History
The history of the Mounts dates back thousands of years. At their formation, they were much higher than the current Alps! While erosion has given them their present size, it is still difficult to imagine the mismeasurement of these old high mountains.
Today it is a wild and natural place unavoidable which offers walks as far as you can see. Whether you are a casual walker or a great hiker, there are so many trails that they will make you "use your shoes". The highest point will offer you a breathtaking view of the Finistère: in clear weather you will see the Morlaix Bay, Lake Brennilis and sometimes even Crozon peninsula.
Legends
This mystical place is filled with legends. As you walk in the middle of the rushes and heathers, you should be careful: at the detour of a path, you may encounter a korrigan, this mischievous little being doing his fall harvests for the winter.
The legend of the mountain treasure:
It is said that in the rock at Roch Trevezel lives a Saint « Santig Koz ». Locked in the rock, it is said that a fault opens every eleven hundred years and leads a young boy eleven the next day. One day a man led a young boy there, and there he opened into a flaw, and the man brought the young boy in. When he entered, he found several piles of apples but no saint. So he continued further into the flaw and found even more beautiful apples. He couldn't resist anymore, and then 2 and so on until noon. At that time, the flaw closed and locked the boy in the cave for eleven hundred years. The boy began to eat the apples to spend time, the years passed and the stock of apples began to finish. So he found a stick and said « Are you Santig Koz? » He rubbed his head and heard the voice coming out of the stick. What do you want, young boy? He made the vow to go out, so the saint brought him out of the cave. The young boy made many vows until he arrived before the king of France, he married his daughter. The young girl once traded the old stick against a nice stick thinking to make her husband happy. When the boy was informed, he tried to get his old stick back, but it was too late. The saint informed him that he would return to the Roch Trevezel in order to wait again for a young boy who would find him there.
Then will you dare to face the legends of the Mounts?!
My Practical Tips for Families
The Arrée Mountains are easily visited with children and the hiking trails are accessible even to the youngest. Here are some tips for having a good day:
- Shoes suitable for walking are highly recommended.
- If you have a young child, prefer the baby carrier (ventral or backpack). It is much more convenient than the stroller on steep trails, and it allows to store the essentials like the gourdes and taste it.
- Find the starting point via this Google Maps link.
Incontourable
- The Chapel of Brassparts : After a slight effort, visit this magnificent building that also offers a breathtaking view.
- Trédudon antenna : An iconic landmark of the landscape.
- Lake Brennilis : Ideal for varying landscapes after peaks.
- Domaine de Menez Meur : a family outing to discover the local fauna.
What I like
Walking around the Monts d'Arrée is always a real pleasure for me and my family. It is a place that has so many hikes and walks to offer. Whether it's around Lake Brennilis or at Brasparts Chapel. There is a mystical atmosphere surrounded by moors and rushes. The Arrée Mountains are visited in all seasons, whether in the autumn where the landscape will offer you its colours in orange yellow shades or in the spring where the buds will have become flowers and where you will travel its paths to the song of birds happy to find the beautiful days.
