Vannes
and the coast
The pretty fishing port of Vannes (35 mins drive) is on the `Golfe
Du Morbihan,` which features in the book `The World`s Most Stunning Bays`.
The bay at Vannes is 15 miles square & littered with islands and white sandy
beaches (try a trip with Navix Tours and visit two islands & tour the
bay). The area is a protected bird haven-one of the biggest in France.
You can visit the exhibition centre there and even watch the birds from
the hides.
There are lots of good beaches nearby – Go to Carnac. For more on the coast go back to the contents page and press `beach`
To see Vannes the easy way then why not take the thirty
minute tour on the little train that leaves from the port every hour,
our kids loved it and we enjoyed it to. Alternatively, just take it easy
and sit outside at one of the waterfront cafes and watch it all pass
you by.
Rochefort-en-Terre
The well known town of Rochefort-en-Terre (20 mins
drive) is a popular destination due to its attractive cobbled streets,
numerous quality restaurants and varied shops. It is described as a `Petite
Cite de Character` due to its fascinating 16th-18th century architecture
and the fact that it won the prize for the best kept town in France.
There`s a large fortified chateau, a traditional French museum and various
art exhibitions. Don't forget to visit the dinosaurs at the prehistoric
park near the town: Le Parc Préhistoire.
Don't miss the Brocante (second hand shop) whilst you`re in Rochefort......
Redon
Twenty minutes drive south is the large town of Redon -described as the `Cité d’ art
de Bretagne`. The town, which was founded in AD832, is situated at the confluence
of two major rivers. It recently won the National prize for flower decoration
so expect to see a hanging basket or two.
The town has a lot of ancient historic sites to see. Visit the seventeenth century salt warehouses or stop by the Benedictine abbey and listen to one of the unforgettable classical concerts that they have there.
Redon's main shopping street is pedestrianised and
very pretty. There's also a huge hypermarket, so if you're after
a huge choice of stuff to buy, this may be the place to visit. Don’t
forget to go down to the river front for a coffee, or perhaps check out
the tapas bar by the canal. There`s also a couple of brocante's and second
hand shops on hand.
Josselin
About thirty minutes drive away Josselin is well
worth the effort. This ancient town (founded in the 11th century) is
built along the banks of a river and is dominated by its huge turreted
castle. You can take a tour around it. Take a stroll around the towns
narrow medieval streets and admire the half timbered old houses dating
back to 1538. We definitely recommend lunch at one of the many restaurants
on the river bank. Sitting outside on a hot summers day with a cold drink
is a must.
Lizio
A pretty town close-by with several places of interest
to see. There`s the metal working `poet` where
there`s loads of fun sculptures where the children
can press buttons and then watch them
doing all sorts of things. There`s the insectarium
full of creepy crawlies, a pottery, a museum devoted to `workers of the
past` and even `The House of the Clowns` where regular shows and workshops
for both adults and children. Should you be a beer drinker why not nip
into the Lancelot brewery on the outskirts of the town for a tour and
a taste.
La
Roche Bernard
This really nice town is perched on a large rock
overlooking the river Villaine. The town was founded a thousand years
ago by the Viking chief Bern Hart. Having sailed up the Villaine and
spotted this huge rock, he then settled there due to its defensive
position. He carried out his fair share of pillage and then converted
to Christianity and built a large priory. The town became an extremely
important trading centre and boomed throughout the middle ages.
Nowadays it has a tradition as a place of hospitality and gastronomy. There`s loads of Auberges. We recommend going down the river and sitting outside one of the waterfront bars with a cold drink and perhaps a crepe or two whilst watching the sailing boats rushing past. Check out the pottery as well.
A good option is to hop onto one of the yellow river boats and go for a cruise. Most serve lunch or dinner on board as well.
Why not check out the local pottery as well.
Rennes
The ancient bustling city of Rennes located at the joining of the rivers Ille & Villaine
is forty minutes drive. The city which was first settled in the 2nd century
AD, is steeped in history and is the `county town` of Brittany boasting the
regions parliament buildings. The city is quite large (but you can walk around
it in half a day) and has all the diverse attractions one would expect, including
parks, a zoo and various museums.
The heart of the town is hundreds of years old and pedestrianised. The network of old winding lanes opens into breathtaking expansive cobbled squares filled with statues and fountains. Frequently, fetes, markets and bazaars occupy the squares and for nine days in July a major festival takes over the whole city filling the streets with dozens of performing artists.
The shopping quarter is split into two areas, one where the small specialist shops are gathered and another where the big department stores can be found (e.g Gallery Lafayette).
Rennes has a lot of museums and gallery's and some are well worth a visit. The Musee des Beaux Arts has a really interesting ancient Egypt section with all sorts of things on display from decaying mummies to ancient pottery. The Museum of Contemporary Art is another interesting place and is free to get into.
Also at Les Champs Libres is the Science Zone for children. Here they can figure out how things work by doing all sorts of hands on experiments for themselves. They'll happily spend a couple of hours trying everything out.
The restaurants are located around a few central squares (and the odd side street) where you can sit outside to eat or drink and watch the world go by. There’s a huge selection of food available depending on taste and budget.
Pontivy
Pontivy is an attractive bustling riverside town with a good selection of traditional
shops and restaurants, a chateau, two large supermarkets, a hospital, and
indoor and outdoor swimming pools; market day is Monday
St Nicholas des Eaux
This beauty spot is situated on the River Blavet and offers a
range of activities including a river cruise, pedallo's, and canoes to
hire, fishing, cycling and riverside walks along the scenic towpath.
