Saint-Hernot brings together architectural history, minerals and the traditional housing culture of the Crozon Peninsula. When choosing the area for your stay, the themes are easy to distinguish: the Chapelle Saint-Hernot represents architectural history, the Maison des Minéraux fluorescent minerals and field trips, the Circuit du Cap de la Chèvre former fishing villages, and the traditional housing form known as “pen ti”.
The chapel and its historic repurposing
The Chapelle Saint-Hernot dates in part from the second half of the 17th century. Its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross, with very long transept arms. The transept arms are the lateral arms of the cross-shaped floor plan; their unusual length is a distinctive architectural detail. The date and floor plan answer different questions: the former places part of the chapel in time, while the latter describes its architectural layout.
The former public boys’ school building in Saint-Hernot was converted into the “Maison des minéraux” museum in 1987. This brings together two distinct historical reference points: the date in the second half of the 17th century applies to part of the chapel; 1987 marks the school building’s change of use. The construction period and the repurposing therefore refer to different buildings and different periods.
Minerals and field trips
The Maison des Minéraux displays Europe’s largest collection of fluorescent minerals and offers field trips. These include sound-focused, narrative, hands-on and nature-oriented walks. There are therefore several ways to choose a focus: the collection of fluorescent minerals and excursions whose formats range from sound and storytelling to hands-on activities and a focus on nature. If you choose a geology theme for your stay, you can weigh up a focus on the collection against a field-based format.
The Circuit du Cap de la Chèvre and the “pen ti”
The Circuit du Cap de la Chèvre starts at the Maison des Minéraux and passes through restored villages once inhabited by fishermen. It introduces visitors to the “pen ti”, the traditional housing form of the Crozon Peninsula. In contrast to the chapel and museum, the circuit takes you from individual buildings and collections to a traditional housing form and former fishing villages. If you are interested in regional housing traditions, the “pen ti” is a distinctive cultural feature of the route.
Geological garden and route orientation
The Jardin Insolit(h)e de Bretagne near the Maison des Minéraux features 26 geological points of interest from across Brittany. Compared with the collection of fluorescent minerals, it offers a different scale: the garden brings together geological themes from the whole region. It is also close to the coastal path, the Sentier des douaniers.
The location details answer different questions about orientation: the Circuit du Cap de la Chèvre starts at the Maison des Minéraux; the GR34 is listed as 1.2 km west and 1.6 km east of Saint-Hernot. This provides a named starting point as well as two directional distances as different kinds of route information. The GR34 runs 1.2 km west and 1.6 km east of Saint-Hernot.
Discover more destinations: Le Folgoet, Plougasnou, Landrévarzec, Plougonvelin, Lennon, Scaër, Fouesnant, Le Drennec.
For the broader travel overview: Finistere.
