Morlaix: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Morlaix showcases its history through a wide variety of architectural forms: the Viaduc, historic half-timbered houses, a tobacco factory and the Circuits des venelles give the town a diverse cultural profile.

Culture

The Viaduc was built in 1861 as a stone railway structure. Measuring 284 metres in length and 59 metres in height, it has two rows of arches: nine arches on the lower level and 14 on the upper level. Since 29 October 1975, it has been protected through registration as a Monument historique.

The Maison à Pondalez is a half-timbered house built at the beginning of the 16th century in the à lanterne style typical of Morlaix. Its central room is open across several levels; it also features a monumental wooden spiral staircase and suspended walkways between the floors. Today, the house welcomes visitors and presents museum exhibitions on the culture and processing of flax, as well as on the urban and social history of Morlaix.

The Maison dite de la Duchesse Anne is a significant half-timbered house dating from the end of the 15th century. Its interiors are typical of Morlaix’s Pondalez houses. Visitors can discover its lantern, the covered courtyard with an imposing fireplace and the richly carved spiral-shaped oak staircase.

Circular walks

The Circuits des venelles offer signposted circular walks through the medieval and Renaissance lanes of Morlaix, with information panels, half-timbered houses and other architectural features.

The Les lavoirs et mares d'eau douce circular route combines local history and biodiversity in Morlaix. It passes by washhouses, fountains, gardens, parks and springs.

History and Science

The Manufacture des tabacs de Morlaix was built between 1736 and 1740. It is considered the only manufactory from the Ancien Régime that has preserved to this day the industrial activity for which it was built. The fully documented 18th-century buildings, as well as the tobacco-grating facility and other expressly specified structures, have been protected as a Monument historique by decree of 3 September 2001.

The Espace des sciences de Morlaix offers nine exhibitions. They cover the history of the former tobacco factory, its machines and former workers, the 650-million-year history of the Earth and the solar system.

A town mansion dating from the late 16th century near the harbour serves as a tourist and cultural information centre. It houses the Centre d’Interprétation de l’architecture et du patrimoine.

Other Places

Other places: Bohars, Saint-Pol-De-Léon, Bolazec, Locmélar, Plouigneau, Saint-Thurien, Peumérit, Rosporden

To the higher-level travel overview: Finistere.