In Kernascléden, Flamboyant Gothic architecture and wall paintings meet a bat museum with infrared observation. Other attractions include an annual pardon, a self-guided mystery game, a brewery tour and a challenging 33-kilometre circular route for cyclists. When planning your stay, you can choose from cultural history, nature, beer production and cycling.
Gothic Architecture and Religious Tradition
The Église Notre-Dame is a Flamboyant Gothic building. Construction began in 1420 and was completed in 1464. The church’s wall-painting ensemble depicts scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and the childhood of Christ. An inscription in the Notre-Dame chapel records that Yves de Pontsal, Bishop of Vannes, consecrated the chapel on 2 September 1453 and that Pierre and J. Le Bail vaulted it in 1464. The construction period of the church and the events recorded in the chapel inscription thus offer distinct historical points of reference: the dates of a Gothic building’s construction, and the chapel’s consecration and vaulting.
The Pardon of Notre-Dame de Kernascléden takes place every year on 15 August. Some worshippers wear traditional Breton dress, and a singing procession passes through the village. If you are interested in religious traditions, you can plan your visit around this fixed date in the annual calendar.
Bats and Medieval Mysteries
The Maison de la Chauve-Souris offers a different way to explore the area. The 400 m² museum features sensory and interactive exhibits. Visitors can observe a colony of greater horseshoe bats using an infrared camera. The exhibits also include a search game in the attic. Camera observation and the search activity offer different experiences within the museum. As visitor information may change, check the current visiting arrangements before your visit.
The “The Secret of the Ymagier” game box also takes you into a medieval world, this time through a self-guided mystery. The box can be collected from the tourist office and used to carry out the investigation. This is different from visiting the museum: here, solving the mystery independently is the focus, whereas the Maison de la Chauve-Souris offers sensory and interactive exhibits as well as the chance to observe a bat colony.
Cycling Route, Scorff Valley and Beer Production
The Berné–Saint-Caradec-Trégomel–Kernascléden Circuit is a challenging, 33-kilometre circular route for cyclists. Its length and difficulty are important planning details if you want to combine the ride with other interests in the area. The cycling route therefore offers a different focus from the church, museum or self-guided mystery game.
If you want to follow the river by car, take the D782 towards Lignol to Kernascléden, drive through the village, then turn left at the hamlet of Kerchopine to follow the Vallée du Scorff. Road conditions and signs may change, so check your route before setting off.
Microbrasserie l'Esk'Ale has a shop and offers tours of its production site, where visitors can learn about how beer is made. The beer is made with local and organic grains. This adds production as another distinct theme alongside church art and bat-watching. For the brewery tour, it is advisable to check the current visiting arrangements in advance, as business operations may change.
Discover more destinations: Cléguer, Arzal, Lanvaudan, Guilliers, La Chapelle-Caro, Calan, Ambon, Priziac
For the regional travel overview: Morbihan.
