Hiking trail #14 - Bertheaume fort

DEPARTURE: Bertheaume fort parking lot, 29217 Plougonvelin.

The 37-meter-high Bertheaume fort was built around 1690, at the request of Louis XIV, to protect Brest during the War of the League of Augsburg. Vauban installed three cannons and two mortars on the upper platform of the islet to control the Bertheaume cove, where all ships entering or leaving Brest harbor still pass today. A wise decision: in June 1694, an English fleet went on the attack, but was greeted by a deluge of bombs from the fort, enough to repel them.
The usefulness of Bertheaume was no longer in doubt, and Vauban's successors continued his work in the 18th and 19th centuries. Barracks, powder magazines and a perimeter wall were first installed, before the fort, then only accessible at low tide, was equipped with a footbridge in 1835, followed by casemates some fifty years later.

Head for the entrance to the old batteries and down the coastal path. To the right, walk along the seaward side of the fort. Continue along the GR 34 along the coast, discovering the Pouloguène rocks, Poulizan cove and Créac'h Meur headland, after a challenging climb. (At sea, the Charles-Martel buoy is equipped with an audible fog signal).

At the end of the cul-de-sac (rue du Vieil Amer), you'll see an amer.
The amer is a beacon used by sailors to guide their course.
It was the forerunner of lighthouses.

Situated below the Bertheaume fort, it is also known as the Bertheaume beach, and features a children's play area and mobile pontoon. A wide range of sporting activities are offered during the summer season, to the delight of the whole family (snorkeling, canyoning, jet skiing).