Finistere

A Pleasure for the Palate
If you’re in North Finistère, try the terribly chic hotel restaurant of Le Temps de Vivre in Roscoff or, near Morlaix, the rustic stone hostel Auberge du Puits de Jeanne in Plouegat Moysan, serving traditional country fare such as the pork dish Kig ha Farz.

To the Northwest, the Hotel Pointe St Mathieu boasts exquisite dishes in a timeless picturesque setting while in Plomodiern, doorway to the Crozon Peninsula, sits l’Auberge des Glazik, a character gourmet stopover.

In Quimper, Ti Coz serves Michelin-standard dishes in a modest, blue-shuttered setting while at La Cigale Egaree, Quimperle, you can delight your palate in a peaceful, elegant environment.

French markets, Finistere style

If you’re keen on authentic French flavours, look no further than local weekly markets. Early birds will see housewives in tabards selecting the choicest fruit, youngsters jostling with wizened locals for the best baguettes and all ages bargaining for live crabs and shiny mackerel.

In the north, don’t miss the specialty pink onions of Roscoff on Wednesdays or the nearby spires of St Pol de Leon enlivened by Tuesday’s market: on Saturdays head for the sloping historic streets of St Renan or Morlaix whose unmissable arches oversee the hustle and bustle of traders renowned for hearty produce.

To the south, the gracious cathedral city of Quimper fills its streets with crafts clothes and specialties on Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends while the fortified town of Concarneau opens its square to eager market-goers on Mondays and Fridays.

Look for lobster and langoustines, mouth-watering groceries and local treats like Douarnenez’s speciality Kouign Amann butter cake. French markets are a feast for all the senses!

Brittany’s best crepes

Ideally teamed with cool Breton cider from earthenware drinking bowls, crêpes are the best Breton speciality and a creperie gourmande guarantees crisp-soft crepe perfection.

If you’re on the Ile de Batz near Roscoff, pause at La Cassonade with cheery service and coastal views: in Morlaix try l’Hermine – renowned for innovative fillings and good service – and further south. the Men Lann Du by Plomeur is ideally placed for lunchtime stopovers, offering a rustic family environment and crepes that are hard to beat!

CULTURE AND NATURE

Finistère has been spoilt. It has expansive sandy beaches tipped by turquoise waters stretching into blue horizons: it has fertile soil producing perfect ingredients for fine cuisine: it has a rich cultural and historical heritage that includes chateaux, fairies and mythical drowned cities.

Take Morlaix as a starting point, classed as ‘Land of Art and History’. Here, the famous viaducts dominate both town and happy harbour while winding alleyways lead up to ancient timber buildings and chapels hosting art exhibitions.

Quimper, with its restored twin-spire cathedral and bright ancient buildings offers modern shops and fabulously affordable museums (Try the Musee des Beaux-Arts and the HB Henriot Faience museum) while Concarneau’s majestic ramparts shelter streets of curious shops and inviting restaurants. Take the coast road heading west and discover Pont l’Abbe whose magnificent town hall and waterside setting provide a perfect shopping backdrop.

On a smaller scale, look for Petites Cités de Caractère which are not cities but villages with particular character. Locronan is perhaps most popular, the setting for many films with its open cobbled square and busy craftsmen, while Le Faou and Guerlesquin are also well-known (Le Faou for its church sculptures and 16th century architecture, Guerlesquin for its startling old prison in the town centre – not to he missed!).

However, few visitors realize that Roscoff is a charming historic town hoarding enviable stonework and scariest restaurants, an ancient ossuary and a discovery trail that will share hidden secrets, or that the sleepy mediaeval village of Pont Croix has a spire that inspired a whole architectural trend, twin cobbled streets sloping to the river and a tree-lined square which is quintessentially French.

No Finistère visit would be complete without a trip to the beautiful riverside Pont Aven, steeped in artistic heritage and still boasting contemporary exhibitions. Home of great art and also of wonderful butter biscuits!

Castles and cairns

Following the discovery trails of historic towns, choose one of the many manors and chateaux. Chateau de Kerjean hosts exhibitions within its rimmed walls and carved parapets while the startling pink fairytale castle of Trevarez offers beautiful landscaped gardens and a photogenic setting.

To experience even further back in history head east of Morlaix to the Cairn de Barnenez, an ancient burial mound constructed from loose stone: or hunt down the prehistoric burial chambers (allees couvrtes) and standing stones (dolmens) that are sprinkled throughout rural Finistère.

Hiking, biking and wide open spaces

Off-season, Finistère’s natural beauty comes to the fore, making it an ideal destination for nature-lovers. The area is threaded with grandes and petites randonees (GR=hikes, PR = easier walks) as well as biking trails and coastal paths.

If moorlands and wild heather are your preference, journey to the heart of the Mons d’Arree and national park where the viewpoint Rochers de Cragou reveals sweeping valleys, mountainside chapels and winking lakes.

For waterside wandering, try the Nantes Brest canal, the breathtaking Baie de Morlaix and the Kerrema dunes near Plouescat. For a glimpse of the dramatic granite rocks and crashing waves, head west to Pointe du Raz and Pointe du Van with the Baie des Trépassés in between, then relax at the many picturesque fishing ports.




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