Trébeurden

About Trébeurden

Trébeurden in Brittany is a historical town on Brittany's rugged coast where many islands lie just off-shore, and beautiful marshes, moorland and forests full of megaliths and ancient legends are waiting to be explored.

With evidence of human occupation dating back to 20,000 BC, Trébeurden has an incredibly long history. Ancient menhirs, or standing stones, and dolmens, covered stone tombs and passages that are thought to have been used in funeral rights, litter the spectacular landscape that teems with myths and legends.

Home of the Gauls, the area was regularly attacked by Saxon pirate ships in the 3rd century when Welsh monks also began arriving to spread the word of Christianity to the Bretons. The town itself derives its name from the Welsh monk, Preden, and over the centuries Trébeurden attracted many monastic orders including the Knights Templar.

Places to visit

Today, it is tourists who are attracted by the beautiful landscape, especially the many pretty islands and fine, sandy beaches. Miliau is the largest island, named after another Welsh monk, Meilaw, where an important ancient dolmen resides; whilst divers enjoy visiting the seabeds around the island of Molène.

Between the granite peninsula of Castel and the gorse and heather-covered Point of Bihit, from where you can see great views of Finistère, lies the town's main beach, the family-friendly Tresmeur beach which has 2 diving boards set up in summer.

The south facing Pors Mabo beach is also popular with families and is the warmest beach in the area, but those looking for water sports are best off looking to the beach of Goastreiz where windsurfing and kitesurfing are popular activities. The sea provides many exhilirating activities with sailing schools where you can learn windsurfing, catamaranning and kayaking, or you can rent a boat yourself, and do some recreational sea fishing.

There are also beautiful areas to explore around Trébeurden inland, such as the Bois de Lan Waremm, a 280 hectare wood filled with rabbits, squirrels and deer where you can take a tour to discover the history, legends and beauty of this enchanting place, and the wild moorland of Milin ar Lan, which is great for hiking and can be reached by following the GR34.

The tidal marsh of Toëno is a serene place to visit, watching as the tide rises up over the ancient menhir that stands at its heart, and there are tours to the Notenno salt marsh in summer, which looks beautiful at sunset.

With such a strong religious past, there are many churches and chapels around, in particular the hilltop Chapel of Christ which has spectacular views of the sea and islands, and also plays host to storytelling events recounting Breton legends, and Chapel Penvern, which is one of the oldest in the region. As well as hiking routes, there are also family cycling trails.

Shopping and eating

Crafts are popular and there are many artisans in the town including sculptors, woodcarvers and potters. Buy their works at the traditional market on Tuesday mornings, or head to the food market on Saturday mornings and the Terroir market on Fridays in July and August for some delicious local produce.

Like the rest of Brittany, galettes and crêpes are local favourites, but, with its location by the sea, Trébeurden has some great seafood, especially shellfish, including oysters and mussels. Enjoy your meal with locally brewed Breton beer or cider for an authentic culinary experience.