The black mountains

Come and look at the world from higher up in the heart of Brittany and discover Les Montagnes Noires, a wonderful environment for walking and rambling.

Once covered by dense forests, Les Montagnes Noires stretch over sixty kilometres or so, from Glomel to Châteaulin. The mountains get their name from the black schist of which they are made up.

Before Les Montagnes Noires became the ideal place for walking and rambling, the area had a rich industrial past and went through a period of great prosperity due to mining activity. Many slate quarries were worked here from the end of the 15th century up until the 1960s in the villages of Saint Goazec, Gourin, Motreff and Plévin. Walking in Les Montagnes Noires will take you to the sites of former slate works.

Nowadays wide green spaces stretch out in front of you but there are enchanting little out-of-the-way places to see too. Forests and moorland cover the tops of Les Montagnes Noires.

To reach the highest point: le Roc’h Toullaëron at 318 metres above sea level, you will have to make your way to the village of Spézet.