Lorient La Rade by walk (12 km) and by boat bus

This area hosted the stores of the Compagnie des Indes used for the deposit of goods brought back from India until the time of their sale. Built in the 18th century on the plans of Jacques V Gabriel, they became in the 19th a place of barracks and learning before suffering the bombing of 1943.The colonnade or "peristyle" that opened the building on the Scorff gave the name of its quay and the promenade housing the port. The site is now the site of the Maison de l'intercommunality du Pays de Lorient designed by the architect Jean de Giacinto.

In 1866, the construction of a slipway allowed short trips between Pen Mané and Lorient. The sailboats, then steam boats, carried people, wood and food, particularly vegetables from Plouhinec and Kervignac. Today it is used daily by commuters crossing the bay. The pontoons welcome leisure boats, including the traditional boat, the André Yvette. Built in 1934, it used to deliver materials before being used for sailing classes and a holiday centre for vulnerable children for the last twenty years.

Napoleonic maps from the beginning of the 19th century already attest to the presence of fishermen's houses in the Nézénel district. Taking the small streets through this old district of Locmiquélic, you will discover what makes the charm of the town and the pretty little fishermen's houses with their interlocking courtyards and gardens, which have fostered a strong sense of solidarity.

Set apart from Riantec to become a town in 1919, Locmiquélic owes its name to Saint Michel. In the 15th century, there were two hermitages or Locs; the grand Loc Micaël on the island of Saint-Michel, and the petit (little) Michel, Loc Miquélic, today called Sainte-Catherine. Over the 20th century, this important fishing and farming village gradually built up.

It is a deep water harbor, between Nantes and Brest, enlarged by the estuary of two coastal rivers, the Scorff and the Blavet. A protected natural site, sheltered from the prevailing winds and storms by the island of Groix, the harbor of Lorient has been very popular since antiquity by French and foreign sailors who relaxed there in bad weather. Then, with the establishment of the Compagnie des Indes Orientales in 1666, the harbor of Lorient opened up to the major currents of maritime traffic and trade with the Indies.

What's the connection between Locmiquélic and New York? None except this emblematic ship sunk behind the small pier of the port of Saint Catherine, namely: the frigate “Isère”. The association “Les mémoires de Minahouets” explains that in 1885, the frigate Isère, built at the Lorient Arsenal in 1866, was in charge of transporting the Statue of Liberty between Rouen and New York. Scuttled by the Germans in 1945, then dynamited in 1990 to enlarge access to the marina of Locmiquélic, her hull still lies 9 meters deep in the small channel in front of the breakwater of Saint Catherine.

Locmiquélic, in Breton Locmikaelig, comes from the words loch (the hermitage) and Mikaelig (Michel), probably due to the presence of the island of Tanguethen, located in the middle of the bay of Lorient. Today called the Ile Saint Michel, since the Middle Ages the place housed a priory, which between the 12th and 15th centuries was in charge of collecting royalties from the coastal ships returning to Hennebont and Pont-Scorff. Locmiquélic, which for a long time was part of the parish of Riantec, became a parish in 1907 and a commune in 1919.

In the 15th century, the monks created a convent on the island of Saint Catherine, closer to the mainland than the island of Saint Michel, and accessible by a small bridge. It was later transformed into an annex hospital but razed to the ground in 1870. The estate was in turn bought by a farmer from Kervignac, a fisherman from Kernével, before being bought by the explorer Raymond Rallier du Baty in 1925. In the 17th siècle, the most frequented passage of the Lorient bay is that of Saint Catherine. In 1834, a ferry service was set up between Sainte Catherine and the La Perrière district in Lorient.

The marsh plays a central role in welcoming waterbirds in the bay of Lorient. Some come to reproduce and spend the rest of the year further south, especially in Africa. Among these species are the aquatic phragmite or the white spoonbill. Others, on the other hand, nest in northern Europe and come here to spend the winter or make a simple stopover, en route to Africa.

