Forêt de Carnoët et Pardon des Oiseaux de Toulfoën

Quimperlé

The forest of Carnoët runs along the Laïta, just south of Quimperlé. It bears the mark of a very long past: prehistoric tumuli and menhirs, a Gallo-Roman villa excavated in the middle of the forest, clearings opened in the 12th century around a Cistercian abbey. In the 13th century a ducal château rose among the trees, beside the river, to hold the country and for hunting. Its ruins, in a romantic setting, have fed legends, including that of a Breton ‘Bluebeard’, studied in the proceedings of a colloquium held at Quimperlé in 2013. Another living memory: at Toulfoën, a secular pardon, the Pardon des Oiseaux, grew considerably from the end of the 19th century until it stopped in 1991. At the beginning of the 20th century the last clog-makers still worked there, when the forest was inhabited all year round. Today the ONF manages it mainly for walking. A loop of about 2.5 km leads to the ruins of the château, to a camp probably of the Iron Age, the Camp du Passage, and passes near the Neolithic menhir of Lothéa. It is a wood of legends more discreet than Brocéliande, but seriously documented.

Getting there: Forest managed by the ONF, open to access on foot. From Quimperlé, take the D49 south, then the forest road du Château; park a few metres further on. Easy loop of about 2.5 km passing by the ruined château, the Camp du Passage and near the menhir of Lothéa. The safety condition of the ruins has not been verified. Coordinates: ‘Forêt de Carnoët’ point in OpenStreetMap, not precise; the chapel and abbey of Saint-Maurice, as well as the chêne de Saint-Maurice, already have their entries further south.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound