Brennilis offers a range of options for planning your trip: water sports and fishing at Lac Saint Michel, hiking trails in Venec and stone cultural monuments. The lake, nature reserve and historic sites offer different ways to spend your time in the area.
Water at Lac Saint Michel
Lac Saint Michel is an artificial lake covering about 500 hectares. Non-motorised water sports are permitted, including canoeing, kayaking, rowing, stand-up paddleboarding and light sailing. If you prefer to explore on foot, the Circuit du Yeun Elez is a hiking trail that runs around the lake.
Fishing is also possible at Lac Saint Michel, from the shore or from a boat. Thermal engines are prohibited. From Brennilis, you can reach the lake via the hamlet of Nestavel, where there is a car park. Water activities and access to the lake are two separate aspects to consider when planning your visit.
Venec: nature reserve and hiking trails
The RNN du Venec nature reserve is located within the municipality of Brennilis, in the heart of Yeun Elez. It covers 334 hectares of heathland, moorland, deciduous woodland and meadows. The Circuit du Venec is an easy circular trail that you can walk independently through this area. The route is 6 kilometres long and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to walk. Sixteen stops provide information about Venec’s biodiversity.
The two hiking trails differ in length and focus: the Circuit du Yeun Elez covers 15 kilometres around Lac Saint Michel, while the Circuit du Venec is shorter at 6 kilometres and combines a circular route with stops about biodiversity. The latter is also listed as easy, with a walking time of around 1 hour and 30 minutes. You can therefore consider a circuit of the lake and a shorter circular walk with information about nature as two different options.
Church and stone monuments
The Église Notre-Dame in Brennilis dates from the late 15th century. The year 1485 is inscribed near the main altar. The church and the calvary cross in the cemetery were classified as historic monuments by a decree dated 12 November 1914.
The Alignement des menhirs de LeĂŻtan is an archaeological site from the Protohistoric period. The stone alignment is about 40 metres long and consists of five granite menhirs; only one is still standing, at around 3 metres high. Ti ar Boudiged, by contrast, is a V-shaped Neolithic burial site. It is considered the best-preserved monument of this period in the Yeun Elez area. The two sites show different forms of prehistoric stone monuments: a menhir alignment and a burial site.
A cycle ride can also include a visit to one of these monuments: the Circuit véloroute de Brennilis includes a stop where you can see the Dolmen Ti ar Boudiged. This provides another way to discover the stone monument, as part of a named route.
Summer visitor information
The Maison de la RĂ©serve naturelle is located in the centre of Brennilis. It welcomes visitors in summer and provides information about the Venec moor and the animal species that live there. The visitor centre and the trails offer two different ways to explore the natural features of Venec; bear the stated summer season in mind when planning a visit to the Maison.
Discover more destinations: Pont-L'abbé, Santec, Le Trévoux, Tréméoc, Saint-Renan, Penmarc'h, Trégana, Beuzec-Cap-Sizun
For the broader travel overview: Finistere.
