The Mountains

The mountains of Finistère date back 330 million years , with the Monts d'Arrée to the north and the Montagnes Noires to the south. The peak is the rounded summit known as Menez Hom.

Monts d’Arrée

Winding narrow roads, the occasional hairpin bends and steep drops make up the landscape of the Monts d'Arrée, along with running streams and 360° views. There are marshes and moorland, craggy peaks and heather-strewn panoramas, all cast in that unique light so appealing to photographers.

The villages reveal marvels of architecture like the incredible Gothic tower at Saint-Herbot, then just as suddenly the countryside opens up, bare and golden, with heather and broom sprinkling spots of colour. In the distance, a tiny chapel perches on the rounded top of the local Mont Saint-Michel in Brasparts, and from here you can survey the land of legends. Through every season, visitors are seduced and enchanted by Finistère's magical heartlands.

Must-see: our local Mont Saint-Michel in Brasparts (381m) with its iconic chapel and a 360° panorama including Brennilis lake.

Montagnes Noires

This mini mountain range dates back 480 million years, and includes the  Menez Hom a peak of 330m from where you can gaze across what feels like the entire Finistère landscape.  On clear days, the view encompasses Douarnenez Bay, Saint Mathieu's Point, the waterways of Brest, the Aulne estuary and even the Monts d’Arrée. Storms are an amazing experience from here, the land exposed to a raging sky.

Come to the Menez Hom and you'll probably see local hang-gliders or remote-control plane enthusiasts making the most of its vantage points.

Must-see: The Sainte-Marie-du-Ménez-Hom chapel, classed as an historic monument
Must-do: the walking circuit labelled "Sur les pas du Roi Marc’h", which passes the Ménez Hom and finishes in Locronan.