GR 34
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The long-distance hiking trail 34 (french: Sentier de grande randonnée 34 or GR 34 for short) is a French coastal path that starts from
Mont-Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and i ...
(
Manche Manche (, ) is a coastal French département in Normandy, on the English Channel, which is known as ''La Manche'', literally "the sleeve", in French. It had a population of 495,045 in 2019.Saint-Nazaire ( Loire-Atlantique). It runs along almost the entire coast of the
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...
region from Mont Saint-Michel and, beyond the limit between Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique, to the mouth of the
Loire The Loire (, also ; ; oc, Léger, ; la, Liger) is the longest river in France and the 171st longest in the world. With a length of , it drains , more than a fifth of France's land, while its average discharge is only half that of the Rhône ...
. It stretches over . It largely follows former customs paths. These paths, gradually abandoned during the first half of the 20th century, allowed customs officers to patrol the coast from their guardhouses, located at key observation points on the Brittany coast.


Origins

The Breton coastal path has its origins in the late 18th century, after the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
. Among the measures adopted by the National Constituent Assembly (1789–1791) at the end of the was the creation on 23 April 1791 of the National Customs Authority (french: Régie nationale des douanes). By a decree of 5 November 1790, the Constituent Assembly thus abolished all internal borders and decided to "retreat customs to the borders". It was in this context that the Breton customs officers' path was created in 1791. The men, who ensured the surveillance in pairs, took turns every two hours and had the task of monitoring the coasts and fighting smuggling. Along the path,
gabion A gabion (from Italian ''gabbione'' meaning "big cage"; from Italian ''gabbia'' and Latin ''cavea'' meaning "cage") is a cage, cylinder or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road buildin ...
s, cabins, huts, straw huts and many small dry-stone constructions built by the customs officers themselves provided places to stop. They are in addition to the official positions provided by the Customs Administration. The objectives of the path were fourfold: * to stop contraband, especially that due to illegal landings of English goods * to defend the coasts, with the creation, from 1831, of a military customs body * to rescue shipwreck victims and ensure that inhabitants did not loot stranded ships * to carry out police missions


Recent history

* 1968: the first long-distance hiking trail, between Beg Leguer and Pors Mabo (in Trébeurden) near Lannion (Côtes-d'Armor), was initiated by Émile Orain, or SEATER, 1966–1990) wanted to extend the network of ten existing GRs in France, Émile Orain became the referent for the region. who in 1967 mobilized friends and youth groups to clear this section of the pink granite coast. * 1974: the National Committee for Long-Distance Hiking Trails created the first section of the long-distance hiking trail in Finistère, linking Douarnenez to Faou. It belonged to the GR 37, but part would be linked to the GR 34. * 1976: the law of easement of passage by the sea (law no. 1285 of December 31, 1976) was passed, meaning that "The riparian properties of the public maritime domain are encumbered, on a strip 3 meters wide, to leave a right of way intended to ensure exclusively the passage of pedestrians." * 1978: the French Federation of Hiking in Brittany was created. * 2008: the complete markup of the Breton GR was completed, the hiker being able to cover its 1,700 km in one go. * 2017: the Finistère section was elected as the Best French GR of 2017.


Route


Manche Manche (, ) is a coastal French département in Normandy, on the English Channel, which is known as ''La Manche'', literally "the sleeve", in French. It had a population of 495,045 in 2019.Mont-Saint-Michel Mont-Saint-Michel (; Norman: ''Mont Saint Miché''; ) is a tidal island and mainland commune in Normandy, France. The island lies approximately off the country's north-western coast, at the mouth of the Couesnon River near Avranches and i ...
* River Couesnon


Ille-et-Vilaine Ille-et-Vilaine (; br, Il-ha-Gwilen) is a department of France, located in the region of Brittany in the northwest of the country. It is named after the two rivers of the Ille and the Vilaine. It had a population of 1,079,498 in 2019.

*
Dol-de-Bretagne Dol-de-Bretagne (, literally ''Dol of Brittany''; br, Dol; Gallo: ''Dóu''), cited in most historical records under its Breton name of Dol, is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine ''département'' in Brittany in northwestern France. Geography Dol-d ...
** Cathedral of Saint-Samson de Dol-de-Bretagne (13th–15th-century). *Church and windmill of Mont-Dol. *
Cancale Cancale (; ; Gallo: ''Cauncall'') is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is known as the birthplace of Saint Jeanne Jugan. Population Inhabitants of Cancale are called ''Cancalais'' in French. T ...
**Church of Saint-Méen. *
Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the Alli ...
*
Dinard Dinard (; br, Dinarzh, ; Gallo: ''Dinard'') is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, Brittany, northwestern France. Dinard is on the Côte d'Émeraude of Brittany. Its beaches and mild climate make it a holiday destination, and this ...


Côtes-d'Armor The Côtes-d'Armor (, ; ; br, Aodoù-an-Arvor, ), formerly known as Côtes-du-Nord ( br, Aodoù-an-Hanternoz, link=no, ), are a department in the north of Brittany, in northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 600,582.

