This is a fascinating area of Brittany giving you the choice
of wonderful inland valleys and hills to explore but also being within easy reach of the 3 very different Brittany coasts;
west coast for surfing, north coast for rock pools and south coast for glorious sandy beaches.
There
are so many things to do in this area for adults and children alike. A folder with full details is available in the Manoir.
Please do not hesitate to ask us if you have any special interests,
whatever you enjoy doing you can find it in this area. Please take a look at the Brittany Tourism website and the Cotes D'Armor
Travel Guide on the following links.
Our
Manior is only 8 kms from Lac de Guerledan where you can enjoy various water sports such as water ski-ing and swimming, or
hire a motor boat, canoe, kayak, rowing boat, dinghy or pedalo, or enjoy a lake cruise, or take dinner one evening
during the summer months on a floating restaurant. There are also some great places to eat and drink onshore and three small
beaches which offer safe bathing for children.
L'Abbaye
de Bon Repos:
The abbey was originally built in 1184 and has been successively ruined and rebuilt over the centuries.
It's superb setting next to the River Blavet and the Nantes-BrestCanalis well worth a visit. There are weirs, salmon stairs, a former water mill,
a mediaeval stone bridge over the river, a restaurant and a very interesting fossil/jewelerey/objets d'art shop.
Opposite there is a creperie/bar where you can sit and drink while watching the world go by. On Sunday mornings from Easter
to October there is an interesting local market where traders sell organic produce and crafts, it’s not just for tourists,
it's also popular with locals in Brittany. Not to
be missed if you are coming on holiday in early August is ‘Le Son et Lumiere’ held at the L’Abbaye de Bon
Repos. Visit their web site for more information.
This hamlet
is tucked away at the bottom of a wooded valley and was the site of the iron/steel industry in the 18th and 19th Century.
Visit the former homes of the workers which are furnished according to their original style. At the top of the terraced pleasure
gardens there is a splendid view over the valley and the various stretches of water within it.
Carnac stones:
The Carnac stones are an exceptionally
dense collection of megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany, consisting of alignments, dolmens, tumuli and single menhirs. The more than 3,000 prehistoricstanding
stones were hewn from local rock and erected by the pre-Celtic people of Brittany, and are the largest such collection in the world. Local tradition
claims that the reason they stand in such perfectly straight lines is that they are a Roman
legion turned to stone by Merlin or Saint
Cornelius – Brittany has its own local versions of the Arthurian cycle. A Christian legend associated with the stones held that they
were pagan soldiers in pursuit of Pope
Cornelius when he turned them to stone.Most of the stones are within the Breton village of Carnac, but some to the east are within La
Trinité-sur-Mer. The stones were erected at some stage during the Neolithic period, probably around 3300
BC, but some may date to as old as 4500 BC. In recent centuries, many
of the sites have been neglected, with reports of dolmens being used as sheep shelters, chicken sheds or even ovens. Even more
commonly, stones have been removed to make way for roads, or as building
materials. The continuing management of the sites remains a controversial topic.
Pont Aven lies
in a very pleasant setting at the point where the River Aven, after flowing between rocks, opens out into a tidal Estuary.
The Aven river used to drive numerous mills, but today only one mill remains in operation. Pont Aven is famous for a colony
of painters among them Gaugain, and many art galleries line the pretty streets.
Rostrenen:
The central position of Rostrenen,
a traditional market town of stone and slate, makes it an ideal base for exploring the beautiful peaceful woods and countryside
of inland Brittany, reminiscent of a rural England long vanished.Old Breton tales have given rise to a number of local
festivals such as the ‘bod’ bush fair on the first Tuesday in December. Visit Rostrenen’s Tuesday market
for traditional produce including organic bread and vegetables. South of the town, the towpath of the Nantes-Brest Canal is
ideal for walking and cycling and at nearby Glomel there’s rock climbing and pony trekking.All three of Brittany’s
coastlines are accessible from Rostrenan while for those seeking a beach close by, Lake Korong can offer a man-made one along
with children’s play area, canoeing, windsurfing and pedaloes for hire.
Pontivy:
Pontivy,
which is 20 minutes away, is a large town with a beautiful chateau and old town quarter. Formerly named Napoleonville
after his design of the new town, it has a beautiful setting on the Nantes-Brest canal and has everything you could possibly
need for a days excursion. There are some lovely restaurants and very nice shops!
The Coasts and Sea:
The north Brittany coast close to St Briuec, is about 35 minutes by car. Here there are not just lovely sandy beaches
but also fascinating rock pools for the children to try their hand at crabbing! Or visit the west Brittany coast for surfing
and the south Brittany coast for glorious sandy beaches, both about an hour from the Manoir.
With its warm maritome climate and deep soils Brittany is
ideally suited to the 'Art of the Garden'. There are many diverse gardens to discover and explore within easy reach
of the Manoir. Most open from Easter until the end of October and several have themed 'festival' weeks celebrating
the arrival of the seasonal favorites including camellias, azaleas and hortensias. There is an extensive programme of concerts,
exhibitions and workshops throughout the year. With the many botanical collections and specialist nurseries, Brittany is a
good place to hunt for plants which can be freely exported back to the UK.
Large
amusement park at Bergard with an indoor and outdoor pool with cascades, three water slides, trampolines, bowling, 130 metre
toboggan run, water chutes, bumper boats, pedal karts and buggies, mini golf, summer sledge, toddlers playground. Also a restaurant
and cafe.
Set in 12 hectares of woodland between Rennes and Saint Malo offering some 30 activities including
a carousel, mini golf, go karting, The Rapids (descend in inflatable boats), monkey bridges, trains, wildlife museum, swimming
pool with chutes, quad track, bouncy castles, restaurant and cafe.
Les
Aquatides: Leisure centre at Loudeac with 70 metre giant waterslide swirling river, play area for toddlers with
fountain, paddling pool and mini pool.
Les recre
des 3 cures: Leisure /amusement park 5 minutes from Brest with carousel, giant slide, lake, dodgem boats, little
train, wild ride, trampolines, cable car, bouncy castles, go-karting, aqua-pistol, pirate ship, scenic railway, The volcano,
The Tempest, mini farm and river splash and a 500 metre summer toboggan run. Also restaurant and cafe.
Zoo
and park between Rennes and Saint Malo. Visit the listed château which houses the furniture and treasures of Count of
Lorgeril’s ancestors. Large formal gardens, game areas, picnic and barbeque areas and large green floral areas to allow
visitors to observe the numerous wild species wandering about: Ostriches, Zebras, Gibbons, Macaws, Wolves, Deer, Monkeys
,etc.
Trégomeur Zoo: Founded
twenty years ago this zoo in the Ic valley allows you to travel from island to island and observe the monkeys, lions,
Sumatran tigers, Wallabies, Kangaroos etc.
See
more than 300 tortoises living in the large landscaped gardens, some weighing more than 100 kg and more than a 100 years old.
Crocodiles, Caimans and Alligators. Visit the large reptile house, with tunnels, ladders you can climb, pyramids and glass
towers with boas, pythons, iguanas, monitor lizards and chameleons.
Large ocean Discovery Park near Brest. Visit the three thematic
pavilions Polar, Tropical and Temperate containing 10,000 animals representing 1000 species. Recreated habitat in the polar
pavilion with 40 penguins. Real pack ice for the seals of the far North! Enjoy watching the seals play.
An amazing medieval castle on the sea from the 13th century. The castle has been classified as a historical
monument by the French Ministry of Culture since 1925. The film The Vikings (1958 by Richard Fleischer) was filmed here.
