Are you looking for a visit that you won’t find anywhere else ? Then come to La Vallée des Saints and discover a site which although in the very heart of Brittany is unique worldwide !
A visit to La Vallée des Saints is a visit to a unique space of contemporary artistic creation and has been created as a monument to Breton culture and history.
Located in Carnoët in the Côtes d’Armor, in the heart of Brittany, only 15 minutes from Carhaix in a natural setting at an altitude of 230 metres, La Vallée des Saints gives you a breathtaking panoramic view of the centre of Brittany. The site is made up of a feudal motte, a listed chapel classified as an historical monument and a site of archeological interest.
In La Vallée des Saints, come and discover monumental statues, with an average height of 4 metres, which are effigies of Breton saints. The saints who are honoured here, are, for the most part, clerics hailing from Great Britain and Ireland who landed in Armorica in Brittany in the Early Middle Ages and who evangelised the region. Their legacy is still visible in Brittany : in many towns and villages, churches, chapels and schools bear the names of these saints, not to mention the well-known tales and legends which make up Breton history.
In the long term, the main ambition of the non-profit organisation which manages the site is to erect 1,000 sculptures: Brittany’s own answer to Easter Island.
Would you like to find out how the statues are created?
You can come along to any of the sculpture workshops organised each year from May to October. Since 2009, sculptors who are passionate about their art get together to work on enormous blocks of Breton granite and to demonstrate their skills and know-how. During the 30-day creative workshops 5 to 7 sculptures are created.
Choose the circuit which best suits you
Access to the site is free all year round. There’s an official guide with a pull-out plan to help you find your way around the site and identify the saints, if you wish to visit on your own.
For a more fun visit, or a family outing, there’s a discovery trail, riddles, questions and word games so that children can discover the statues and their secrets. There’s a tougher quiz for adults, of course.
Finally, if you wish to know more about the secrets of the Breton saints, you can also book a guided visit. The official guides will take you on a tour of an enchanted place where history and legend are interwoven and where there is so much to discover.