There are a couple of restaurants, bars and an excellent créperie,
all overlooking the river
Auray
Designated a town of 'art and history' Auray is a busy market
town and tourist centre with many art and antique galleries. There`s
a large selection of shops to check out (all small, and interesting)
. Go down to Port Goustan where there is a picturesque harbour that looks
like its straight out of a film set. Flower decked timbered houses and
inns surround the quay side, its a great place to sit and enjoy the scenery.
Don`t forget to have lunch on the quay side in one of the many great
bistros.
Damgan
Damgan is a town on the coast and has the double advantage of a pretty centre with miles of sandy beaches less than 150 yards away - see the Beach page for more information
Lorient & its locality
Further along the coast is the large city of Lorient set on the banks of the rivers Scorff and Blavet. Lorient is a major port both past and present, and home to the French navy’s submarine base. You can visit the second world war submarine base as well. In August the “Inter-Celtic Music Festival” is held, which is the biggest in Brittany with musicians from all the Celtic countries. Just to the west is Guidel-plage another lovely sandy beach with restaurants close-by.
Larmor Plage - as its name suggests is concentrated along its fine sandy beach, with a busy water-sports centre, a favourite for windsurfing and sailing. There are pleasant beach-side cafes for less strenuous activity
Port Louis - Port-Louis is an ancient fort at the entrance to the Lorient seafront, which was built in the heyday of the French East India Company- see photo. It`s worth a visit. The Lohic promenade on the 17th C ramparts offers picturesque views of the little village of Gavres and the boats and dinghies that are beached at low tide. The Grands-Sables beach is a favourite with locals for bathing and water-sports.
Below is a photo of its beautiful bay
Interceltic Festival - Between 1 and 15 August, Celts flock to Lorient from all over the Celtic world for this festival, which brings the whole town to life. There are players of bagpipes and bombards, folk dancers, and performers of all kinds, combining live performances with son et lumiere, fireworks, parades, bagadou competitions, concerts and, of course the famous Breton festou-noz (feast nights), which last far into the evening. It is attended by several hundred thousand people, making it the largest festival of its kind in France and the highlight of the Lorient year.
The Isle de Groix lies about 3.25 miles off the coast of Lorient, between sheer cliffs and sandy beaches. The island is known familiarly as the island of greks, the local name for the large coffee pots favours by the islanders, Groix is a land of contrasts. In the early 20thC it was the biggest tuna port in France, but it now relies on its wildlife and scientific heritage, and tourism accounts for much of its income. The giant rocks of Groix, its fields, valleys and scattered hamlets have all remained untouched and unspoiled in rare and precious authenticity.
Dinan is about an hour's drive away and is said to be Europe's best preserved mediaeval city. Dinan really needs a whole day's visit and, even then you will only just scratch the surface. Go down the hill and visit the harbour on the River Rance at the bottom.
Quiberon
Quiberon is a world apart, which is hardly surprising since it was once an island and is linked to the mainland only by a string of dunes called tombolo. Lovers of solitude and sightseers alike can lose themselves walking along the Cote Sauvage (wild coast), while the other side of the island offers an intimate, yet ever-growing, seaside resort, providing all the usual attractions and every type of water-sport.
With its beautifully sheltered beaches, particularly mild climate, stylish villas and seaside pines, Carnac is a foretaste of paradise for many summer holiday-makers. But this summer resort, which is divided between the town and the beach and is one of the most elegant in Brittany, is even better known for its alignments of world-famous menhirs. In addition to its flourishing tourist industry, Carnac is also farming country, so it gains income from both sources and ensures that the landscape is well looked after.
The standing lines of stones rise up from the moorland and scrub over a distance of about 2.5miles. There are three main henges and they are now protected by wire fencing. The Kerlescan, the smallest, consists of 240 standing menhirs. There is an observation post at the Kermario, from which the 982 standing stones can be admired. Like Stonehenge, all three are oriented precisely towards the sunrise at the summer solstice or the equinoxes.
Quimper
Quimper lies a few miles inland from the sea at
the confluence of the rivers Steir, Jed and Odet, and is a good town
to visit. The medieval centre is in rue Kereon (Shoemakers Street )
which leads off from the main square beside St. Corentins cathedral.
On this same street you will find an excellent tea shop La Macaronerie
Rolland-Padou – wonderful macaroons, plus chocolates, cakes and
tea! Quimper art gallery is worth a visit with work covering 16th to
20th century.
There`s an organic market every Friday afternoon 3pm – 7.30pm in the Kerfeunten car park.
St Malo
Take a trip up to St Malo and visit the ancient walled city.
Guérande is a magnificently preserved medieval town. The thick ramparts of the town overlook the famous square salt swamps which provide an income for the town.
This natural salt is carefully gathered by the townsfolk using traditional methods, and graces the finest tables in France .
“Gwen Ran” or white town , Guérande owes its livelihood to salt, which in olden times was so precious it was used as currency for commercial transactions. The salt flats are home to a magnificent array of flora and fauna, with egrets and blue heron being possible sightings if you are lucky.
There are, of course, numerous other towns and
places to visit close by. For example: At Carrentoir, barely ten minutes
drive away, there`s a large lake with a beach where you can hire pedallo's
by the hour, also there's an assault course for the children. In addition,
there's an excellent large adventure park where you can buy a days family
pass.
