Pont-Aven: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Pont-Aven combines art history with paths along the Aven and Breton baking traditions. The special features of the town can be seen in the Chapelle de Trémalo and the Bois d’Amour, as well as in the small riverside paths, regional destinations and biscuit bakeries.

Art and history

An important cultural site is the Chapelle de Trémalo, dating from the 16th century. It is privately owned but open to the public all year round. The chapel contains a polychrome wooden Christ that inspired Paul Gauguin’s “Yellow Christ”.

The Bois d’Amour is also connected with Pont-Aven’s art history: Paul Sérusier stayed in Pont-Aven for the first time here in September 1888 and met Paul Gauguin. Gauguin’s famous lesson for Sérusier, with the painting later known as the “Talisman”, is said to have taken place in the heart of the forest.

In the wider regional surroundings of Pont-Aven lies the Château de Québlen, a château. The surrounding area is also home to three historic sites: the Thieves Tower, the Dog Tower and the Horseshoe Tower.

Paths along the Aven

The Bois d’Amour is a wooded riverside walking path near the centre of Pont-Aven. A short circular route from the town centre leads along both banks of the river to the Bois d’Amour.

The Promenade Xavier Grall is a footpath along the Aven. It leads over footbridges and through woodland to the granite blocks in the river. Large granite blocks lie along the promenade, shaped by erosion, rain, wind and the current of the Aven.

For a longer hike, the marked Circuit du Haut Bois is available. The route is 9 kilometres long and has a moderate level of difficulty; it runs through Pont-Aven.

Breton baking traditions

The Biscuiterie de Pont-Aven opens its production workshop to visitors. There, you can watch Galettes de Pont-Aven, palets, madeleines and kouign-amann being prepared according to traditional recipes with churned butter. A visit to the Biscuiterie de Pont-Aven ends with a free tasting accompanied by a bolée of cider.

The Biscuiterie Traou Mad has been making Galettes de Pont-Aven for more than a century according to a traditional Breton recipe.

Surrounding area

Raguenes is a beach in the vicinity of Pont-Aven. Plages de Trévignon is also a beach near the town. The islands in this area include Percée Île and Île Raguénez.

More destination pages

More destination pages: Confort-Meilars, Nevez, L'aber-Wrach, Saint-Pol-De-Léon, Lanhouarneau, Plounéour-Ménez, Camaret-Sur-Mer, Île-Tudy.

To the overarching travel overview: Finistere.