Paris1972-Versailles2003

And moving about the area recently it brought back  many memories of family visits, so went back to the blog to see what was written on it. I found it mix in with other posts and really it deserves a post of its own; therefore, here is my take on the old Fort Neuf of Quiberon! Hope you enjoy it as I.

One of the nicest thing around here is that there is an old fort and a small beach very nice with hotels resto nearby right at the very tip of the Quiberon peninsula lovely sea views and great walks of course. I read the sign at the fort to translate a bit of information here. Fort Neuf, probably built during the War of Succession of Spain (Habsbourg) 1701-1774. It was completely enclosed in 1792, and finally a complete fortress between 1883 and 1886.

It was still occupied during the wars of the French revolution and the Empire. The construction of a model tower is envisaged there in 1811. It is one of the four coastal batteries out of eleven kept by the “Joint Commission of armament of the coasts of France, Corsica and the islands” of 1841 for the defense of the anchorages on the Quiberon peninsula. The commission awarded it two 30-pound guns and two 22-cm howitzers. Its cubicle must be a crenellated guard for 40 men intended to accommodate 20 infantry from a coast guard post in addition to the battery servants. The reorganization of the battery and the construction of the guardhouse were carried out in 1860-1861. The Fort Neuf battery was kept after 1870 and rebuilt in the 1880s according to new standards adapted to the progress of artillery. Its armament consists of three 24 cm guns, 1876 war models. The Fort Neuf battery was no longer part of Quiberon’s defenses , and in 1902 the defense was moved to Port Haliguen (see post). During the Great War or WWI, it accommodated the installations of a seaplane base. The site is occupied by the Nazi army during WWII. The battery casemates from the 1880s were razed at the end of the 1990s. The site is currently used as a public garden.

Of course, there is another wonderful beach just at the foot of the fort. The Plage du Fort Neuf  along the ocean front Bd. de la Teignouse. Ideal for lovers of sailing and jet-skiing: this beach has a launching wedge for all sailboats and motorboats. Oriented to the East, it shelters swimmers from the West winds. In addition, they can enjoy the view of the Bay of Quiberon offered from the Fort Neuf promontory. Parking at the foot of Fort Neuf free.

My fav beach webpage Plages TV on the Fort Neuf beach: https://en.plages.tv/detail/fort-neuf-beach-quiberon-56170

The Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Quiberon: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/quiberon

There you go folks, glad to show you my heaven on earth and slowly unveiling it for the world. Hope you enjoy the tour of the old Fort Neuf another nice one down the alley from me about 40 minutes driving on easy roads D768 all the way from my house. Quiberon is tops !!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

A magical spot in my beloved Morbihan 56 of my lovely Bretagne. This one we know ,not told much but need to . It is for the lover’s of the sea ,nature, and just beautiful scenery. You need to go there by car of course. I will update this older post for you and me as remind me, we were there recently as allow to go out and with still restos/bars were closed no need to go further. Anyway this is our backyard and what a yard it is. Welcome to the Quiberon peninsula or Presqu’ïle de Quiberon!

Oh yes the name is Pointe du Conguel or Conguel’s tip/point . It is all the way to the end of the peninsula bordering beautiful Atlantic ocean breezes and waves , passing by wonderful places to stay ,shop, and eat. This is another world, almost an island world which is my roots anyway. Let me tell you a bit more about it ok.

The Pointe du Conguel is at the end of the peninsula in the Bay of Quiberon. It is in the territory of the town of Quiberon. The meaning of Conguel probably comes from the Latin/Spanish concha (shell), itself of Greek origin and which also gave the French conque which qualified ports whose sheltered cove was a guarantee of protection for ships.

The Pointe du Conguel is originally an island, formed by rocks linked together by accumulated sand. This island is connected to the mainland by a tombolo 300 meters long. Two islets extend the point: Toul Bihan, accessible on foot at low tides, and Toul Bras, where Gallic burials were discovered. Further out is the Phare de la Teignouse or lighthouse, which marks the passage of the Teignouse, near which the battleship of the Courbet France class sank on August 22, 1922, ripped open by a rock; the wreck is located 0.5 mile south-east of the Teignouse lighthouse.  The lighthouse of Teignouse marks the separation between the Bay of Quiberon and the Atlantic Ocean. Here you can enjoy an extensive view of the offshore islands. For early risers, it is an idyllic place to watch the sunrise.

