Along the Côte d’Émeraude, the Chemin des peintres forms an open-air walking museum extending for approximately 20 km. The route has 22 stops and presents 28 works by 17 painters, from Lancieux to La Richardais via Saint-Briac-sur-Mer, Saint-Lunaire and Dinard.
Which artists are featured?
The trail brings together generations of artists drawn to the Breton coast: Paul Signac, Émile Bernard, Alexandre Nozal, Henri Rivière, Eugène Isabey and Pablo Picasso, among others. Reproductions allow visitors to compare the artists' compositions with the harbours, beaches, headlands and changing colours of the sea they faced.
How can you cover the 20 km?
The route can be explored on foot or by bicycle, and there is no need to complete it in one outing. The 22 panels are spread across several communes, so it is easy to choose one area, such as Saint-Briac, Saint-Lunaire or Dinard, then visit several nearby stops.
What are you really looking at?
The artworks are linked to specific coastal locations: Petit Port, Saint-Briac's navigation markers, mills, Pointe du Décollé, Dinard's beaches and views towards Saint-Malo. The landscape itself becomes the subject of the visit, with tides and light constantly changing what visitors compare with the painting.
An extra detail
Returning to the same information panel at low tide and then high tide completely changes how you read the work. This is especially relevant for paintings where the shoreline, rocks or boats shape the composition.
