MORLAIX BAY ❘ HIDDEN FRANCE
5 MUST-DO EXPERIENCES
1. VISIT BRITTANY’S ALCATRAZ A visit to the Château du Taureau is one you’ll never forget, and it’s only accessible by a boat that you book in advance. Once an inescapable offshore prison, Taureau has lived through various transformations (see panel) and is now open to day visitors and offers audio visits in English.
2. WALK TO AN ISLAND Here’s an island you can visit without a boat: Île Callot is connected to the mainland by a path which is only revealed at low tide. Explore this minute island, its church and coastline, but do check when the tide rises and falls or you could be stranded!
3. MORLAIX MARKET Morlaix’s Saturday morning market bursts with colour, chatter and activity, seafood, baked goods and fresh produce as well as fl owers, clothes and crafts. If you miss it, don’t worry – there’s a market every morning in one of the local towns.
4. THE COAST AND THE CORNICHE If you’re here with a car, make time to explore the coast road: it follows the sea from Roscoff right back up to Locquirec but if you don’t have all day, focus on the coastline from Carantec to Locquénolé, down into Morlaix, then up towards Cairn de Barnenez and Primel. You’ll be spoilt for picture-perfect views.
“YOU’RE SURE TO NOTICE THE TIMBERED BUILDINGS, BUILT FROM THE 1500S ONWARDS BY RICH LINEN MERCHANTS”
high-quality linen sails prospered for three centuries, so the local traders made a great deal of money, directly infl uencing both the evolution of the town and its architecture.
As you wander through the streets, you’re sure to notice the timbered buildings, built from the 1500s onwards by rich linen merchants looking to display their wealth by commissioning this impressive architecture. Particular to Morlaix are the Pondalez houses whose unique timber-frame structure includes an inner courtyard and overhanging upper storeys which created shelter for the pavements below. Morlaix has no fewer than 152 timbered buildings, but two are particularly noteworthy. Firstly, La Maison dite de la duchesse Anne has a surprising inner courtyard and decorative sculpted staircase; saved from destruction back in the 1880s, it is now open to visitors. Secondly, the Maison à Pondalez on Grand Rue, which was fully renovated in the 1990s, is now part of the town’s museums.
The maritime trade of Morlaix and its neighbours continued to drive the local economy and led to a town-centre port being built during the 1730s. As well as attracting tourists, the sea continues to support the ❯❯
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5. THE HERITAGE TRAIL Morlaix offers a two-hour walking trail – le circuit des venelles – around the town’s cobbled streets, through the historic highlights of the town, including the iconic Pondalez houses. Or try La Vallée de la Pennélé, a three- hour trail from the port up to the woods and river, along the former railway and back into town. Download the routes from
baiedemorlaix.bzh or visit the tourist offi ce.
Oysters on Île
Stérec in the Baie de Morlaix
Clockwise from above: The beautiful Église Saint-Mélaine in Morlaix; the stunning harbour at Locquirec; Morlaix town centre is full of architectural riches; the vast swathes of sand looking across to the town of Locquirec
Many delights await along the coastal path to Carantec
IMAGES © EMMANUEL BERTHIER, ALEXANDRE LAMOUREUX, THIBAULT PORIEL, SIMON BOURCIER
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