The Pointe du Conguel is about 1000 meters long and 200 meters wide. It is placed under the protection of the Conservatoire du Littoral. A path makes it possible to go around this natural site. The Conservatoire du Littoral is a establishment member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it has no equivalent in other countries. In 2017, the Conservatoire ensures the protection of 200,000 hectares on more than 750 sites, representing approximately 1,600 km of maritime shoreline, i.e. 15% of the French coastline. In my Morbihan they manage the following. The Islands: Belle-Île-en-Mer, Groix Island, Houat and Hœdic. On the Bay of Quiberon: The pointe du Men-er-Bellec, Pointe de Keryondre, and Pointe du Conguel. In the Gulf of Morbihan: L’anse de Mancel, Ilur Island, pointe des Emigrants, Pointe de Kerpenhir , Pointe de Penhap; marshes of Pen an Toul, marshes of Séné, and banks of the Vincin. Also, the dunes of Plouhinec and Le marais de Pénestin (marshes). The official webpage on the Pointe du Conguel info is here in French:  https://www.conservatoire-du-littoral.fr/siteLittoral/523/28-pointe-du-conguel-56_morbihan.htm

There is a nice beach here , Plage du Conguel at the end, the pedestrian-only Conguel beach is particularly quiet, especially since it is sheltered from the westerly winds. Not far from there, at the end of the Pointe, south side, the Jument Beach is a very quiet place, far from the bustle of the city center! On the parking at the entrance of the Pointe du Conguel, you will find toilets and an emergency call terminal. Spaces for parking bicycles and picnic tables. We love it!!

My favorite webpage for beaches in France, plages TV on the Conguel beach: https://en.plages.tv/detail/conguel-beach-quiberon-56170

The local Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Conguel beach location etc: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/to-see-to-do/water-sports-and-beaches/beaches/plage-du-conguel

You can walk or bike all of this, and we do walk and walk km, lovely all around the best way to see nature.  Again, my heaven on earth and slowly unveiling it for the world. Hope you enjoy the tour of the Pointe du Conguel another nice one down the alley from me about 40 minutes driving on easy roads D768 all the way from my house. Quiberon is tops, and the Pointe du Conguel is awesome.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

This is one of the nicest gates of old Vannes and one we come often by it, having parked by the ramparts below the ruins of the old castle . I have written several posts on the ramparts of Vannes and its famous towers; however, little on the porte Prison. Therefore, this is an all new text with older pictures to show you the Porte Prison of Vannes!!

It took the turn of the porte Prison or prison gate partially destroyed in 1886 and one of the oldest access to the town to make the people react to save the ramparts  and create and association in 1911 to do so. The work continues today, making it the key to the local heritage seen by tourists and locals alike; making the ramparts one of the rare urban fortifications still existing today in all of Bretagne/Brittany/Breizh.

The, one of, the reasons we come by here is to have an apéro in style at the Le Saint Nicolas resto right off of it, almost attach to it; lovely indeed! And I have written about this resto before in my blog too.

The story of this area of my capital city of Vannes is told by the fact that here the old Roman road crossing the castrum from West to East probably passed in the direct vicinity of the gate, supposed to allow access to the city from the 3-4C from the Saint-Patern suburb (now district of Vannes see post), then called Porte Saint-Patern in the Middle Ages ; which developed on the hill of Boismoreau. and where the ancient city stretched before it was withdrawn into the fortified enclosure. It is one of the oldest accesses to the walled city. An obligatory passage for merchants from Rennes and Nantes, As proof, the remains of the Gallo-Roman wall in place near the gate, rue Francis Decker and rue de la porte prison.

A medieval building follows on from this passage through the ancient city. It was built in the 13C under Duke John II. This first campaign includes the gate itself and the front part of its passage closed by a harrow. The second campaign took place under Duke John IV, during the second half of the 14C. The door is fitted with a drawbridge, a postern for pedestrian passage and a large, low relief arch which surmounts them. The third campaign is attributed to Duke John V. It consists of the repair of the upper parts enhanced with machicolations on brackets forming pointed arches. According to ancient texts at that time, the gate was also reinforced by a barbican, an advanced defense making it possible to protect the entrances made more vulnerable by the progress of artillery fire. Under Duke François II or Duchess Anne of Brittany (also twice queen of France), one inserts between the grooves of the drawbridge, a shield carved with the arms of Brittany.

The fortified gate is commanded by a system of double drawbridges, one for the cart gate and one for the pedestrian crossing, Under the French revolution, the suspects and the condemned are locked up there: religious and refractory priests, including the blessed Pierre-René Rogue , or royalists, like the staff of the emigres who landed in Quiberon in 1795. The gate then took the name of Porte Prison. Plans were drawn up on this occasion in 1811. The second half of the 19C saw the alienation of the building to private owners who did not always have the means to maintain it. In 1886, the south tower was demolished with the exception of part of its ground floor and the exterior facing of its lower level which serves as support for the neighboring house.

The Porte Prison gate was bought by the city in 1934. The gate underwent several restorations: in 1972-1975, the roofs and interior fittings were redone; in 1985-1987, the south tower and the adjacent curtain wall were released in order to re-establish a path open in summer for walkers. The whole was the subject in 2010-2011 of a major restoration. Today we cross the Porte Prison in a straight line, which we could not have done in the 14-15C.

