Camaret-sur-mer and Locronan and Brittany's medieval city of Vannes

Day 4: Camaret-sur-Mer and Locronan

Southern Brittany

The next morning, day 4 of our Brittany tour, we left our château at Pléhédel and the pink granite coast and headed to southern Brittany for two nights. The sun was shining and the temperatures cool, 65F (18c) perfect for exploring! We knew there were more medieval towns and plus beaux villages de France waiting to be explored. Today Camaret-sur-Mer and Locronan were on our list, our first stop was a two hour drive away, the small fishing port of Camaret-sur-Mer on the Crozon Peninsula in Brittany’s Finistère department.

Camaret-sur-Mer

We walked around the picturesque harbour side to visit one of the Camaret’s most iconic sites, Tour Vauban, the golden tower.

We passed by several derelict, abandoned boats, a veritable nautical graveyard!

Tour Vauban in Camaret-sur-Mer

Tour Vauban, also known as the Tour Dorée, (Golden Tower) was built between 1693-1694 as part of the vast coastal fortifications completed by King Louis XIV’s famed military engineer, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. We had visited two of his other incredible sites last year in Provence at Briançon and Mont Dauphin.

Tour Vauban was built at the harbour entrance to protect the strategically vital harbour of Brest, then France’s principal Atlantic naval base. It helped control the entrance to the bay and deter attacks by English and Dutch fleets. It never saw a major siege, but remained an important defensive post for centuries. One of Brittany’s finest military monuments, it was a masterpiece of 17th-century coastal defence and is one of the best-preserved examples of Vauban’s coastal fortifications.

The tour is distinctive because of its 18 metres (59 feet) high cylindrical stone tower, its thick granite walls and the surrounding low battery for cannons which were positioned close to sea level. In 2008 it became a UNESCO World Heritage site, ‘Fortifications of Vauban‘, one of twelve sites across France recognising Vauban’s extraordinary contribution to military engineering.

Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour

This small seafaring chapel sits on the Sillon, a narrow pebble spit linking the harbour to the Vauban Tower. During an Anglo-Dutch attack in 1694, the chapel was struck by a cannonball which sheared off the top of the bell tower. The truncated tower remains one of the chapel’s most distinctive features. In 1910, a devastating fire destroyed the roof and most of the historic interior. The chapel was restored in 1911, with donations from local people and supporters across France.

The interior of the chapel reflects Camaret’s long maritime history with numerous thanksgiving offerings, including model ships suspended from the ceiling, given in thanks for safe voyages. The timber roof was built by local shipwright François Keraudren after the 1910 fire in the form of an upturned ship’s hull.

Locronan

An hours drive south we stopped at Locronan, another one of the stunning les plus beaux villages de France. This distinctive hill top village was founded in the 6th century, by an Irish hermit, Saint Ronan. It’s name, Lok-Ronan, comes from the Breton meaning ‘the hermitage of Ronan’. As pilgrims flocked to Saint Ronan’s tomb, Locronan grew in wealth and importance. The Dukes of Brittany encouraged the pilgrimage, and in 1505, Anne of Brittany visited granting the village town status.

After the surrounding countryside started to produce good quality hemp and flax, which local weavers turned into strong sailcloth, Locornan became known as the sailcloth town. This cloth was exported throughout Europe, supplying the navies and merchant and exploring fleets of France, Spain, England. It was this wealth that financed the village’s magnificent granite houses, churches and public buildings we see today.

When industrial weaving shifted elsewhere during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Locronan’s economy declined. However the village was preserved, enabling its handsome buildings around the broad central square to still define the village today.

Night 4 Hotel du Bac in Combrit

An hour and a half further south was charming, Combrit. We spent our 4th night here on the waterfront at Hotel du Bac. We were greeted with warm, friendly smiles which extended throughout the evening as we enjoyed delicious, local seafood. Should you go there, make sure you make a dinner reservation at the hotel’s Bistro du Bac, it’s a popular choice for the locals!

Hotel du Bac was a real gem, a simple but delightful night stop with splendid views across the harbour.

Day 5 Vannes

Vannes is one of Brittany’s most attractive and best-preserved historic towns. With its medieval walls, colourful, half-timbered houses, cathedral and marina on the Gulf of Morbihan, it was easy to see why it’s such a popular destination. We arrived on a bustling market day where the vibrant stores were very similar to those we love in Provence.

Vannes has a history stretching back 2,000 years. It was an important Roman town, known then as Darioritum. It’s name was changed to Vannes after the British settled it as a Christian centre in the 5th century. During the Middle Ages it grew to be one of Brittany’s principal cities and by the late 14th century became the capital of the independent Duchy of Brittany. In 1532 it was united with the Kingdom of France gradually losing its political influence to larger cities such as Rennes.

During the 17th and 18th centuries Vannes continued to flourish and wealthy merchants built the elegant stone mansions we see today alongside the medieval timber-framed houses. The French Revolution brought dramatic change. Church property was confiscated, monasteries were closed, and Vannes became the prefecture of Brittany’s newly created Morbihan department. Trade and tourism grew with the arrival of the railway in the 19th century. During the Second World War, from 1940 until August 1944, Vannes was occupied, although fortunately, its medieval centre suffered little damage.

We stumbled upon this striking exhibit in a local Vannes museum.

Night 5 Manoir du Vau d’Arz

We spent the night at this lovingly restored 15th century manor house in Malansac. Our charming host proudly showed us around and explained the extensive renovations she and her husband had completed. The accommodation was apartment style each unit with a kitchen, living area, bathroom and bedroom. Not surprisingly this is a property recommended by the esteemed UK travel site Sawdays.