The Painter’s Route :
A painters’ colony grew up around Gauguin in Brittany between 1886 and 1896, bringing together around twenty artists of various nationalities who wanted to invent new forms of artistic expression. This marked the birth of Synthetism or Symbolism in painting, and grew out of the meeting between Paul Gauguin and Émile Bernard. These artists, like a mediaeval brotherhood, lived together in inns, painted together in the open air and talked about art once evening came.
Find out more: www.bretagne.com/fr/culture/peinture
PONT-AVEN: THE VILLAGE OF PAINTERS
Discovered in the 1860s by an American painter, Pont-Aven became the favourite holiday resort of a highly cosmopolitan artists’ colony. The arrival of Gauguin and his disciples, first in Pont-Aven and then in Le Pouldu, marks an important turning-point in the history of painting. Now home to a museum, municipal artists’ studios, a Contemporary Art Centre and 60 exhibition spaces, Pont-Aven has anchored itself firmly in its artistic vocation.
Find out more: www.pontaven.com , www.cornouaille.com ,
www.pontaven.com/art/web/musee.html
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
le Château de Locguénolé in Hennebont
l’Hôtel de la Plage in Sainte-Anne la Palud
le Castel Clara in Belle-Île
CLAUDE MONET AND HENRI MATISSE IN BELLE-ILE-EN-MER
When Claude Monet discovered Belle-Île-en-Mer in 1886, he made the island famous. It became a favourite destination for a large number of artists. The master of Impressionism was fascinated by the constantly changing weather and the way the landscape altered with the tides. “I am staying in a tiny hamlet on Belle-Île and working hard. It’s a very beautiful, very wild place; the sea is incomparably beautiful and some of the rocks are fantastic. What’s more, the place is known as the wild sea." It was while he was painting inland on the island in particular that Henri Matisse reached a critical turning-point in his career as a painter: “I used to have only bistres and earth colours on my palette (...) I was seduced by the brightness of pure colour. I returned from my trip with a passion for the colours of the rainbow.”
Find out more: www.belle-ile.com/doc/patrimoine.htm
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
le Château de Locguénolé in Hennebont
l’Hôtel de la Plage in Sainte-Anne la Palud
le Castel Clara in Belle-Île
MATHURIN MEHEUT MUSEUM IN LAMBALLE
The Méheut museum is housed in a half-timbered building and is dedicated to the painter (1882-1958), a native of Lamballe and a renowned artist, decorator, illustrator, ceramicist and sculptor, who made a name for himself in Paris. He was a man of immense curiosity and did much of his preparatory work in the field, filling his sketchbooks with drawings and trying to capture the movements and gestures of sailors, farmers and craftsmen. All his subjects are handled with a powerfully comprehensive touch.
Find out more: www.lamballe-communaute.com/index.php?page=91
perso.wanadoo.fr/damien.jullemier/sts/mathurin-meheut.htm
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
Le Manoir de Lann-Kerellec in Trébeurden
Hôtel Brittany à Roscoff
LA MAISON D’ARTISTE DE LA GRANDE VIGNE
La Maison d’Artiste de la Grande Vigne, which overlooks the port of Dinan, was the home of Yvonne Jean-Haffen (1895-1993), a pupil and friend of Mathurin Méheut, as well as the place where she worked and a source of inspiration. She travelled around Brittany with him continuously to find out more about the particular characteristics of each Pardon, the demonstrations of collective faith that brought thousands of believers, sometimes from great distances. The processions were great occasions for painters, giving them an opportunity to discover the great beauty of the costumes of the surrounding areas.
Find out more: www.mairie-dinan.com/culture.php?page=musees.php
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
Les Maisons de Bricourt in Cancale
Le Manoir de Lann-Kerellec in Trébeurden
Hôtel Brittany à Roscoff
VICTOR HUGO IN DINAN, FOUGÈRES AND DOL-DE-BRETAGNE
Victor Hugo produced a number of sketches in his notebooks whilst he was exploring the Breton peninsula in 1834 and 1836. He was enthusiastic about the towns of Dinan, Dol-de-Bretagne and Fougères. Like the draughtsmen who produced drawings for the illustrated travel books known as Voyages pittoresques, he was drawn to mediaeval monuments and found himself drawing chateaux, ramparts and mediaeval churches. He fell in love with Fougères and wrote: “I have seen it all in sunshine, I have seen it at twilight, I have seen it by the light of the moon and still I do not tire of it: it is remarkable.”
