Lace up your hiking shoes and stride along the GR®34!
Do not expect to meet any customs officers scanning the horizon and watching out for smugglers.
The former customs officers’ path which runs all along France’s coasts, is now a public footpath, open to everybody.
The sections of Saint-Nazaire offer breathtaking views and an unexpected walk between Saint-Nazaire and Pornichet. Along your way, you will see many fishing huts, these typical wooden cabins on stilts that dot the French Atlantic coast. This “balcony above the sea” is a pure delight, with its scents of resin and broom, its huge pine trees and evergreen oaks adding a very Mediterranean touch to the scenery.
In sunshine, the sea sparkles below, promising many coves and beaches, including the renowned Plage de Monsieur Hulot. On inclement days, enjoy a spectacular view of the storm-tossed sea. Walking the GR®34 means being mesmerized by the Breton coastline, in any season and at any time of the day.
Allow about 3 hours to walk from Place du Commando to the beach Plage de Sainte-Marguerite in Pornichet (14km). Alternatively, you can stop off at the beach Plage de Monsieur Hulot, it’s about a 1½-hour walk, plus a 15-minute bus ride to downtown Saint-Nazaire.
The path does not present any difficulties, but there are quite a few “ups and downs” and stairs which can be rather steep.
