The Castles of Morbihan
The weather may have been terrible on my recent visit to Brittany, but I still managed to take advantage of the dry(ish) days and visit a few magical places.
Brittany has a rich collection of wonderful castles, including the atmospheric Forteresse de Largoët. In the depths of winter most of them are closed to the public, but the exteriors of some are so impressive that I enjoyed taking a look anyway.
The view towards the château of Suscinio
The castle at Suscinio lies amongst wild marshland near the south coast of Morbihan. Once a royal hunting lodge, it later fell into ruin and was extensively restored in the 20th Century. Sitting as it does on a wide, flat plain, the castle’s sturdy towers and conical roofs can be seen from miles away, and it is even more impressive close up.
The sturdy towers of the château of Suscinio
Pontivy sits on the River Blavet, and reputedly takes its name from the fact that a monk called Ivy built a bridge there in the 7th Century (Pont D’Ivy).
A sign for the château of Rohan, Pontivy
Its imposing château was begun in 1485 by the Viscount Rohan, and since then has faced a number of sieges and violent attacks. Luckily it’s a bit more peaceful nowadays, and although I am sure it is normally a bustling place, on the drizzly Sunday morning that I passed through there was nobody around.
The château of Rohan, Pontivy
The castle at Josselin is probably the most magical of all. With its soaring towers rising dramatically above the (currently overflowing) River Oust, the history of this castle goes back over 1000 years, when a simple stockade was first built on its rocky promontory.
The approach to the castle at Josselin
In the following centuries the castle was rebuilt and extended, and the interior now includes a suite of lavishly furnished rooms which are open to the public. Only four of the original nine massive towers remain, but the castle is still a breathtaking sight.
The fairytale towers of the castle of Josselin
I think you will agree that these three châteaux are rather wonderful, and definitely magical. Who needs Disneyland Paris when you have real fairytale castles, each with their own fascinating history, just a couple of hours away?
My search for magic 
January 9, 2014 at 11:15 am
Oh yes, they’re truly magical. I love the castles in the UK, but these are in a very special league – extra romantic?
I laughed at the Disney comment – a few years ago we gave in to pressure and took the girls to Disneyland, and that was pretty much my whole reaction – why bother when the real thing is accessible and so much more impressive. 🙂
January 9, 2014 at 11:31 am
The French certainly knew how to build romantic castles – and I guess this is where Mr Disney got his ideas from in the first place! The fact that the towns around the castles are full of little winding streets and old half-timbered houses just adds to the magic. It made me laugh when two people who visited Malestroit (the place I wrote about last week) both independently said “It’s just like the town out of ‘Beauty and the Beast'”!
August 6, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Wonderful!
August 8, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Thanks for your comment, glad you like them too!