The 8 Most Beautiful Forests in Brittany: Hikes & Itineraries 2025

🌲 Huelgoat (Finistère) - Le Chaos du Moulin

The Huelgoat Chaos was formed 300 million years ago, when the Earth's crust melted deep underground to form granite. This magma rose and cooled 6-8 km below the surface.

Over millions of years, erosion of the Hercynian chain has exposed this massive granite. Freezing, thawing and weathering then fractured the rock, creating this labyrinth of gigantic boulders - some weighing over 100 tonnes - now embedded in a dense forest.

Caption: Tradition has it that Gargantua knocked on the door of the inhabitants of Huelgoat to ask for lodging. They served him a meagre porridge of buckwheat. Vexed by this minimalist hospitality, the giant set off again towards Léon. To express his displeasure, he emptied his pockets of all the pebbles he had accumulated during his journey, throwing them angrily at the current site of chaos. A memorable anger that shaped the landscape for eternity.

🏰 Brocéliande (Ille-et-Vilaine) - Les Légendes

The forest of Paimpont was known as Brécilien until the 15th century. Its identification with the legendary Brocéliande, an imaginary forest created by Chrétien de Troyes in the 12th century, was established in the mid-19th century thanks to the work of the scholar Félix Bellamy.

The area covers a total of 11,000 hectares, including 7,000 hectares of Arthurian sites. Shaped by three centuries of iron mining (17th-19th centuries), the area is still home to the ruins of old forges and the reservoirs that supplied the foundries with hydraulic power.

Caption: According to Arthurian tradition, the Barenton Fountain marks the first meeting place between Merlin the Enchanter and the fairy Viviane. Considered to be a marvellous fountain, pouring its water over the stone steps was supposed to bring rain. This popular belief led to numerous processions during periods of drought.

⛰️ Quénécan (Morbihan)

The Quénécan forest stretches over 3,700 hectares between Morbihan and Côtes-d'Armor, to the south of Lac de Guerlédan. Nicknamed "Brittany's Little Switzerland" for its undulating terrain, it is home to the Gorges du Daoulas, a natural canyon carved out by the river.

The massif is home to the Forges des Salles, an iron-making village founded in 1622-1623 by Henri II de Rohan. For more than 250 years, blast furnaces and forges transformed the local ore into cast iron using charcoal and hydraulic power.

Production ceased in 1877. The village has been completely restored and can now be visited freely or with a guide.

Industrial Heritage : Henri II de Rohan, a Protestant leader from Brittany, created the Forges des Salles in 1622 to put an end to the anarchic exploitation of local ore and to organise the extraction of iron, wood and water rationally. Blacksmiths, workers, charcoal burners and miners formed a complete village, and the working life of the 18th and 19th centuries has now been restored.

🗿 Camors (Morbihan)

The Camors state forest covers 648 hectares in the north of the Auray region. Accessible to all, it offers easy trails and calm ponds ideal for families.

The Camors state forest covers 648 hectares in the north of the AurThe forest is home to a number of Neolithic menhirs erected around 5,000 years ago, which probably marked territories or served as ritual landmarks. The forest boasts a full range of leisure facilities, including picnic areas, children's play areas and a tree climbing course.

Megalithic heritage : The Menhir Braz, nicknamed the "star menhir", measures 3.40 metres. Not far away stands the more modest Menhir Bihan, measuring 1.70 metres. Listed as historic monuments in 1934, they date back 5,000 years.

🌳 Fougères (Ille-et-Vilaine)

The Fougères state forest covers 1,584 hectares to the north of the town, in the municipalities of Landéan and Laignelet. Made up mainly of hundred-year-old beech trees, it is one of the most beautiful beech forests in Brittany. The dense canopy of old beech trees filters out the light, creating a meditative atmosphere ideal for long walks.

Less touristy than Huelgoat or Brocéliande, it offers an authentic immersion in nature. During the Vendée War in 1793, the forest served as a refuge for royalist insurgents at the Battle of Fougères.

Historical heritage : The forest was the scene of the Battle of Fougères on 3 November 1793, during the Galerne expedition in the Vendée War. Royalist troops captured the town after fierce fighting.

🌲 Cranou (Finistère) - Forêt Domaniale du Cranou

The Cranou state forest covers 627 hectares between Hanvec and Le Faou, in the Armorique Regional Nature Park. Including the adjacent communal woods and private plots, the total forest covers 1,321 hectares, making the Cranou the largest forest in Finistère.

Its altitude varies from 60 to 321 metres. Less frequented than other Breton forests, it attracts lovers of tranquillity. Crossed by the GR37, it offers a 3km interpretation trail and an 11-hectare forest arboretum.

Legend of Saint Conval : Saint Conval, driven out of the Bois du Gars after cutting down the local lord's oak trees, took refuge in the Cranou forest. The new lord gave him permission to use all the trees. As a reward, the saint declared that there would never be a shortage of wood in the Cranou forest.

🌲 Beffou (Côtes-d'Armor) - The highest forest in Brittany

The Beffou departmental forest covers more than 630 hectares in the municipalities of Loguivy-Plougras, La Chapelle-Neuve and Lohuec. Owned by the département since 1951, it is the highest forest in Brittany, with Le Pavé, the highest peak in Trégor at 322 metres, at its heart.

Managed by the ONF and classified as a sensitive natural area, it is dominated by beech trees (its name means "residence of the beeches" in Breton), with oak, chestnut and yew trees over a hundred years old. The constant humidity and dense canopy create a special atmosphere, with lush moss and subdued light. The Sentier de Job (Job Trail) is a 1.2 km trail through the fauna and flora.

Historical heritage : The forest is home to the Brohet covered walkway (18 metres long, one of the longest in Brittany), a collective grave dating back to the 3rd millennium BC. It is crossed by the old Roman road that linked Le Yaudet to Carhaix. Until the 18th century, Beffou was a thriving metallurgical centre. Coal and clog makers worked here until the early 20th century.

🌲 Pontcallec (Morbihan) - Forêt Domaniale de Pont-Calleck

The Pont-Calleck state forest covers 541 hectares in the commune of Berné. Formerly owned by the Marquisate of Pontcallec, it became state property in 1963 and has been managed by the ONF since 1966. Listed as a Natura 2000 site, it occupies a plateau and hillsides on the right bank of the river Scorff, renowned for its trout, salmon and otters.

The poor, acidic granite soil is home mainly to pedunculate oak, beech and chestnut trees. The maximum altitude is 164 metres.

Historical heritage : The Pontkalleg valley preserves traces of the ancient seigneury established in 1281. The estate is home to Pontcalleck castle (private, closed in August), the chapels of Saint-Albaud and Sainte-Anne des Bois, the remains of a medieval hamlet, as well as the site of the old pond and the remains of the old forges that exploited the local wood and water from the Scorff.