In Champeaux, sacred architectural history, a Neolithic menhir and an immersive VR escape game come together. When planning your visit, the opening hours of the collegiate church are as specific as the differing details provided for two walking routes. Champeaux is located in the bocage of Haute-Bretagne; culture and walking therefore offer distinct ways to spend your stay.

Architectural history from the keep to the menhir

Sainte-Marie-Madeleine was elevated to collegiate church status in 1432. Château d’Epinay combines a residential building from the 16th century with a ruined keep from the 13th century. Different building elements and periods thus stand side by side in one structure: the residential building and the medieval keep. The architecture cannot, therefore, be reduced to a single period.

The canons’ house at 3, place du Cloître also dates from the second half of the 16th century and is part of a protected site since 20 January 1964. The fountain on Place du Cloître in Champeaux lies 10 metres northwest of the collegiate church and has been classified as a protected site since 20 January 1964. The town’s architectural history thus also includes a house and a fountain, in addition to the collegiate church.

The Menhir de la Haute Pierre (menhir known as “la haute pierre”) dates from the Neolithic period and has been listed as a historic monument since May 1980. Its date is far earlier than that of the buildings mentioned above. The range of surviving historic landmarks therefore spans archaeological, medieval and early modern periods.

Church visits and cultural activities

Sainte-Marie-Madeleine has specific visiting hours: the church is open for free visits every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., outside service times; in winter, visiting hours end at 6 p.m. Services and ceremonies may affect access arrangements. Check the conditions before your visit, particularly if you have a specific time slot in mind.

The Cloître Saint Martin serves as an annex to the collegiate church for certain concerts and exhibitions. Courses and meetings related to sacred art are also held there. If you plan to attend a concert, exhibition or course, check the relevant dates in advance, as the programme may change.

For the Fête de la Musique, a visit to the collegiate church with lighting and singing is offered every year. As dates and arrangements may change, check the specific event dates before travelling.

Le Manuscrit d’Espinay is an immersive virtual reality escape game dedicated to the heritage of Champeaux. It is designed for two to four players and lasts about an hour. This makes it possible to plan the activity as an approximately one-hour part of your itinerary. Participation requirements and duration may change, so check the booking details before travelling.

Walking routes and landscape

Champeaux is located in the bocage of Haute-Bretagne. The Circuit de la vallée du Palet is an easy walking route with a walking time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. The Circuit de la passerelle des tourbières is 9 kilometres long. The two routes can be compared using different criteria: for the first, the difficulty and walking time are provided; for the second, the distance. You can choose according to whether a time frame or distance is more important to your plans.

If you want to balance culture and outdoor activities differently, Champeaux offers several clearly defined options: architectural history and sacred art, or walking routes with their own time and distance details. Church visiting hours matter when planning a visit; for the Fête de la Musique and activities at the Cloître Saint Martin, it is worth checking the dates. This lets you shape your stay around the topics that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Tinteniac, Vieux-Viel, Montreuil-Le-Gast, Sougéal, Servon-Sur-Vilaine, Guipry, Piré-sur-Seiche, Noyal-Sous-Bazouges

For the regional travel overview: Ille-Et-Vilaine.