Steeped in history and an exceptional natural space, the site is frequented by herons, musical thrushes and egrets, some of which are nestled in the pines of the park.  The castle of Kerzo, residence of pleasure, is built around 1878 on the point of Kerzo by Henri Guiheneuc, mayor of Port-Louis, on an old abandoned fort dating from the end of the 18th century. Of the castle, partly destroyed during the war of 1939, there remain only two turrets, visible from the avenue of the castle of Kerzo. On the site, were discovered redoubts (fortifications) and a stele. In 2020, the current owner ceded part of the property to the municipality, to allow walkers to bypass it and follow the coast along the coastal path you take.

Built at the end of 2008 as part of the expansion of the port, the pier closes the Driasker cove and protects the port of La Pointe. It is a popular place for walkers, with a superb view of the port, the city and the citadel at the end.

In 1795, during the Revolution, the municipality acquired land in Kerzo, by the sea, to develop and transfer the cemeteries of the chapel Saint Pierre and the church Notre-Dame. The cemetery was expanded in 1864. It housed the War Memorial, inaugurated in 1922 and restored in 2018. As funerals were carried out mainly on foot, a dike was built in 1906 to directly connect the cemetery to the Notre-Dame church. Among the personalities who left their mark on the history of Port-Louis were two former aedile priests: Jean-Baptiste, known as Henry Guiheneuc, doctor and ceramist artist, former mayor of Port-Louis from 1867 to 1875. In 1869, he bought an old shipowner’s house from the time of the Compagnie des Indes, Ty Huella, currently the Town Hall of Port-Louis. He built around 1878 on the tip of Kerzo the castle of Kerzo, residence of pleasure, on an old abandoned fort dating from the end of the 18th century. The promenade along the harbor at Kerzo currently bears his name. Louis Paubert, shipwright and former mayor of Port-Louis for 42 years, from 1881 to 1923. During his tenure he built important school buildings, such as the girls' public school in 1883, he opened new public roads and created promenades and plantations, he helped establish the Port-Louis-Hennebont-Baud railway line (the tourist office is currently located in the old station), it has contributed to the construction of the Casino de la Grande Plage or the expansion of the Port of Locmalo. The driveway planted with lime trees along the top of the rampart and the rue de la Pointe is currently named after the one who is at the origin of this development, promenade Louis Paubert. To discover the other «Personalities of the cemetery of Port-Louis»: Chroniques Port-Louisiennes published in 2019 by the Centre d'Animation Historique du Pays de Port-Louis.

The Driasker, which in Breton means the village from below, was once the district of calfats and shipwrights. The cove was very protected from offshore swells and winds. Activity was intense there from the Middle Ages. In the 19th century, the tuna boats of Groix Island spent the winter there. Today, the space is dedicated to boating.

The dike we use was built in 1906-1907 to facilitate access to the cemetery opposite, on the point of Kerzo. In the past, the bay of Driasker sank on a marshy area. It was from 1968 that the first improvements were installed: football field, houses or workshops.

Long called Driasker gate, it connected the city to the Driasker district. Originally it was vaulted and its arch supported a small hanging garden. In 1907, it was replaced by a small bridge of red color, from where it takes its name.

Place Saint-Pierre is the historic centre of Port-Louis, the heart of the old village of Loc Péran. You get there via rue du Driasker to the east and from the west you can reach Grand Rue, the central artery of the village. It is on this square, in front of the chapel, that fairs and markets used to be held.

From 1653, the rue de Locmalo (in front of you) becomes the main entrance of Port-Louis. The Rue de la Grande Porte (behind you, the street that goes up in front of the Bastion du Papegaut) was built in these years, in order to connect the outside to the city center, in particular to the square and the church Saint-Pierre. It was one of the liveliest streets of Port Louis, with hotels, inns and shops that provided most of the supplies for the ships of the Compagnie des Indes.

This bastion called «Papegaut» takes its name from a privilege - the right of papegaut - granted by Henry III to the bourgeois militias of Blavet to train archers to shoot in arquebuse following the defeat of Azincourt. This shooting took place every year in May. The Bastion belongs to the urban enclosure built between 1649 and 1653. At the southeastern end, it allowed to monitor the bay of Locmalo and the peninsula of Gâvres.

