Morbihan offers a wealth of activities
to suit all ages and tastes.The websites www.bretagne.com , www.brittanytourism.com and www.Blavet.co.uk
,amongst others will give details of where to locate many
of the sporting activities.
Archery can
be found in St Nicholas des Eaux at Les Archers.
Cycling for
all stages from the gentle towpaths beside the Blavet river,
through quiet country lanes and villages to the more exacting
marked trails. Bicycles are available to
hire locally.
Fishing; all
types of angling is catered for and daily or weekly permits
are available.
Golf. There
is the 9-hole course at Bieuzy les Eaux and the 18 hole
courses nearVannes , Lorient and Auray. Visit the website
www.formule-golf.com
for more details.
Gokarting in
Plumeliau , Auray and Lanester near Lorient.
Horse riding
stables can be found near Bieuzy les Eaux, Camors, Pontivy
A skateboarding park can be found in Hennebont
Tree climbing in the adventure forest at Camors is a lot of fun for the
fit and energetic.
Watersports
includecanoeing on rivers, water skiing on inland lakes
at Guerledan and Ploermel and sailing, surfing and windsurfing
on the coast. For more information look up www.nautismebretagne.fr
The Parc du Roi Morvan offers
fun and entertainment for all the family . Their website
is www.parcduroimorvan.com
Historic towns
such as Pontivy, Auray Vannes Josselin and Quimper have
retained much of their medieval character and are well worth
a visit.Markets for
fresh produce and local crafts are found each day of the
week in local towns. Cottages will have details of specific
days.Try also the craft village of
La Gacilly and Pont Scorff.The list can go on… beaches;rocky
coves; museums; zoos; working museums; restored villages
like Poul Fetan; chateaux; pardons; fetes etc
The
Beaches are
too numerous to mention in detail. Safe swimming will be found
all around the south coast. Try Kerhillio for seemingly endless
stretches of sandy beach and dunes. From the eastern coast
of Quiberon, the bay of Plouharnel to Carnac, Trinite and
Locmariquer you will find clean beaches and sparkling clear
water. The coast is refreshingly unspoiled and uncommercialized,
the traditional Breton way of life still prevalent. You will come across cottages offering
oysters and mussels to taste and buy; clusters of creperies;
modest hotels; potteries. You will be charmed by the changing
scenery and captivated by the Breton way of life.
Pontivy was chosen by Napoleon as a garrison town and renamed Napoleonville
for a while. It is a charming country town on the River Blavet
with many beautiful half-timbered, corbelled
and turreted houses, cobbled streets and attractive shops
in the old quarter around the 16th century church of Notre
Dame de la Joie. The 15th century Castle of
the Dukes of Rohan with its two remaining towers is well-worth
a visit. There is a good variety of restaurants, cafes, interesting
shops and good supermarkets. Pontivy has an open-air swimming
pool. Market day is Monday.
The
Gulf of Morbihan
is said to have as many islands as there are days in the year!
The largest of these are Ille aux Moines and Arz. Day trips
to the islands are frequent, with opportunities to stop off
and explore on foot or cycle, or to relax on the sheltered beaches. Carnac is a very popular, bustling seaside resort with Breton stone
houses nestling amongst new apartments and hotels. Everyone
enjoys the long stretches of sandy beaches and carefree atmosphere
of this holiday village. There are excellent restaurants,
numerous boutiques and curio shops. Para-sailing,
wind-surfing and other water sports are naturally abundant.
But Carnac has its serious side too, with its astonishing "menhirs" or standing stones and its museum of pre-history.
Market day is Sunday.
La
Trinite Sur Mer
is in the innermost part of the Bay of Quiberon, on the Crach
river estuary where there are thriving oyster beds. It's a charming
and picturesque port harbouring both pleasure yachts and the
flat-bottomed oyster catchers. There are several safe, sandy
beaches with rocky promontories and the waters are favoured
by windsurfers. The
Quiberon Peninsular
was once an island but is now connected to the mainland by a
narrow sandy isthmus, guarded by the austere Fort Penthievre.
It has a wild, rocky western coast, the Cote Sauvage, with many
sandy coves and rock pools to explore, and a sheltered eastern
coast with sandy bays and small fishing ports, reminiscent of
Cornwall.
Concarneau.
The heart of this town is the magnificent fortified walled city,
now housing an excellent Museum of Fishing. It is well worth
visiting this leading fishing port whilst it is in full-swing;
the landing, sorting and auctioning of the catch worth the early
start, Mondays to Thursdays around 7 am. The town is flanked
by many lovely sandy beaches.
Vannes
is the heart of the "little sea", the
Gulf of Morbihan, and you can visit the islands of the gulf
from here. Vannes, prefecture of Morbihan, is a bustling town,
but the old square around the cathedral has been carefully
preserved and pedestrianized, with fine gabled and half-timbered
houses now occupied by boutiques and antique shops. The
chateau with its beautiful gardens, has a marvelous archaeological
museum. Vannes aquarium is very popular, particularly its
ocean reef section complete with sharks. Market days are Wednesday
and Saturday mornings only.
Josselin.
The
beautifully preserved medieval castle dominates the town as
it rises sheer from the river. It is well-worth a visit, the
doll's museum being particularly popular. The town itself
is also very impressive with its slate-roof houses, many interesting
historical sites, good shops and a variety of restaurants. From
Josselin you can follow the Legend of King Arthur and the
Knights of the Round Table by traveling to the ancient wood
of Broceliande in the Paimpont Forest. You will find the magic
fountain where Merlin fell under the spell of the Lady of
the Lake and discover many other remnants of days gone by. Lake
Guerledan,
to the north of Mur de Bretagne is one of the most beautiful
inland lakes in Brittany; a 7 mile stretch of water in the
Blavet Gorge, ideal for swimming, fishing, sailing and water
skiing (canoes, sailboards and pedalos can be hired at Beau
Rivage). Scenic places to visit around the lake include the
19th century iron-ore smelting furnace, the enchanting ruins
of Les Salles Castle, Bon Repos and the remains of the 12th
century Cistercian Abbey.
There
are numerous picnic sites and abundant walks through the forests
with delightful lake views. The
Blavet River. From Lake Guerledan the river snakes its way lazily to the sea
at Lorient, passing through Pontivy, Inzinzac-Lochrist, Hennebont
and many little villages on its way. It is well worth exploring
this enchanting waterway
either by canoe, barge, on foot or bicycle and delighting in
some breathtaking scenery. You will discover ancient chapels,
fountains, bars, fermes auberges and restaurants in which to
savour traditional local cuisine. |