Page 182 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Brittany

180  BRIT T AN Y REGION B Y REGION

stand on the site of the East E Quayside Buildings
India Company, while in the Porte Gabriel. 8 obligatory,
location of the World War II organized by the Service patrimoine.
German submarine base is La Tel (02) 97 02 23 29. Open times vary,
Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly, a call ahead. &
museum exploring the world of E La Flore
ocean racing. Interactive La Base, Rue Roland Morillot. Tel (02)
simulators bring the experience 97 65 52 87. Open Feb–Dec; times
to life, or you can design your vary, call ahead.
own boat. Outside, moored to E Air-Raid Shelter
the quay, is a sailing ship that Place Alsace-Lorraine. Tel (02) 97 02
offers trips around the bay. Also 23 29 (Service patrimoine). Open
on the quay is the submarine La times vary, call ahead. 8 &
Flore, which can be explored
with audioguides, and on the Environs
same site there is a museum Larmor-Plage, to the south-
explaining the strategic west, has beaches and a
military importance fortified Gothic church.
of Lorient. To the east, at the
Bagpipe-player at the Festival Interceltique On Place mouth of the river,
held in Lorient Alsace-Lorraine lies the Barre d’Étel,
is a large Air-Raid a notorious
1 Lorient Shelter (abri) which sandbar. Further
now gives a flavour north, Belz leads to
Road map C3. * 121,820. £ Rue
Beauvais. @ Cours de Chazelles. of life during the St-Cado, a small
g Rue Gahinet; (08) 20 05 61 56. war years (1939–45). Teapot, 18th-century, Musée island that is popular
Sailings to the Île de Groix (all year). In the Quartier de de la Compagnie des Indes with painters.
n Maison de la Mer, Quai de Rohan; Merville are houses
(02) 97 84 78 00. ( Wed, Fri & Sat. in the Art Nouveau
_ Carnaval (Apr); Les 7 Chapelles en and Art Deco styles that 2 Port-Louis
Art (mid-Jul–mid-Aug); Festival survived the bombing raids. Road map C3. 12 km (7.5 miles)
Interceltique (Aug). The tourist office organizes southeast of Lorient via the D194
∑ lorientbretagnesudtourisme.fr trips to the roadstead (Rade de then the D781. * 3,000. £ Lorient.
Lorient) and along the Blavet n Quai de Rohan, Lorient; (02) 97 84
It was in the 17th century, when river, including a visit to the 78 00. ( Sat. _ Regattas (Jun).
the French East India Company, market at Hennebont (see p201).
based in Port-Louis, needed to The 17th-century citadel
expand, that Lorient was E La Cité de la Voile Éric Tabarly in Port-Louis, at the entrance
created. The new port became Base des sous-marins, 56200 Lorient. to Lorient’s roadstead, guards
the base for trade with the East Tel (02) 97 65 56 56. Open mid-Feb– the mouth of the Blavet and
(l’Orient), hence its name, and in Dec; times vary, call ahead. & Scorff rivers. Begun by
1770 was chosen as the site of the Spaniards, it was
the royal dockyard. Almost completed during the reign
totally destroyed in of Louis XIII, after whom it is
World War II, Lorient named. Elegant residences
has been rebuilt. dating from this period can be
Today, Lorient seen in the town, although
is France’s they suffered damage during
second-largest World War II.
port. Not only a With maps, models and
fishing port, it examples of the highly prized
handles cargo goods that they brought back
and passenger from the East, the Musée de
ships and is a la Compagnie des Indes et
yachting centre. de la Marine, within the
Keroman citadel, describes the illustrious
harbour, which history of the French East
has a large India Company.
covered fish
market, caters E Musée de la Compagnie des
to the fishing Indes et de la Marine
industry. Citadelle de Port-Louis. Tel (02) 97 82
The Quayside Buildings Painted altarpiece in the choir of the 19 13. Open May–Aug: daily; Feb–Apr
in the naval dockyard church at Larmor-Plage & Sep–mid-Dec: Wed–Mon pm. &
For hotels and restaurants see pp228–9 and pp241–3

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