Find out more: www.anthologie.free.fr/anthologie/hugo/hugo.htm , www.rocbo.chez-alice.fr/Max/culture/graph/hugo.htm , www.besac.com/zoom/victor-hugo/
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
Les Maisons de Bricourt in Cancale
PAINTERS AND THE INTELLIGENTSIA IN DINARD
Follow in the footsteps of the artists, writers and intellectuals who have left their mark on Dinard. From the writer Judith Gautier to the painter Pablo Picasso, Dinard, as you will find, has long been a meeting place for the French and international intelligentsia.
Find out more: Office de Tourisme - Tél.: 02.99.46.94.12. - Fax : 02.99.88.21.07.
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
Les Maisons de Bricourt in Cancale
"LA COHUE" MUSEUM OF FINE ART IN VANNES
The museum’s permanent collections, enhanced by the many works left in their care, offer visitors a tour that is both familiar and refreshingly new each time. The depiction of light in painting, the holy grail of painters, is still the starting-point for an exploration of 19th and 20th century painting. Conventional figurative landscapes sit alongside abstract compositions and echo each other visually, reaffirming the continuity of inspiration that links them.
Find out more: www.mairie-vannes.fr/palaisdesarts, www.tourisme-vannes.com
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
Le Domaine de Rochevilaine in Billiers
L’Auberge Bretonne in la Roche Bernard
Le Castel Marie Louise in la Baule
Le Fort de l’Océan au Croisic
La Bretesche in Missillac
ROCHEFORT EN TERRE
Overlooking one of the most beautiful villages in France, the chateau, built on the site of a former mediaeval fortress, was the home of two Francophile American painters, Alfred and Trafford Klots. An important centre of Breton painting since 1880, Rochefort-en-Terre pays tribute to its artistic riches with a wealth of galleries, museums and private exhibitions. The chateau has, in fact, been open to the public since it was bought by the Departmental Council of Morbihan in 1978, offering visitors the chance to admire the talent of these two American artists, who were also knowledgeable collectors and architects.
Find out more: www.rochefort-en-terre.com
Nearest Relais & Châteaux:
Le Domaine de Rochevilaine in Billiers
L’Auberge Bretonne in la Roche Bernard
Le Castel Marie Louise in la Baule
Le Fort de l’Océan au Croisic
La Bretesche in Missillac
The Painter’s Route : nearby Relais & Chateaux properties
Hôtel et Spa de la Bretesche
Hotel and restaurant on a golf course
The boundless charm of this estate works its magic as soon as you cross the gates. A ravishing 15th century castle nestles in the heart of magnificent parkland with its ancient trees and outbuildings housing the guest rooms. Each of the rooms boasts an original décor and they all exude warmth, authenticity and sophistication: also the hallmark of the chef’s inventive cuisine at Le Montaigu, and of the décor of the bar in the former stable block which has preserved the ancient marble feed and water troughs. The Cour Carrée spa is a perfect haven of peace offering well-being and peace of mind and the 18-hole golf course, designed by Henry Cotton, provides superb views over the castle. ...Read more
France, Missillac
Les Maisons de Bricourt
Restaurant and hotel on the seafront
At Les Maisons de Bricourt there are breathtaking views of the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and, at your feet, the oyster farms and the little port of Cancale. In this world of illustrious seafarers, the spirit of the restaurant Le Coquillage is one of elegant simplicity paired with gentle hospitality. The cuisine showcasing produce from the bay of Cancale reflects the maritime adventures of this former pirate country by using more than 120 spices from the East and West Indies. You will find two residences; the château Richeux and the cottage Les Rimains, as well as Les Gîtes Marins for families. The Roellingers’s joie de vivre is evident in the patisserie-tea room Grain de Vanille, the Cuisine Corsaire cookery school and the Épices-Roellinger warehouse. ...Read more
France, Saint Méloir des Ondes
Castel Clara Thalasso & Spa
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
The secluded island of Belle-Île-en-Mer is the ideal setting for a restorative getaway. Visitors arrive by boat on this aptly named “beautiful island at sea”, with its rocky coves with turquoise water, blooming hills and pastel-hued ports. Castel Clara overlooks the picturesque Goulphar Bay, where the Impressionist Claude Monet liked to paint his magical landscapes. Marvel at the views of the Aiguilles de Port-Coton, a series of sculptural rocky formations jutting out in the middle of the ocean, savour the delights of the local cuisine, or head to the thalassotherapy centre or spa to experience Belle-Île-en-Mer health treatments with fresh gorse flowers. ...Read more
