Page 128 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

126  BRIT T AN Y REGION B Y REGION

communities and seminaries –
and from its religious buildings.
The 12th-century cathedral,
which towers over the market
square, is one of the very few
churches in Brittany still to have
its original ciborium (canopy). This
one takes the form of a palm tree,
its spreading branches covered in
putti, vine leaves and ears of corn.
According to an ancient tradi tion,
the ciborium is suspended over
the altar. Other notable features
The beach at the elegant coastal resort of Carantec are a 16-petal rose window
(1431), trompe-l’œil decoration
2 Carantec + Château du Taureau on the organ, built by Robert
Open Tours including boat crossing Dallam, 16th-century choir stalls
Road map B1. * 2,800. @ from from Carantec or Plougasnou, Apr–Sep.
Morlaix. n 4 Rue Pasteur; (02) 98 67 Tel (02) 98 62 29 73. & with carvings of fabulous animals,
00 43. ( Thu am. _ Pardon de ∑ chateaudutaureau.com and reliquaries containing skulls.
Notre-Dame-de-Callot (Sun after 15 The most remarkable build ing
Aug). ∑ tourisme-morlaix.fr } Île Callot in St-Pol is, however, the
Accessible from Grève Blanche at low Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-
With the arrival of the first tide. Check with the tourist office. Kreisker, whose belfry is the
foreign visitors, between the E Musée Maritime tallest in Brittany; the climb up
1870s and the 1900s, the 8 Rue Albert-Louppe. Tel (02) 98 67 00 its 170-step spiral staircase is
history of Carantec (Karanteg 43. Open mid-Jun–mid-Sep: Fri–Wed rewarded by a breathtaking
in Breton) took a decisive turn. pm. & view of the bay, the fields
One of these visitors found forming the Ceinture Dorée
the location enchanting and, (the “golden belt” that is a prime
largely thanks to him, a 3 St-Pol-de-Léon producer of early vegetables),
fashionable coastal resort was Road map B1. * 7,400. £ and, below, the old town of
created. Its smart hotels and n Place de l’Évêché; (02) 98 69 St-Pol. From this vantage point
elegant villas no longer 05 69. ( Tue. 8 free in summer. there is a bird’s-eye view of
exist, however. ∑ saintpoldeleon.fr other jewels of St-Pol’s
The magical views here Renaissance architecture, such
can be enjoyed by following This city is the capital of Brittany’s as the Maison Prébendale
a marked footpath running artichoke- and cauliflower- (canons’ house) on Place du
from Grève Blanche to the pine growing region. St-Pol (Kastell 4-Août-1944, the Hôtel de
wood at Penn al Lann. The Paol in Breton) is named after Keroulas in Rue du Collège, and
two-hour walk takes in Porspol Pol-Aurélien, a Welsh evangelizer the Manoir de Kersaliou, on the
beach, a rocky platform known who founded a monastery here road to Roscoff, a charming
as the Chaise du Curé (Parson’s in the 6th century. Soon after, 16th-century manor house.
Chair) and another beach, Le it became the see of the diocese
Cosmeur. There are also views of Léon. The clergy’s powerful R Chapelle Notre-Dame-du-
of the Île Callot, with sandy influence here is evident both Kreisker
inlets, and the Île Louët, a small from the number of religious Town centre. Tel (02) 98 69 05 69.
island with a lighthouse and a institutions – monastic Open daily (belfry summer only). &
keeper’s cottage, as well as the
Château du Taureau. The castle
was built by the inhabitants of
Morlaix as a defence against
the incursions of English
pirates. Strengthened by
Vauban, it later became a
prison. Guided tours of the
château include not just the
garrison but also a boat trip.
In Carantec itself, the small
Musée Maritime contains
some vintage sailing boats,
including a boat in which 193
British pilots and members of
the Résistance crossed the
Channel during World War II. View of St-Pol-de-Léon from the belfry of Notre-Dame-du-Kreisker
For hotels and restaurants see pp226–7 and pp238–9

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