Located at the end of the fort of Papégaut, the small powder magazine was built in 1817, replacing an existing store in the tower of Gâvres. It is a replica of the great powder magazine, built in the years 1750-1752. Intended to receive hunting powders, the small powder magazine was decommissioned in the 1960s.

Built in 1854, this small building housed the Lohic fire, which marked the alignment of the «great pass» or west pass giving access to the bay of Lorient. The municipality bought it in the service of Lighthouses and Beacons in 2019, for the enhancement of the biodiversity of Lohic.

The first sardine presses appeared in Port-Louis in the 16th century near La Pointe. In the 19th of the plants using the new techniques of conservation settled in Lohic. Fishing began in May and ended around October. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Lohic still has 6 where 15 tons of sardines are produced. Returning fishermen bring their fish directly.

A hollow half-tower topped by a lookout post in the 19th century, it hosts artists in residence and exhibitions.

It extends from the Prisoners' Tower to the Pradenne, outside the fortifications. In the 16th century this sector was called Ban-Gâvres, this name is currently given to the coast of Gâvres located opposite. The name «Lohic», comes from the sea pond, loch in Breton, which was inside the walls, at the location of the ball park

This tower defended the entrance to the Poterne des Prisonniers, which gave access to the coast and remained closed at night, like the other doors. It owes its name to the island opposite the gate of Lohic, the island of the Prisoners, today called the Island of the Mice.

At the site of this stone enclosure, there was originally a pond (loch in Breton) sea. In the 1840s, under Louis-Philippe, on this plot of 864 m2 is built a park for the storage of artillery balls. Another artillery ball park was located in the Citadel.

Picturesque granite monument dating from the seventeenth century, it has a barrel-vaulted reservoir and feeds the old drinking trough Poullo. It takes its name from "La Grande Prée" of the Récollets convent.

Former convent dating from the late 17th century, it became a maritime hospital around the 1800s.  Today, there is only a portal in neoclassical style visible from the street of the Citadel, and a large house dated 1678. A reconversion of the former religious enclosure now houses the municipal campsite. The Récollets fountain and the washhouse on your left were also part of it.

Built between 1750 and 1752, the Great Powder Magazine served as an ammunition depot (powder and artillery) for the nearby coastal forts. In addition, the king’s ships and privateers, unloaded their powder during their stopovers in Port-Louis.

Louis XIII decides to make Blavet a royal city, which will become by royal edict of July 17, 1618 the city of Port-Louis. From 1649 to 1653, a perimeter wall is built around the city on a length of 1250 meters, its height varies between 8 and 11 meters.

The Grande Plage, still called Plage des Pâtis, offers a breathtaking view of the tip of Gâvres, the island of Groix and Larmor-Plage. This sandy beach welcomes its first tourists very early, the coastline experiencing a strong craze at the beginning of the 19th century related to the development of the railway. Initially reserved for the wealthiest, tourism is gradually democratized and the followers of the sea bath are more and more numerous. The first establishment of sea baths of the Grande plage was created in 1837 under the patronage of Queen Marie-Amélie, and continues to develop to offer in 1882 hot sea baths, cabins for women and men, as well as a cafe «The casino» including a café restaurant and a reception room.  The current café-restaurant is new.

The Citadel of Port-Louis was built in the 16th century by the Spaniards during the Wars of Religion (Spain supported the French Catholics, England the Protestants). It was modified in the 17th century when King Louis XIII decided to give Port-Louis royal city status.In 1666, the maritime trading companies already established in Port Louis transferred their shipyard to the other side of the bay, where the town of L'Orient, which owes its name to the first ship, Le Soleil d'Orient, was created. The present appearance of the citadel dates from this period and is a very good example of the defensive systems that predate Vauban's system.The Citadel offers a unique view of the bay of Lorient and currently houses two museums. The Compagnie des Indes museum tells the extraordinary history of the great trading companies of the 17th and 18th centuries and in the atmosphere of the African and Asian trading posts, displays the goods that so seduced the Europeans as well as the slave trade, largely supplied by the company's ships. The National Naval Museum presents a collection of model boats and naval weapons, and two museum areas: one “Ocean Treasures”, dedicated to underwater excavations and the sunken remains of merchant ships, and the other dedicated to sea rescue.