France, Bangor
Manoir de Lan-Kerellec
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
Surrounded by the immense sea and the reefs of the Pink Granite Coast, the Manoir de Lan-Kerellec is a jewel in Brittany’s crown. From your balcony, drink in the magical panoramic view of the islands of Milliau, Molène and Losquet. Then you might want to take a walk along the coastal path to taste the sea spray, or scuba dive for a closer look at the underwater nature reserve. Enjoy your dinner in the dining room built in the shape of an upturned boat, a masterpiece by the Compagnons du Devoir. ...Read more
France, Trébeurden
Hôtel de la Plage
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
Refined dishes such as tartare of bass and caviar, prawn salad and carpaccio of Saint-Jacques à l’orange, take on a special flavour when they are served in a wonderful place like Hôtel de la Plage. The panoramic restaurant overlooks the ocean and the vast beach of fine sand. There are similar views from the rooms, where you can hear the gentle lapping of the waves. Guests with families will enjoy the beach entirely dedicated to children. ...Read more
France, Sainte-Anne-la-Palud
Château de Locguénolé
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
A door leads out to the ocean and a private dock for immediate boarding. Sailing between Lorient and the island of Groix is an unforgettable experience and just one of the many pleasures in store at this historic castle and manor house surrounded by 120 hectares of private forest that overlooks a wide stretch of sea. Helicopter flights over the cliffs of Brittany are also on offer. On returning to the ground, sample the delights of the menu of fresh seafood and Brittany’s local produce, followed by a shiatsu massage to finish off a perfect day. ...Read more
France, Kervignac
Castel Marie-Louise
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
This year, the six kilometres of fine sand at La Baule have joined the very select circle of “The World's Most Beautiful Bays Club”. This Belle Époque mansion house with its sophisticated English style décor by Jacques Garcia stands across from the Atlantic Ocean. Every detail counts. The perfect retreat for a charming break, with staff who are attentive to your every wish. The delicious breakfast already hints at the chef’s treats in store, fricassee of lobster or sea bass with caviar. Another major attraction: the thalassotherapy centre and many other leisure activities are a mere stone's throw away. Here, the last word in chic is to get around on one of the bikes borrowed from the hotel. ...Read more
France, La Baule
Domaine de Rochevilaine
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
Bertrand Jaquet, owner of Domaine de Rochevilaine, has a genuine passion for Brittany and his desire to share that love with his guests is evident. Be seduced by the breathtaking, typically Breton setting on the Vilaine estuary with its jagged cliffs and blue waters. Savour a Breton lobster like none other at the seaside restaurant, where dining feels a bit like being on the deck of an ocean liner. Listen to the sound of the waves during a restorative treatment at the excellent spa, perhaps “la table phénicienne” (the Phoenician table), a massage patented by the establishment. Another one of Bertrand Jaquet’s passions is art, as guests are bound to discover in the hotel’s wonderful art gallery. ...Read more
France, Billiers
Le Fort de l’Océan
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
For the past four centuries, this granite fort on the Croisic peninsula has stood guard over the moods of the sea and the ramparts, moats and drawbridges are all still standing. Built to resist storms and attacks, today, behind this tough exterior there is charming oak panelling, sweet-smelling gardens, a sheltered swimming pool and a kitchen garden. The chef uses herbs and vegetables from the garden in his inventive cuisine that usually includes fresh seafood. For dessert, the slightly salty homemade caramel is a real treat. ...Read more
France, Le Croisic
Hôtel Brittany
Hotel and restaurant on the seafront
Formerly a smuggling port and refuge for privateers, Roscoff has remained a unique destination, with its waves of emerald, granite fisherman’s cottages and manor houses nestled amongst the cliffs. This hideaway is an ancient trader’s property with a swimming pool, spa and direct access to the beach. The chef will treat you to an exceptional quality of fish and seafood, directly sourced from the local fishermen. His cuisine is a reflection of modern Brittany; it is a real pleasure to see, to feel, to taste! A 15 minute boat trip is all that is needed to discover the small island of Batz, a “tropical” pearl with palm trees and beaches of fine sand that has been magically misplaced in the English Channel. ...Read more
France, Roscoff
