Colpo: Napoleonic history and megaliths

Colpo is a stop on the European Cultural Route “Destination Napoléon,” which was recognised by the Council of Europe in 2015. At the same time, the municipality’s themes are shaped by its Napoleonic founding history, historic buildings, and hiking trails. When looking for a hotel in Colpo, you might consider whether your main interests are cultural history, megalithic sites, or landscapes and hiking.

Napoleonic history in the town centre

An interpretive walking tour through the town centre introduces the stages and buildings associated with the town’s Napoleonic founding history. The “Espace Napoleone” association offers guided tours about Colpo’s Napoleonic heritage; check whether tours are available before your trip.

Colpo’s status as a stop links it to the cultural route, while the walking tour focuses on stages and buildings in the town centre. The European route and the local founding history thus offer two distinct perspectives on Napoleonic heritage.

Chapel and megalithic sites

The Notre-Dame de Kerdroguen Chapel dates back to the 16th century and has been listed as a “Monument historique” since 1946. It contains an altarpiece and two remarkable polychrome wooden statues. Polychrome means multicoloured and describes the decoration of the two wooden statues here.

The Larcuste site consists of two cairns, one of which contains two passage graves. A cairn is a mound of stones; a passage grave is a dolmen structure with an entrance passage. Only one capstone remains at the Kerjagu covered walkway. Abbé Le Méné excavated it in 1884. Colpo’s different types of megalithic structures are thus linked to a specific historical detail about the excavation at Kerjagu.

Landscape and hiking trails

The landscape around Colpo in the Landes de Lanvaux combines gentle granite-based elevations with bocage hedgerows, forests, and rivers. These features give the natural environment several facets: the landscape described includes not only wooded areas but also hedgerows, waterways, and gentle hills.

The GR38 long-distance trail is one of the hiking trails in Colpo. Bois Chohan can be explored via marked trails and is protected under a European directive on habitat conservation. The forest is privately owned; check trail conditions locally. The undergrowth in the Chohan and Treulan forests can also be explored via hiking trails. For planning purposes, the named long-distance trail and the trails through forested areas represent different ways to enjoy nature.

Plan your journey

There are numerous daily public transport services by road from Colpo to Vannes and Saint-Brieuc. The bus station is on Place Villa Vicentina. Check routes and the scope of each service before your trip to make sure your travel plans match the connections available.

Discover more destinations: Pluherlin, Monteneuf, Saint-Caradec-Trégomel, Meslan, Crach, Le Courégant, Plescop, Questembert.

See the wider travel overview: Morbihan.