The city of Vannes on its heritage and porte prison: https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/vannesdecouverte/histoire-et-patrimoine/qr-patrimoine/porte-prison/

The Gulf of Morbihan tourist office on Vannes: https://www.golfedumorbihan.bzh/explorer-vannes/decouvrir-vannes/golfe-morbihan/vannes/

The Bretagne/Brittany tourist board on Vannes: https://www.brittanytourism.com/destinations/the-10-destinations/southern-brittany-morbihan-gulf/vannes/

There you go folks, another dandy spot in my beautiful capital city of Vannes! And in my Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne, and in my belle France! You got it all covered, enjoy the Porte Prison and the ramparts as we do.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Well need to write again about my capital city of Vannes! Actually, we spent almost as much here than in our residence town. And the beat goes on around the wonderful beautiful port or Le Port of Vannes. I had touch base on it before in my blog, but feel one is not enough so here is a bit more on the Le Port of Vannes! Hope you enjoy it as I.

The port of Vannes is a commercial port, a passenger port and a Marina located north of the Gulf of Morbihan along a 1 200 meters channel that leads the boats from the commercial port of Pont-Vert to the afloat basin , at the foot of the Porte Saint-Vincent, entrance gate of the old town of Vannes. The port is a lively area of the town of Vannes.  The center town Le Port is a lively and urban district of Vannes, covering an area of 1.5 km². It has many corners of greenery such as the Parc de la Garenne, the Butte de Kérino and the Jardin de Limur. See posts.

The Porte Saint Vincent pierced in the rampart at the beginning of the 17C and rebuilt in the 18C, it has been framed since 1840 by buildings forming a hemicycle which delimits the Place Gambetta. Facing the chanel port and marina just lovely, but have writen before on it in my blog.  And behind you, the port of Vannes ; at the end of a 1,200 meters long channel, the Vannes marina with its harbor master’s office, its cultural kiosk, its green spaces, its restaurants and its long walks, it is undoubtedly one of the most popular areas of the inhabitants of the city.  The port is the beating heart of the city of Vannes. An unmissable place that embodies the famous Vannes lifestyle. The port of Vannes is therefore a very pleasant district to live in for its proximity to the sea, the charm of its half-timbered houses, the nearby intramural, its activities, schools / high schools … the list of assets of this district is long!  The capital city of the Morbihan dept 56, Vannes has its own right bank rive droite left bank rive gauche. Two shores, two atmospheres! The right bank is  known for its famous Promenade de la Rabine with its long avenue of trees that borders the water to the Kerino bridge. And the left bank is after the harbormaster, the quartier or neighborhood of Faubourg de Calmont. Lovely areas indeed. And one of our favorite parking spots is up this promenade! for free!! The other good parking we have used even if paying you get discount by using one of the merchants in the Place Gambetta and left/right banks; the Q-Park Le Port webpage here: https://www.q-park.fr/en-gb/cities/vannes/port/

A bit of history I like

The location of the port in Vannes has varied greatly. Without having found the port facilities, archaeological excavations restore the ancient port to the location of the prefecture, south of Boismoreau hill, site of the ancient Darioritum. Over the centuries, the progressive saltation causes a displacement of the site towards the south. The exact location of the medieval port was not known until the extension of the urban wall to the south, which took place at the end of the 14C.  After the installation of three convents on the port, the Ursulines in 1627, the Carmelites in 1629, the Father-Eternal soon after, the vitality of the port made this district a popular place in the second half of the century. Despite the presence of the Féty Chapel c 1420, which commemorates the passage of Saint Vincent Ferrier,(see post) the left bank was not really invested until the 17C. It was especially in the 18C that construction intensified, together with the establishment of the shipyards which occupy the current space of the Petite Rabine. The construction of the Porte Saint-Vincent gate in 1624 confirms a new path created at the end of the 16C, between the city and its port. Place Gambetta is the result for the first time in Vannes, of a program aiming to stage the port and access to the city by the Porte Saint-Vincent.

Furthermore, access to the port is done under the Kerino bridge built on the channel, downstream of the lock gate. There is now a wonderful underground tunnel just super! The Kerino tunnel or Kerino underpass is an underwater road, cyclist and pedestrian tunnel. This work of art, destined to cross the Marle river, is located at the mouth of the channel linking the port Marina to the Gulf of Morbihan. The tunnel is dug a few meters downstream of the current Kerino bridge. It has a length of 250 meters and has two passages separated by a bulkhead, one for the car traffic in both directions, the other for a bike path and sidewalk. Nice

The city of Vannes on the pleasure marina of Le Port: https://www.mairie-vannes.fr/port-de-plaisance/

The ports webpage passport stops on the Le Port of  Vannes: https://www.passeportescales.com/fr/marina/5-vannes

The Morbihan dept 56 Tourist Office on Vannes: https://www.morbihan.com/accueil/decouvrir/le-morbihan/les-principales-destinations/vannes

There you go folks, a dandy in my Vannes capital of the Morbihan dept 56! The Le Port area is the happening place day or night and you would do well to stop by in either. Hope you enjoy the post as I telling you about my wonderful spots.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!