Locmiquélic - Between bay, land and marshes

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.

Stretching over more than 65 hectares, Pen Mané marsh is a mosaic of natural environments fashioned by nature and by man. Located on publicly-owned coastal land, it belongs to the region of Brittany which entrusted its management to the Coastal Conservatory and maintenance to the town of Locmiquélic in partnership with the Nature et Patrimoine employment scheme. It is a special protection zone and included in the Lorient bay Nature 2000 scheme. Arranged paths help walkers discover its history and natural heritage. 150 species of birds and 470 species of plants have been identified here.

Once home to a landfill site, this part of the marsh has been reclaimed. The soil is regularly analysed by the Coastal Conservatory.

You've just arrived in the parish of Riantec, which takes its name from the stream “Le Riant”.Riantec is a part of the more ancient parish of Plouhinec. It encompassed the territories of Riantec, Locperan parish (now Port-Louis), Locmiquélic, Gâvres and its priory, which were detached from it to become parishes in the 19th century.

Former imperial route to the south of Morbihan. It is older than the Roman period and could date from the time of the civilization of Carnac and megaliths. This route allowed to reach the islet Ste Catherine from the countryside of Riantec and Locmiquelic. Today connected to the mainland, Sainte Catherine was an island before the Second World War.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Sterbouest sea mill below.In 1478, Amette De Kergroèzes asked the Duke of Brittany for permission to build a mill for her subjects in Riantec. It wasn't until 1482 that François II signed the order to build the mill. It was probably operational around 1485. Several successive millers operated the four pairs of millstones housed in the small building: two “white mills” (one for wheat, the other for rye) and two millet millstones.At the time of the French Revolution, it was assigned to Saint Nicolas hospital in Vannes. Then, in 1817, it was sold to miller and baker Jean Pierre Pesqueur. The mill continued to grind wheat and rye until 1879, when the last miller went bankrupt faced with competition from the flour mills.The owner at the time arranged the lake to create an oyster park. The project was soon abandoned, and a brickyard operated there for some fifteen years, until the very beginning of the 20th century. All that remains of this establishment are the master brickmaker's house and the stables. The kiln, the railway and its wagons, the sheds and warehouses all disappeared without a trace.The vast, reclaimed lake is overgrown with vegetation. The hiking trail winds its way around it, where you can imagine the landscape of yesteryear.

Kervern has been through some turbulent times. From the passage of the Chouans to a plane that crashed on an old farm during the Second World War, memories remain strong. The longères no longer have their thatched roofs, and only 1 of the 8 farmhouses once present in the hamlet still exist.

You find yourself on the former bank of the bay of Kervern. Before it was contained in the 1970s, the sea came up to the small dry-stone wall, to the foot of the fields and orchards. This wet woodland, with willows, carex grasses and marsh ferns, turns into a real swamp in the winter. It plays an essential role in the water cycle. Its stores rainwater and returns it during dry periods. Acting like a natural filter, the soil and plants that develop here help to improve the quality of the water.

To prevent reforestation and drying out of the marsh, the reed bed is regularly cut, and the willows pruned. This maintenance promotes plant growth and attracts birds.

A 20th century industrial project artificialized the bay of Kervern which used to be a mudflat with salt marshes and grassland. Maintained today by humans, it offers a wide diversity of environments. To preserve them, the marsh is flooded with saltwater in March and October using a system of sluices. The environment is dotted with dry fields, marsh willow woods, reed beds and mudflats colonised by samphire. Many birds migrate here whereas others, such as the spoonbill, can be seen all year round.

Approaching Lorient, the banks of the Blavet used to be dotted with villages comprised of farms. These are now built up, especially on the Lanester side where industrial and military shipbuilding concentrated. The sign tells you the history of these transformations since 1900.

Here, the river Blavet joins the Scorff and flows into the Atlantic Oceans in the bay of Lorient. This coastal river is 163 kilometres long and rises in Bourbriac in the Côtes-d’Armor department. Feeding into Guerlédan lake since the 1930s, the river was channelled in the 19th century. From Pontivy to the gates of Hennebont, bridges, ports and locks were built along it. The estuary begins at the last lock in Polvern, where the freshwater mingles with the rising seawater. Its wooded banks are interspersed with reedbeds and rushes, salt marshes and mudflats.

This fort has a chequered history! With its back to the sea but strategically straddling the bay of Lorient, Pen Mané fort was built in the 18th century by the French East India Company to protect against English attack. Work was halted in 1762 when the danger had passed. In the second half of the 19th century, the site was refurbished as a neo-classical barracks. Abandoned, it served as a quarry. In 1920, the French Navy installed a wireless telegraphy station there for long-distance communication with ships. From 1939 to 1945, the German army used it as a degaussing station for submarines. Bought by the town of Locmiquélic in 1988, it was refurbished and opened to the general public.