Page 148 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

146  brit t an y region b y region

j Tour of the Monts d’Arrée

the hilly area between Léon and Cornouaille can hardly be
described as mountainous, as nowhere does it exceed an
altitude of 384 m (1,260 ft). nevertheless, the Monts d’arrée,
covering 60,000 ha (148,000 acres), are the spine of Finistère.
With fewer than 40 inhabitants per square kilometre
(103 per square mile), it is sparsely populated. it contains
The Moulin du Chaos, at the start spectacular landscapes, with huge areas of heath, hilly crests
of Huelgoat’s impressive rocks and peat bogs, level expanses of granite, ubiquitous lichens
h Huelgoat and rare species of ferns. rich in legends and tales of
sorcery, this arid region becomes even more extraordinary
Road map C2. @ Morlaix. * 1,748. when the marshy yeun elez depression is shrouded in mist.
n 18 Place Aristide Briand; (02) 98 99
72 32. ( Thu. threatened by forest fires, encroaching wasteland and
desertification, it is a fragile environment. the Parc
A shining river, a mass of naturel régional d’armorique is working
strangely shaped fallen rocks, to protect its plant life and to
great moss-covered trees and Landivisiau
menhirs make Huelgoat (High ensure that the local economy Landerneau
Wood) a mysterious and remains viable.
atmospheric place around
which popular imagination Barrage
has woven many legends. Élorn du Drennec
From the Moulin du Chaos, Key
marked footpaths link various Suggested route Le Faou
places of interest in the area Other roads
around Huelgoat, which is now St- Cadou
part of the Parc Naturel Régional
d’Armorique (see right). The
river, which from 1750 to 1867
worked the wheels of a lead
mine, winds between the Grotte St-
du Diable (Devil’s Cave), the first Rivoal
stop on the Chemin de l’Enfer
(Path to Hell) of legend, and
the famous Roche Tremblante
(Shaking Rock), a 100-tonne
stone that can be made to
rock back and forth simply Brasparts
by applying pressure to it Le Faou
in the right place. 4 Sizun
Keen walkers will want to Renowned for its salmon-rich rivers, Sizun is
continue to the Mare aux also worth a visit for its church, with a fine
Sangliers (Wild Boars’ Pond) and organ case by Thomas Dallam and a
the Camp d’Artus, a Gaulish 17th-century high altar with dramatic décor. Pont-de-Buis
lès- Quimerch
oppidum (fortified settlement), The triumphal entrance leads to the ossuary,
where the fabulous treasure of which is decorated with apostles and contains
King Arthur (see p69), is said to lie. a small museum of religious art.
The botanical gardens Les
Arbres du Monde contain
plants and trees from five 3 Maison Cornec
This historic farm just
continents, with over 4,000 outside the small
different varieties, including town of St-Rivoal is
145 species of magnolia and a prime example of
orchards with ancient varieties rural architecture.
of fruit trees. It also offers an
excellent insight
Y Les Arbres du Monde into country life in
55 Rue des Cieux. Tel (02) 98 32 43 93. Brittany in the
Open Apr–Jun & Sep–Oct: Thu–Sun 18th century.
pm; Jul–Aug: Tue–Sun. &
For hotels and restaurants see pp226–7 and pp238–9

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