Billiers is a commune of the Atlantic coast, in the department of Morbihan, in Brittany.
Located 30 km east of Vannes, the village borders the Vilaine estuary, between the Gulf of Morbihan to the west and the Regional Nature Park of Brière and the peninsula of Guérande to the east. Fishing was for a long time the principal activity of the commune, whose village on the summit of a small hill was surrounded by marshes.
The establishment of a Cistercian abbey in the 13th century and then the construction of a lighthouse on the point of Pen Lan in the 19th century marked the history of Billiers, which now has a little over 900 inhabitants and has become a pleasant Seaside resort thanks to its beaches and natural heritage.
A step or a stay in Billiers can begin with the discovery of its built heritage.
In the village itself, one must see the Saint-Maxent church, built in the 17th century and remodeled in the 19th century. It has a bell-tower decorated with a terrace at its summit which offers a 360-degree viewpoint. The whole was once a "bitter", that is to say a point of reference for the sailors. A visit is possible. Information +33 2 97 41 53 04.
One also thinks of the Cistercian abbey of Prayers, built from 1252, and whose radiation was regional. As is the case today with the rehabilitation center established on the site in the early 1960s.
From the tower of the ancient abbey church, which has been preserved, an exceptional panorama over the ocean and the estuary awaits you.
On the point of Pen Lan, to the south of the municipal territory, one can observe the old building of the Garde Corps, built in the 16th century, which guarded the entrance to the estuary and which was converted into a hotel establishment.
Nearby, the Pen Lan lighthouse rises 26 meters above the sea and is now fully automated.
At its feet, the port of Billiers includes a hundred moorings and one notices there the "Belle de Vilaine", replica of a boat with old rigging of the beginning of the XXe century.
These sites, but also the salt marshes, megalithic vestiges (dolmens) inscribed on the inventory of historic monuments (former funerary chambers) and the coastal path of the customs officers (partially borrowed from the GR 349) are goals of Hiking or hiking first choice via several marked trails that also allow to better understand the fauna and flora. Information on +33 2 97 41 53 04.
For the pleasures of the sea, three beaches are accessible to Billiers. The most popular is the Barges family beach, at the entrance to Pen Lan Point. Wilder, bordered by the GR 349, one can prefer the beach of Granges, unless the beach of the Creek of Lovers seduce you... by its name and its intimate character. Its access is a bit more delicate, below the old Guards Corps.
To practice sailing, kayaking or paddle (boat rental or learning course), the nautical center of Billiers is located on the tip of Pen Lan. Reservations and information on +33 2 97 45 03 58.
With two highlights in April and November, the festival of Harmonies of Billiers offers concerts of classical music in the village church. Information and reservations at +33 2 97 41 53 04.
For fans of painting, every year in July and August, the Sentier des Arts offers an exhibition that evokes the work of a famous artist in the chapel of the Domaine de Praère, and meetings with plastic artists and sculptors to evoke their Art and their work punctuate the summer. Information on +33 2 97 41 64 23.
In a different way, in July and August also, you will discover with gourmandise the products of local terroir on the Sunday morning market, from 8am to 1pm.
