The Tro Breiz pilgrimage is a walk of 1000km around Brittany, following medieval and modern trails between seven cathedrals of seven founding saints. For many years I have been intrigued by this undertaking and the scant historical evidence that has brought about a robust recent revival of ancient practice. I worked full-time on my own Tro Breiz project between 2022 and 2024, walking the route in stages over different seasons and writing two books – a guidebook and an account of my personal experience.
I have written extensively and given many talks about the seven founding saints of Brittany: Pol (St-Pol-de-Léon), Tugdual (Tréguier), Briec (St-Brieuc), Malo (St-Malo), Samson (Dol-de-Bretagne), Patern (Vannes) and Corentin (Quimper). Their recorded stories and those of other saints, from the 9th century onwards, give many insights into Dark Age issues of immigration and settlement as well as the establishment of a new religion in an underpopulated territory. The seven cathedrals, obviously much later versions and some not even associated with their original saints, remain, and are now the focal points of this pilgrimage, together with many chapels and other sacred sites along the way. The Tro Breiz offers a great way to explore some alluring landscape and develop an understanding of Brittany’s rich past.
Note: there is no one fixed route for the Tro Breiz (also called Tro Breizh in modern Breton) although an association is currently way-marking an ‘official’ path which includes lots of extensions to the basic journey. I followed an out-of-print guidebook mapping a fairly direct route between the seven cathedral towns, using existing footpaths and smaller roads, making it up as I went along on the few occasions where changes had occurred on the ground.
