Goven: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Goven is shaped by architectural history, sacred architecture, pilgrimage traditions, and several hiking routes.

Culture and History

The Château de Blossac is a 17th-century château in the municipality of Goven in the Ille-et-Vilaine department. Construction of the present château began in 1672. It is set in a 19th-century English landscape park. The outbuildings around the château include an orangery, stables, and a kennel.

The present-day Église Saint Martin dates from 1850 and is dedicated to Saint Martin and Saint Goulven. Three naves, a Latin-cross floor plan, a ribbed vault, a bell-tower porch, and the Neo-Gothic style define its architecture.

The monument to Saint-Samson, erected in 1880, was probably made from stones from the former chapel. It depicts Saint-Samson beneath a statue of the Virgin Mary and a Christian cross.

Landscape and Trails

The Circuit des Landes de Caffort is an 11-kilometre circular trail of easy difficulty; it takes more than three hours. Its starting point is at the car park of the Chapelle de l'Hermitage in Goven.

The trail passes through heathland, woodland, and rock outcrops in the Canut Valley, a Natura 2000 site. Many birds are found there, including several protected species.

A 14-kilometre hiking trail in Goven passes near woods, ponds, manor houses, chapels, and châteaux. The GR n°37B crosses Goven, passes near the Chapelle de l'Hermitage, and then follows the former railway line towards Baulon.

The Circuit de l'Ermitage passes through a forest and descends to the Étang de la Roche. Along the trail, there are outcrops of red shale and heathland vegetation.

Faith and Tradition

The Chapelle Sainte-Anne de l'Hermitage is a traditional pilgrimage site. Every year, many people gather there for prayer on the Sunday closest to 26 July.

Other places: Roz-Landrieux, Bédée, Essé, Québriac, Les Iffs, Noyal-Sous-Bazouges, Domloup, Sainte-Anne-sur-Vilaine

For the higher-level travel overview: Ille-Et-Vilaine.