Welcome to this information site for our house in Brittany , France. The information has been provided for those who have expressed an interest in the house an the surrounding area.
The house is privately owned. We have owned the house now for 10 years and regularly return with family and friends for holidays an short breaks. The house was bought ‘to share’ and is not rented out to the public.
The house is a stone built house set in rural France. The area is agricutural and the weather is generally warmer that that of the UK. Its a sunny area also. La Rochelle is said to be the sunniest place in France and it’s just a 4 hour drive down the coast.
When on holiday some people just like to sit back and enjoy the countryside or just read a book sitting comfortably in the warm sunshine. The pace in this part of France is slow. Traffic is virtually unheard of and you can drive for miles sometimes without encountering another vehicle. For those who just wish to sit back and relax then this part of France should be ideal.
For those who with to enjoy a more active holiday then there are many activities and interests in the area and beautiful places to explore. The following is a short list of such activities:
1. The monestry : Within 1 km from the house there is a French working monestery. It is possible to plot a good walk from the house and visit the monestery on route. The monestery has a charming shop where they sell products that are manufactured on site by the monks.
2. Swimming baths : There is a municipal indoor pool at Regonet , 4 indoor pools at Ludiac and an open air swimming Centre at Pontivy (follow the signs for the Piscine).
3. Visit Josselyn .
Josselyn is a medi-evil chateaux and it is very impressive. Walk under its high walls by the road and look up to gauge just how high this impressive fortress is. There are guided tours of the chateaux and they are really informative and well worth the money. Its best to book the tours because they fill up fast ( especially in the summer months ). There are tours in both French and Enlish so be sure to book on the right tour.
Josselyn is a very pretty, picturesque town (photos to follow). The town comes alive on Saturday where there is a market right down the town’s high street. We do tend to visit when we can because they sell fresh, seasonal products, fresh bread and have a really great travelling (market) Fromargiere who not only sells delicious cheeses but who also allows you to try samples before you buy (yummy). I personally like the Compte cheese which is also a favourite cheese of
4. Visit Pontivy or Ludiac. Go further afield to Vannes even. Pontivy has an open municipal swimming area. Great for the kids, take subscreen.
5. Tour the bay of Morbihan on a French cruise boat. Sit back. Ignore the French commentry and just soak up the sea and sun.
6. Boat Hire : This could be a rowing boat, sailing boat ( dinghy ), Canoe , Kayak at Lac De Duc ( just 30 mins form the house )
7. Visit the open air art gallery of the town of La Gacilly where there is an all year round collection of art and artifacts that are open to public viewing.
8. Beaches : There are many great beaches on the Gulf of Morbihan which is an hours drive from the house.
9. Visit the deer park at LA Feuette here you need take a packed lunch and if you are feeling adventurous travel along the 8km off road trail on one of the motorized golf carts. The area is beautiful. There are acres of open countryside to explore and enjoy.
10. Visit Vannes for good food and shopping. Vannes is a thriving and bustling city and has a great deal to offer. Take a waterfront walk and view the marina with its array of yatchs.
11. Visit the sculpture park at : Kerguehennec . Take a packed lunch and take your time wandering through the grounds and countryside of this great stately home.
12. Walk or cycle along the Nantes/Brest canal.
13. French produce is amongst the finest in the world. The array of fresh vegetables , fresh fish and meat is amazing . Treat yourself to a BBQ or just cook yourself a French delecasy.
14. Lac Du Duc. This is only 30 minutes away form the house and is in Plourmel and is just beyond Josselyn. Go to Josselyn but just before entering Josselyn head for Rennes and then follow the signs for Lac Du Duc. Its great for walks and water sports, volley bell, tennis and table tennis.
15.Go for a bike ride. Take your bikes with yiu. There are miles and miles of open country roads and there is always the Brest/Nantes canal.
16.Go fishing. It is possible to go sea fishing out of Trinity-Sur-Mer and it is also possible to go fishing locally on the Nantes/Brest canal.
