Discover Plouay through two themes: cycling routes and traces of its history. Along the way, you’ll come across an estate, a former railway line, forests, sunken lanes and the Scorff Valley. Chapels, historic buildings and a medieval site offer further perspectives. You can tailor your stay according to whether you want to focus mainly on exploring routes or on discovering the heritage.
Choose routes by distance and character
The Circuit de Kerscoulig lists its route type and elevation gain: the mountain bike route is 9.4 kilometres long and has 150 metres of elevation gain. It is part of the Lorient Quimperlé Bretagne Sud mountain bike area, which comprises 40 routes and is FFC-VTT-certified. The two Boucles Vélo Plouay routes are of similar length, at 17.1 and 17.5 kilometres respectively. Their names distinguish the Route Du côté du Crano from the Route Du bourg au Scorff.
The Circuit de Manehouarn au Scorff is 12.4 kilometres long. It passes through the Domaine de Manehouarn, along a former railway line, through forests and along sunken lanes. It also runs into the deep Pontkalleg Valley, through which the wild and turbulent Scorff flows. The listed routes in Plouay are available in French and English through the Rando Bretagne app. The information on distance, route type and elevation gain gives you different points of reference when choosing, as the routes do not all have the same character.
Manehouarn: walks and a guided tour
The Domaine de Manehouarn, now open to the public, is a place for walks and also offers mountain bike routes. The estate also has a children’s play area. This gives visitors several different ways to spend time outdoors. Which option takes priority during your visit depends on whether you want to go for a walk, use a mountain bike route or include the play area.
A Balade confort de Manehouarn starts at the VĂ©lodrome car park. The Culture et patrimoine de Manehouarn tour is guided and covers 2.5 kilometres through the estate. These two details help with planning in different ways: one gives a starting point, while the other combines a specific distance with a guided tour. For the latter, the guide is part of the described offering.
Chapels, historic buildings and a medieval site
The Chapelle Notre Dame des Fleurs is considered an example of the Flamboyant Gothic style and is richly decorated with sculptures on the exterior. A prefectural decree dated 17 May 2019 listed it as a historic monument. The Chapelle de Locmaria is included in the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. Its features include a 16th-century stained-glass window and a richly carved roof structure.
The Chapelle Saint-Anne du Scorff overlooks the Scorff Valley. It has a calvary and a spring; its origins are thought to date to the late 16th or early 17th century. The chapels thus each stand out for different features: the Gothic style and exterior sculptures at Notre Dame des Fleurs, the window and roof structure at Locmaria, and the position above the valley and explicitly uncertain dating at Saint-Anne.
The buildings and historic sites also reflect different periods. The oldest house in the town centre dates from 1594 and formerly served as the prison of this lordship. The church of Saint-Ouen in Plouay was built in the 15th century. The Manoir de Kermorgant is a well-preserved 16th-century manor house with a spiral staircase. The Château de Kerdreho was built as a pleasure château in the 17th century; an orangery and a park are still there. Parts of the ditches and ramparts remain at the medieval site of Ty-Henry. Together, these examples offer an overview of different periods and architectural forms, from a church to a manor house and château.
An annual event in August
The FĂŞtes de Plouay take place every year in August. They combine well-known cycling races with various festive events. If you want to plan your trip around this event, check the dates for the relevant year before making your plans.
Discover more destinations: Carentoir, Guern, Saint-Jean-Brévelay, Questembert, Inguiniel, Locmaria, Noyalo, Gâvres
For the wider travel overview: Morbihan.
