Plaudren is home to buildings from several centuries, prehistoric sites and routes through woodland and sunken lanes. Visitors choosing the town for an exploration will find a variety of highlights: churches and chapels, historic architectural styles, megaliths, and trails with clearly stated distances and walking times.
Churches, Chapels and Architectural History
The Église Saint-Bily stands in the centre of Plaudren. The Neo-Romanesque church was completed in 1896. A Breton inscription runs along a mosaic band at the rear of the choir. Its construction date and style provide a distinct historical context, while the inscription adds a linguistic detail. The present-day Chapelle Saint-Bily is a separate building: it is Neo-Gothic and was built in 1893.
The Chapelle de Chaupas is also known as Notre Dame des Fleurs and dates from the 16th century. Its altarpiece dates from 1821 and includes a statue of Notre Dame des Fleurs. The Chapelle Sainte-Marie-Madeleine has a later building history: it was completed in 1901, replacing an older building. The chapel houses a statue of Saint Mary Magdalene, who is considered the protector of people with leprosy. Their different dates make these buildings distinct stops in the local cultural history, rather than part of a single building phase.
The Château du Nedo and the Manoir de Kergohler also represent different periods. The château was begun on the site of a former manor house and completed between 1881 and 1886. Its architecture features a transitional Neo-Gothic style in the style of Henri II. The Manoir de Kergohler includes a chapel dating from the 17th century, dated to 1688; its interior was remodelled in the Neo-Gothic style at the end of the 19th century. The mill at Moulin Morio is tentatively dated to the 18th century. The associated dwelling dates from the mid-19th century.
Megaliths and Traditional Stories
La Quenouille de Gargantua is a 5.70-metre-high granite block from the Neolithic period, around 4000 BC. According to a local legend, Gargantua dropped a stone that was bothering him in his shoe. Another tradition says that Gargantua’s wife dropped her spindle there. These two explanations are part of local storytelling tradition; they should not be confused with the dating of the granite block. The gallery grave at Mein Goarec is another archaeological point of interest: its arched stones lie near Kerdiren, within the territory of Plaudren.
Compare Routes by Duration and Difficulty
For a walk through varied scenery, the Circuit des Rah Coëd passes megaliths, then follows a sunken lane and continues through the Bois du Goluth. The starting point is accessible by bus, with a bus stop less than 300 metres away. As bus services can change, check the details before travelling. The Bois de Saint-Bily also lies east of Plaudren; however, no connection between this wood and the route described here is specified.
The two signposted GRP routes differ considerably in length, difficulty and duration. The GRP© Plaudren–Trédion is 17 kilometres long and rated moderate. The stated times are 4 hours 30 minutes on foot, 1 hour 45 minutes by mountain bike and 2 hours on horseback. The starting point is the Église St Bily in Plaudren. At 29 kilometres, the GRP© Grand-Champ–Plaudren is longer and rated difficult; the times are 7 hours 20 minutes on foot, 4 hours 30 minutes by mountain bike and 5 hours 30 minutes on horseback.
The comparison makes it easier to plan your time: the shorter route takes 4 hours 30 minutes on foot, while the longer one takes 7 hours 20 minutes. Separate times are also provided for mountain biking and horse riding. Plan according to your chosen mode of travel and check the route details before setting out, as they may be revised. This allows you to weigh up Plaudren’s cultural highlights separately from the time needed for a route, without inferring an unsupported connection between individual sights from the information about the town.
Discover more destinations: Plumelin, Pluherlin, Guidel-Plages, La Chapelle-Neuve, Lizio, Larmor-Baden, Roudouallec, Muzillac.
For the broader travel overview: Morbihan.