17. Go fruit picking and make some jam or fruit pies. Thre are all sorts of fruit trees in the locality. Apples are in abundance. The hedge rows are also full of berries ( blackberries and some blueberries ). There are peach trees in the area also.
18. Go sailing. There are sail boats ( dinghys etc. ) to be hired at Trinity, test your sailing skills.
19. Go SCUBA diving. Again there are areas towards Vannes and along the coast where there are SCUBA diving schools and SCUBA diving equipment fir hire.
20. Have a BBQ. French fish and meat is fantastic. The vegitation that is available at the larger supermarkets ( M LeClerk ) is fantastic and the choice is amazing. Go get some Julienne Atlantique, some kebabs , sausages, onions, peppers and garlic and have yourself a great BBQ ( don’t forget the wine ).
There are several beaches but before you can explore them you need to drive to the coast. The coast is an hour from the house and while the rural traffic is light the traffic towards the coast will be heavier, especially in the summer months.
Auret
Auret is a small but modern town and its en route if you are heading towards Queberon/Carnac. The traffic does become quite busy around the Auret area so beware and leave a little extra time when going in this direction. Auret has a market ( I think on Wednesday ) which is a large market which goes down one large street in the town, its a bustling place and worth a visit.
Carnac
Carnac is famous for its monolyths and Carnac is by the sea. Its a full blown seaside resort ( but not like say Blackpool ). In the summer months it comes to life as the French ( and Brits ) descend upon the resort for their summer breaks. There is a conch train, pedalos, a safe beach pool with supervision for small children and there are also kids clubs organised through the summer. Carnac has several good restaurants and bars. Ideal for a goo day out or if you fancy a week by the sea then again maybe this is worth considering.
Wind Surfing
If you are looking for wind surfing the head for the Queberon peninsula. Its a bit of a drive but well worth the effort. Take a picnic or a compact BBQ and make the most of your days out.
Sailing
Sailing, snorkelling and SCUBA diving equipment can all be hired. There are classes and full courses available for those who wish to improve their sailing skills.
Snorkeling
If you are going to do some snorkelling that I would suggest that it is best to take your own equipment. It is possible to purchase snorkelling equipment from the larger stores in the area but in general these do tend to be slightly more expensive than here in the UK where it seems there are good deals to be done at local sports shops ( Sports Direct ) or even online at ebay.co.uk. Bear in mind that the sea surrounding the area is the Atlantic and as such it tends to be cold BUT in the summer months this can be viewed as “Refreshing”. With shallow beaches and reasonably deep coves there are large areas in and around the coast and the coastal islands for plenty of snorkelling.
Short Cruises
If you fancy a short cruise for an hour or two then head for Vannes. During the summer months there are many cruise ships to choose from. The cruises are reasonably priced ( cheap ) and can last up to 4 hours. The Gulf of Morbihan is beautiful, the scenery stunning and if you like the smell of the sea and sea breezes then this may just be what you are looking for.
Island hopping
Within the Gulf of Morbihan there are sever small islands. Most are walkable ( take a pik-nic ) and most are scenic. It does get very hot in the summer so its wise to take a rucsack together with some provisions ( water, sandwitches or pic-nik etc. ). Meals and drinks can be a little pricey and on some of the islands they are also in short supply.
The French love their fetes. You may see signs for ‘Fetes de pain’ or ‘Fetes de vin’ or ‘Fetes de “whatever”‘ , these will be sign posted throughout the region. If you stumble upon a fete and have the time and the inclination then please take the time to visit ad join in the fun.
Mont San Micheal
Paris
Le Mans
Bayeaux Tapestry
These are some of the questions often asked by visitors.
- How far is the town of Rohan from the house ?
- Is there food shopping close by ?
- Are the locals friendly ?
- How far is the nearest fuel station ?
- How far is the nearest boulanger / pattissier ?
- How far is the nearest bar ?
- What are the opening times for the stores ( in general ) ?
- Where is the nearest market ? Are there many markets ?
