Hiking is very popular in Brittany. The GR 34 hiking trail runs along the Côte de Granit Rose through one of the most beautiful landscapes in Brittany. Hikers can experience bizarre rock formations of pink granite along the coast on an old customs officers’ path. Advertorial Article Parallax Article
Hiking is very popular in Brittany. The GR 34 hiking trail runs along the Côte de Granit Rose through one of the most beautiful landscapes in Brittany. Hikers can experience bizarre pink granite rock formations along the coast on an old customs officers’ path.
The Grande Randonnée GR 34 is considered the longest long-distance hiking trail in Brittany. It begins in the north at the Norman Mont Saint-Michel and ends after 1,600 km at the Golfe du Morbihan in the south. The approx. 12-kilometre section along the pink granite coast is considered the parade route. The route from Perros-Guirec to Trégastel is particularly beautiful. The customs officers’ path “Sentier des Douarniers”, created in 1907, starts above the bathing bay of the “Plage de Trestraou” in Perros-Guirec. You walk towards the impressive pink granite backdrop and quickly reach the Mean Ruz lighthouse (Phare de Ploumanac’h) with a sweeping view of the Sept Îles archipelago. The route continues to the bay of Saint-Guirec, the port of Ploumanac’h and the town beach of Trégastel.
On their way, hikers circle stormy capes and wide bays, menhirs and heathland, fishing villages, half-timbered towns, painters’ colonies and famous seaside resorts. One of the most impressive sections is the wild backdrop of huge, piled up pink granite rocks on the north coast – the Côte Granit Rose. The landmark is a house wedged between two imposing rocks.
The bizarre rock formations of red granite, which were formed around 300 million years ago, are considered a tourist attraction. The stone owes its red coloring to its hematite and alkali feldspar content. Depending on the time of day, the stones on the pink granite coast shimmer sometimes pink, sometimes reddish, sometimes bright orange in the evening hours and provide protection from the surging sea. The sea, wind, salt and plant acids have since shaped the countless stone sculptures through natural erosion.
The rocks have been given names by the Bretons due to their special shapes. They include Napoleon’s hat, a mushroom, a love arbor, a stack of pancakes (Tas de Crêpes), turtles (Tortues) and a witch (Sorcière) in the sea of rocks at Trégastel.
As the beautiful STEINs are no longer a secret, it is best to avoid the French school vacations and travel to the Côte de Granit Rose between April and June or in September.
Further information can be found on the official website of the tourism association at www.bretagne-reisen.de, at https://meinfrankreich.com/gr-34/ and a GPS file for the hiking route including markings for accommodation can be found here.