On your left, on the other side of the road, you can see the old fountain called "Fontaine des Poullo" in 1636, it was rebuilt in 1749 by Pierre de Quatresols de Marolles, engineer of the Place de Port-Louis from 1733 to 1748. It is a small kiosk topped with a dome of carved granite that feeds a washhouse, covered in the nineteenth century, and now discovered.

The Tour Carée was part of the urban enclosure, built from 1649 to 1653, connecting it to the Citadel on one side and the village of Driasker on the other. It was pierced by a drawbridge postern, the Porte de la Pointe, which allowed exchanges between the city and the port. The Gate was destroyed in 1886. In 1947, the Square Tower became the Ice House of the fishing port. It now houses the Nautical Club.

In 1920, the first ship was welcomed at the port of Kergroise. It is now the second largest commercial port in Brittany and the 13th largest French port, with 30% of total Breton maritime traffic. The port handles four major traffic:petroleum products, agri-food raw materials, sand and cement and general merchandise. It also hosts cruise ships that stop for the day.

Old road that led to a stone quarry from the seventeenth century, the avenue de la Perrière became the center of the port area after 1945. The avenue, punctuated with red and green beacons, distributes in spikes the fishing and commercial ports.

One night in October in 1710, a sailor stole two chalices from the parish church L’Orient. Sacrilege! The Breton parliament ordered his execution. Under the orders of Louis 14th, this monument topped with a cross known as the “cross of truth” was erected on the site where the thief buried his loot. It was classified a “historical monument” in 1944.

Sanctified in 1786 under the reign of Louis 15th, the Carnel cemetery is the oldest and largest one in Lorient. In this burial site from 1804, famous people from the town’s history are buired, such as the poet Auguste Brizeux, the “doctor of the poor” Louis Bodélio and the French aviation pioneer Marc Pourpe. It also contains a military area with 321 graves.

“The future of our port is in the mudflats”. It was on this formula, pronounced in 1927 by the member of Parliament for Morbihan, Édouard Labes, that the deep water port was born. Indeed, before the development of the port of commerce, the district of Nouvelle ville -on your left - was located on the edge of the mudflat of Kergroise (41 hectares) - to your right. This has been partially filled by the war debris. According to the historical research of Pierre Mayol it would have swallowed 15.000 m3 of ramparts, kaolins and some hulls of clippers (or three-masts) of the canal of the Martinière. The construction of this polder stretches in successive tranches from 1920 to 1973 to make it an area dedicated to traffic and maritime trade.

The architects who redesigned the République building, also renovated the three huge social housing buildings built thirty years earlier by Georges Tourry. Completed in 1996, the project aimed at providing quality social housing to keep the inhabitants in the town. The buildings were shortened, and bow-windows and terraces added to the white facades with metal grids. To open up the district and the town to the port, the longest building, quai Jean Bart, was pierced through the centre for a new road. Completely renovated in 2011, the square Brizeux provides a green space with a picnic area and a children’s playground.

Created in 1807, the Lorient Chamber of Commerce promotes local economic development. The first stone of the building on the quai des Indes, designed by the architects, Dutartre, Caro-Picard and Ramonatxo, was laid in 1927. The monumental Art Deco facade rigorously and symmetrically organised, the noble local limestone and the pediment with its ornate caduceus (the emblem of Hermes, god of commerce) are all architectural features that confirm the Chamber of Commerce’s prestige.

At the beginning of the 19th century, when the old port of the Compagnie des Indes closed to trade to become exclusively military, a new merchant port with floating basin, lock and foreshore was built in the bed of the Faouëdic. Construction was long and laborious: work began in 1838 and the commercial port was not inaugurated until 1870. At the site of the current lift bridge, flanked by two lock-keeper’s houses, was a swing bridge operated by a capstan still in place.