Holidays in Brittany

SPECIAL TOWNS

Known as 'Petites Cités de Caractère'

The Association des Petites Cités de Caractère, founded in 1975, "brings together around twenty small settlements all displaying the characteristics of a historic town and featuring a first-class urban heritage which reflects their history and once prestigious role". (Phew!) Here are those closest to us - you'll find them all fascinating and wonderfully welcoming, with lots of facilities for visitors.

LA ROCHE-BERNARD

La Roche-Bernard is the best - but having chosen to live here you'd expect us to say that! For pictures and information, simply select "The Apartment" tab at the top of the page.

ROCHEFORT-EN-TERRE

Rochefort-en-Terre was a fortified town, set deep in the hinterland of the province but the bulk of its castle and the old walls have now crumbled away or been pulled down and built into the walls of the houses.

What stands there now is a charming town full of flowers which tumble everywhere from old horsetroughs and window-boxes, down walls and across trellises, glowing on the old granite walls and among the half-timbered medieval buildings. You can browse among the many craft workshops there.

MALESTROIT

Malestroit (the "s" is not pronounced!) is a pretty medieval market town on the banks of the River Oust, which at this point is also the Nantes-Brest Canal. The town centre is attractive and retains some lovely historic features.

Founded in the 10th century, the town became important in the Middle Ages, owing its prosperity to the leather work, linen and hemp industry and also to the river which made the transport of various materials and the export of local products possible. This trade increased a good deal following the construction of the Nantes to Brest Canal, on the orders of Napoleon.

Some old town houses carry carved figures which are very charming and comical or rather cruel – an animal playing the bagpipes, a man beating his wife, and a pig spinning.

LIZIO

This small, quiet but charming town was once a staging post for the pilgrims travelling to Compostella. The 16th century was a prosperous period for the town because of its linen and hemp weaving industry. Signs of wealth are evident in the houses built during this period.

Lizio is now known for its local food products - it has a wild boar farm as well as a cider house and a brewery. Visitors are welcome to sample the goodies!

Near Lizio is an excellent Museum - the Ecomusée des Vieux Metiers - which is full of objects collected from past times, beautifully organised and displayed. There is a schoolroom, a grocer's shop, a butcher's, a wig-maker, shoemaker and so on. It is all the work of one man whose enthusiasm is infectious.

JOSSELIN

Josselin is full of medieval splendour. The mighty castle, although little more than a façade, is one of the most imposing in Brittany when viewed from the river Oust. It offers wonderful opportunities for photographers. Apparently it was originally built in wood about 1000 AD.

The town has an impressive number of attractive half-timbered houses, one of the finest being the tourist office.

In mid-July the town holds a popular medieval festival, which is well worth a visit.

By contrast to the river front, when approaching the castle from the town side, it is hard nowadays to get any impression of the scale of the original fortifications.

The medieval streets are a truly fascinating place to wander and the timber-framed shops and restaurants are appealing.

MONCONTOUR

Although just beyond the northern boundary of Morbihan, we couldn't miss such a favourite as the pretty medieval fortified town of Moncontour.

It hosts a special Fête Médiéval on the third Sunday of August each year. The buildings in the town are decorated with banners and castellations, and straw is spread about the streets. Most of the population, and many of the visitors too, wear appropriate costumes. Minstrels and balladeers entertain along with jugglers and sword-swallowers on street corners.