The cottage is five minutes away by car from the town of Pontrieux which is a "ville fleurie" - ie: beautiful geraniums and flowers abound. The town is famous for its multitudinous lavoirs (clothes washing places) along the river and its half timbered houses and its old granite fountain. It has a delightfully friendly atmosphere with town hall, banks, patisseries (yum), creperie, restaurants, bars, and supermarket - to name but a few. Pontrieux is well known to yachtsmen as it lies at the head of navigation on the River Trieux and has a marina accessible from the sea by yachts. The river estuary is said by some to be one of the most beautiful in Brittany. Maybe in part this is because the deep gorge of the tidal Trieux has no road within it, and thus remains a calm and peaceful place. The only concession to the modern age: a private rail company runs trains along the old branch railway line that runs alongside the gorge.
The river at Pontrieux is calm as there is a lock so that yachts float all the time and tie up alongside the quay below the town. Canoes and kayaks can be hired for just pottering or exploring. Water is always present in the port/marina because of the lock - but it is salty - indeed high spring tides can come over the road! However there is a weir just below the town and from here upwards (and within the town itself) the river is quiet and is fresh water. We went down an alleyway near the wine shop and there you can take a guided tour in small boats with electric engines - gliding peacefully under the willow branches and beside the "lavoirs"- usually resplendent with gorgeously coloured geraniums. We are told salmon can be seen leaping up the "staircase" near the lock but we have not seen this yet. Chateau de la Roche Jagu is near to the cottage and is a truly wonderful place to visit with a spectacular view over the river.(See below)
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| Picturesque old 'Lavoirs' beside the river Trieux at Pontrieux |
| Picture Gallery of Pontrieux |  |
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| 'Vapeur du Trieux' en route for Pontrieux |
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Within 3/4 minutes drive and within walking distance, along quiet country and green lanes, is the Chateau de la Roche Jagu - not a chateau like a "Loire" chateau but a dramatically positioned fortified house with recently restored water gardens which came to light after the famous hurricane felled masses of the trees - an ill wind?. It is in a spectacular setting on the edge of a gorge overhanging the river which just below the chateau turns dramatically through 180 degrees. From a decked platform at the chateau you can watch boats, far below on the river Trieux, going to and from Pontrieux and the sea. The gardens (entry is free) contain a wide variety of plants, some of sub tropical species, which are a delight even to the non-gardener. The many water features are obvious to all, but tucked away in a deep ravine is a palm garden with all sorts of different palm trees, and quiet ponds with woven willow "living" fencing. Alongside one of the many paths which criss-cross the park are all sorts of young oak trees. A quiet stroll down through the gardens at dusk towards the river accompanied by flying bats and lit by glow-worms beside the path will always be remembered! The restaurant at the Chateau is open at lunch times most days and offers in the summer months a varied and reasonably priced menu. The chateau usually houses during the season a "theme" exhibition (in 2002 the exhibition featured the history and construction of the lighthouses and navigation beacons of Brittany) and sometimes there are folk concerts or acrobats or other do's at weekends. The chateau itself justifies a visit - although not furnished the rooms are magnificent and the oak timbers within the restored roof are superb. To visit the interior of the chateau is a minimal cost. (May not be open in the winter months)
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| Chateau de la Roche Jagu |
| More pictures of the chateau | |
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| A country road near the cottage |
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Using our car we like to visit the nearby cathedral town of Treguier with magnificent cathedral, the coastal beauty spots such as the Ile de Brehat, Silon de Talbert, Point du Chateau (the much photographed cottage in holiday brochures is between two enormous rocks near Le Gouffre). The university town of Lannion (25 mins) has an internationally renowned university of technology - and nearby is a satellite/telecommunications centre (first trans-Atlantic TV) and a renowned planetarium as well as large hypermarkets for ‘le shopping’. There is a golf course (18 holes - Par 71 - 6351 yards) at Tregastel (30 mins away).
The old Breton fishing port of Paimpol is
quite close (25 mins) and has many restaurants and some interesting shops.
It can be reached by diesel railcar from Pontrieux which goes along the
picturesque railway line beside the Trieux.
The "Armoripark" at Begard (15 mins) has
tourist attractions and swimming pool.
The beach at Palu Plage (near Plouha) to
the east (20 mins) is gently shelving with good sand and nearby are walks
along the highest cliffs in Brittany with stunning views on a clear day across
the bay of St Brieuc. Plage Napoleon is
another good beach close to Plouha. Or there are beaches with dramatic boulders
and rocks at Tregastel and Ploumanach about
30 mins to the north west. The Ile de Brehat can be reached by boat from
Point d’Arcouest (25 mins) (to the
north of Paimpol) and on a warm and fine day has a strong Mediterranean feel
to it. Guingamp (25 mins) is very pleasant
with old half timbered buildings - two large hypermarkets - and a swimming
pool - and TGV to Morlaix or Rennes or further afield to Paris. (The trains
are usually on time) For steam train fans the 'Vapeur du Trieux' (steam
train) runs nearby during the summer months. Old fashioned diesel railcars
also run to and from Paimpol, Pontrieux, Guingamp and Carhaix - a delightful
"rural" train journey into central Brittany. The trains pass and will stop
on request at "Traou Nez", an isolated house
on the opposite bank of the Trieux reached by a difficult road via Pontrieux
Quemper Guezennec and Plourivo. The house was once owned by the alleged
victim Pierre Quemeneur in the 'Seznec Affair', well known to the French
as a probable and notorious miscarriage of justice (the Seznec family is
still trying to posthumously prove Seznec's innocence), and now houses a
museum devoted to the natural history of the shoreline.
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| Treguier |
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| Photos taken around the area | |
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Mont St Michel is 2 hours away. For lovers
of hypermarkets there is one of the biggest we have ever been in at Langeux
(near St Brieuc - 40 mins). Carnac and the
amazing standing stones (menhirs) are 2 hours drive to the south through
the heart of beautiful inland Breton countryside.
Quimper is one and a half hours drive to
the south west - a further 40 and you are on the rugged west facing coast
at Point du Raz or the
Crozon-Morgat peninsular. Quite close
to Quimper is the picturesque old fishing port of
Concarneau and nearby is the artistic town
of Pont Aven
45 minutes away from us is the moorland and fascinating countryside around
Huelgoat with its lake - some of our visitors
tell us that the Roche Tremblante nearby can be moved (without mechanical
aid) if you discover the secret!
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