Pluméliau: Chapels, Heritage and Walking Routes

Pluméliau combines historic chapels and religious monuments with several walking routes. Practical route details and sights along the way are available to help you plan your trip. The municipality of Pluméliau-Bieuzy also offers a seasonal producers’ market and summer watersports equipment rentals. You can therefore choose different themes for your stay: architectural history, walks or seasonal activities.

Chapels and Architectural History

The Chapelle Saint-Nicodème combines elements of Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance architecture. The chapel and its enclosed grounds have been protected as historic monuments since 26 October 1910. Within the enclosure are two particularly remarkable fountains, considered among the most beautiful in Brittany. The chapel and fountains together form a cultural highlight.

Other chapels also reveal different aspects of architectural history. The Chapelle Notre-Dame in La Ferrière was built in the late 15th or early 16th century. The Chapelle Saint-Nicolas-des-Eaux overlooks the Blavet Valley and was built at the beginning of the 16th century on a Latin-cross floor plan. A long nave and a transept together form the cross shape. The Chapelle Saint-Claude is another stop on the walking route through the village of Saint-Claude; its ruins lie along the route.

The built heritage also includes smaller traces of everyday life and religious devotion. Pluméliau has 26 bread ovens, four of which are incorporated into bakehouses. Six priest’s houses each bear a chalice. There are also 107 decorated fountains. Their motifs mainly feature human faces, as well as depictions of angels’ heads, monstrances or a chalice. These varied features give you more than one architectural focus as you explore the area’s cultural sites.

The Chapelle Saint-Gildas is also located in the municipality of Pluméliau-Bieuzy. According to tradition, one of its features is a ringing stone that Saint Gildas once used to summon his worshippers. The municipal designation matters here: the chapel is associated with the Pluméliau-Bieuzy area.

Walking Routes and Sights Along the Way

The Circuit des Étangs starts at the pond car park on Rue des Combats de Kervernen in Pluméliau and is about 2.5 kilometres long. The Circuit de Saint-Claude starts at the car park by the chapel in the village of Saint-Claude. It is 5 kilometres long and takes approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. The two routes therefore differ in both their stated distance and the time required. The Circuit de Saint-Claude passes the ruins of the Chapelle Saint-Claude.

The Circuit de Kerdavid links several other buildings along the route: it passes the washhouse, the Chapelle Saint-Thomas and the parish church of Saint-Méliau. Together, the three routes offer several concrete reference points for planning an outing: an approximate distance for the Circuit des Étangs, both distance and duration for Saint-Claude, and several named sights on the Circuit de Kerdavid. As route conditions may change, check the route information before setting out.

Nature and Seasonal Activities

Within the municipality of Pluméliau-Bieuzy, the Landes du Crano is a 130-hectare ZNIEFF site in the Blavet Valley. It is also the largest area in the entire valley designated as a ZNIEFF. The Balade du Père Nicolas is set in a 17-hectare wooded valley amid the natural landscape of central Morbihan, adding a distinct nature element to the cultural stops.

In Saint-Nicolas-des-Eaux, a watersports centre rents out canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards in summer. If you plan to include one of these rentals in your summer trip, check availability in advance. The Pluméliau-Bieuzy producers’ market takes place from April to early December on the first and third Tuesday of each month. It offers fish, crêpes and galettes, goat’s cheese and honey; the selection may vary by season and vendor. If the market is important to your travel plans, confirm the relevant date in advance.

Discover more destinations: Baden-Mériadec, Berric, Péaule, Plouay, Arradon, Gâvres, Locmariaquer, Guern.

For the broader travel overview: Morbihan.