viaduct is now a road used by cyclists and walkers. Around the viaduct, you can see both the structure itself and how the former railway line is used today.

Castle, Spring and Coast

The Château de Trémazan in Kersaint is a fortified castle that is now in ruins. Entry is expressly prohibited due to private ownership and the risk of falling stones. Observe the no-entry notice and on-site signs. An illustrated information board stands right by the parking area.

The Sainte-Haude spring is a developed spring in a wooded setting, far from residential buildings. Its features include a basin, a simple washhouse and a reused Gallic stele. To reach it, park 300 meters before the end of the paved road and continue on foot; 200 meters farther on, turn onto the path to the spring. The path may be muddy when it rains.

At high tide, Plage du Château is a small, sheltered cove near the village of Kersaint. It adds a coastal landscape to the area’s varied attractions. Kersaint’s sacred architecture, pilgrimage tradition, hiking trails and railway heritage thus meet the nearby coastal landscape.

For the broader travel overview: Landunvez.