* Saint-Cast-le-Guildo * Cap Fréhel *
Erquy Erquy (; ; Gallo: ''Erqi'') is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Erquy is located in a cove of the Penthièvre coast bordered by cape Erquy on one side and a volcanic rock formation called ''pointe ...
* Saint-Brieuc *
Côte de Granit Rose The Côte de granite rose or Pink Granite Coast is a stretch of coastline in the Côtes d'Armor departement of northern Brittany, France. It stretches for more than thirty kilometres from Plestin-les-Grèves to Louannec, encompassing Trégastel ...
**
Perros-Guirec Perros-Guirec (; br, Perroz-Gireg) is a commune in the department of Côtes-d'Armor in Brittany. It has been a seaside resort since the end of the 19th century. Geography Climate Perros-Guirec has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classificat ...
**
Ploumanac'h Ploumanac'h ( or lumana and in Breton luˈmãːnax is a village port in a natural harbour, part of the commune of Perros-Guirec, in the arrondissement of Lannion, in the Côtes-d'Armor department of the Brittany region of France. In 2015 it w ...
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Trégastel Trégastel (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of the region of Brittany in northwestern France. Trégastel is situated between Perros-Guirec and Pleumeur-Bodou. Lannion is 10 kilometres away. Population Inhabitants of Trégas ...
**
Trébeurden Trébeurden (; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Trébeurden are called ''trébeurdinais'' in French. International relations Trébeurden is twinned with: * Vâlcelel ...
*
Lannion Lannion ( ; ) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It is a subprefecture of Côtes-d'Armor, the capital of Trégor and the center of an urban area of almost 60,000 inhabitants. Climate Lannion ha ...


Finistère Finistère (, ; br, Penn-ar-Bed ) is a department of France in the extreme west of Brittany. In 2019, it had a population of 915,090.

*
Morlaix Morlaix (; br, Montroulez) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Leisure and tourism The old quarter of the town has winding streets of cobbled stones and overha ...
*
Roscoff Roscoff (; br, Rosko) is a commune in the Finistère département of Brittany in northwestern France. Roscoff is renowned for its picturesque architecture, labelled (small town of character) since 2009. Roscoff is also a traditional departure ...
*
Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...
* At
Brélès Brélès (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Brélès are called ''Brélésiens'' in French. Sights *Château de Kergroadès, 17th century * Manoir de Bel Air, 15th cen ...
the GR 34F forks inland and rejoins the coastal GR 34 at Portzic with its lighthouse and
fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
*
Crozon Crozon (, ; br, Kraozon, , ) is a commune in the department of Finistère and the administrative region of Brittany, northwestern France. As well as the town of Crozon, the village of Morgat is part of the commune. Crozon is located on the Cr ...
, the
Parc naturel régional d'Armorique The Parc naturel régional d'Armorique ( br, Park an Arvorig), or Armorica Regional Natural Park, is a rural protected area located in Brittany. The park land reaches from the Atlantic Ocean to hilly inland countryside. There are sandy beaches, sw ...
and the
Monts d'Arrée The Monts d'Arrée, or Menezioù Are in Breton, are an ancient mountain range in western Brittany which forms part of the Armorican massif. Historically it marked the border of the regions of Cornouaille Cornouaille (; br, Kernev, Kerne) ...
further inland *
Douarnenez Douarnenez (, ; meaning ''douar'' (land) ''an enez'' (the island) or land of the island), is a commune in the French department of Finistère, region of Brittany, northwestern France. It is located at the mouth of the Pouldavid River, an estua ...
*
Plomodiern Plomodiern (; br, Ploudiern) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Geography Climate Plomodiern has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Plomodie ...
*
Cap Sizun The Cap Sizun (; br, Ar C'hab) is a headland forming the western extremity of the Cornouaille, in the French département of Finistère in Brittany, corresponding to the former canton of Pont-Croix. The best known sites in this region are th ...
and the
Pointe du Raz The Pointe du Raz is a promontory that extends into the Atlantic from western Brittany, in France. The local Breton name is ''Beg ar Raz''. It is the western point of the ''commune'' of Plogoff, Finistère. It is named after the ''Raz de Sein' ...
*
Loctudy Loctudy (; ) is a fishing port and seaside resort in Brittany, France, at the mouth of the Pont-l'Abbé river estuary. The commune is in the Finistère department in northwestern France. Situated on the peninsula of Penmarc'h in the far southwe ...
*
Pont-Aven Pont-Aven (, Breton: 'River Bridge') is a commune in the Finistère department in the Brittany region in Northwestern France. In 2019, it had a population of 2,821. Demographics Inhabitants of Pont-Aven are called ''Pontavenistes'' in French ...


Morbihan Morbihan ( , ; br, Mor-Bihan ) is a department in the administrative region of Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan (''small sea'' in Breton), the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastl ...

*
Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...
* Quiberon * Auray *
Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who live ...
* La Roche-Bernard


Loire-Atlantique

*
Le Croisic Le Croisic (; br, Ar Groazig; french: label= Gallo, Le Croèzic) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department, western France. It is part of the urban area of Saint-Nazaire. History The United States Navy established a naval air station o ...
*
La Turballe La Turballe (; br, An Turball) is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. This commune is known for its harbor, which is the first fishing harbor in the region. Every summer, there is a sardine party (fête de la sardine ...
*
La Baule La Baule-Escoublac (; br, Ar Baol-Skoubleg, ), commonly referred to as La Baule, is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department, Pays de la Loire, western France. A century-old seaside resort in southern Brittany with villas, casino, luxury h ...
* Pornichet * Brière Regional Natural Park * Saint-Nazaire


Economy

In 2018, the trail was used by 9 million users, 40% of whom were locals and 60% tourists. The local economic benefits are estimated at 202 million euros.


Notes


References


See also

* Tro Breizh


External links


A track of the GR34

The complete route of GR34
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gr 34 Hiking trails in France Geography of Manche Geography of Ille-et-Vilaine Geography of Côtes-d'Armor Geography of Finistère Geography of Morbihan Geography of Loire-Atlantique Tourist attractions in Manche Tourist attractions in Ille-et-Vilaine Tourist attractions in Côtes-d'Armor Tourist attractions in Finistère Tourist attractions in Morbihan Tourist attractions in Loire-Atlantique