France

On the route of happiness through Brittany!

Impressive landscape and tourist attraction on the Côte de Granit Rose - the Ploumanac'h lighthouse.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/JmR - stock.adobe.com)

Spectacular coastal scenery, lush vegetation, pleasant temperatures, delicious French cuisine and warm hospitality make it easy to fall in love with this part of France. A road trip is the ideal way to discover Brittany!

There is currently no direct flight, so the best option is to travel from Vienna via Frankfurt to the Breton capital Rennes. We booked a rental car with Sunny Cars a long time ago. As it is a small airport and therefore easy to get around, we are soon behind the wheel and start our road trip on our personal route from the 146 suggested Routes du Bonheur, as the French hotel association Relais & Châteaux call their routes to happiness.

INFO

GENERAL INFORMATION:www.france.fr

ARRIVAL/ONWARD JOURNEY:

• with AUA/Lufthansa to Rennes(www.austrian.com)
• Rental car: Sunny Cars is a quality car rental company, represented in over 120 countries worldwide, with an all-round carefree guarantee and comprehensive inclusive package as well as currently free cancellation protection.
  All Sunny Cars offers, including Sunny2go, can be booked via any stationary or online travel agency, via the website www.sunnycars.de and by telephone on 049/89 - 82 99 33 900.

HOTELS:

• Domaine de Rochevilaine, Billiers: www.domainerochevilaine.com
• Domaine de Locguénolé, Kervignac: www.domaine-locguenole.com
• Le Brittany & Spa, Roscoff: www.hotel-brittany.com
• Manoir de Lan Kerellec, Trébeurden: www.lankerellec.com
• Relais & Châteaux: There are now 580 members worldwide, 16 in Brittany. 376 stars in the "Michelin Guide", 40 Green Stars, 42,000 employees. From one establishment to the next: 146 suggested Routes du bonheur.(www.relaischateaux.com)

Relais & Châteaux was founded 70 years ago, based on the idea that eight friends wanted to connect their hotels from Paris to Nice and turn them into a beautiful travel route for travelers. This small idea has since grown into a global network consisting of over 580 hotels and restaurants, all of which share common values and visions.

THE FIRST STAGE
The Domaine de Rochevilaine, a unique ensemble of historic manor houses with just 34 rooms & suites and a spacious spa including an indoor pool, is fantastically situated on a rocky peninsula on the rugged coast and fulfills all the clichés you would expect in Brittany. Hydrangeas and other plants bloom everywhere, so lush and colorful that you could become envious.

The Domaine de Rochevilaine in Billiers near Vannes is located directly on the coast, offers a beautiful spa and the restaurant is the best place to enjoy Breton lobster.

(Bild: Marc.Broussard)

The restaurant is famous for its outstanding cuisine (tip: seafood, lobster menu) and is therefore perfectly in line with the values of the members of Relais & Châteaux, who also attach great importance to warm hospitality that is in harmony with nature, which means that sustainability, regionality, conservation of resources and reducing the carbon footprint are firmly anchored in the DNA - something that was even presented to UNESCO in a manifesto.

Château de Suscinio is a picture-book castle and a top tourist attraction with a treasure trove of richly decorated terracotta tiles dating back to the 14th century.

(Bild: Andrea Thomas)

Our first stage is an excellent starting point for exploring the surrounding area. The Château de Suscinio, a picture-book castle with classic castle architecture from the Middle Ages, is a top attraction. The salt marshes of Guérande are not far away, and trips to Vannes with its historic center or to the seaside resorts of La Baule or Quiberon are recommended. In fine weather, it is also worth visiting the island of Belle-Île, which can be reached by ferry. Carnac, which is world-famous for its more than 3000 menhirs (Breton stones), is also on the way. The 7000-year-old rows of stones are evidence of European prehistory.

The enigmatic menhirs of Carnac - witnesses to history.

(Bild: Franck Caillet)

THE SECOND STAGE
The Domaine de Locguénolé (45 rooms) is the second destination on the Route of Happiness, 81 kilometers away in Kervignac. The small country estate is charmingly situated in a park on a long estuary and was recently reopened after an extensive three-year renovation. Guests can choose from two wonderful restaurants, a beautiful outdoor swimming pool and a spa. Those who appreciate creative cuisine, seafood and the right wine pairing will certainly not be disappointed here.

Domaine de Locguénolé in Kervignac.

(Bild: Christophe le Potier)

After a delicious breakfast, the tour continues to Pont-Aven, a picturesque village made famous by a group of French painters around Paul Gauguin (e.g. "The Mill of David in Pont-Aven", 1894, Musée d'Orsay).

TIP: From 3.10.2024 to 19.1.2025, the Bank Austria Kunstforum Wien is showing a major retrospective of Paul Gauguin's work - the first in Austria since 1960.

THE THIRD STAGE
One of the most visited historical sites in Brittany is Ville Colse, the old town of Concarneau, which is located on an island and surrounded by a wall. The next stop is Quimper, the capital of the Finistère department, a Breton pearl with many half-timbered houses and a mighty cathedral. Today we head to the north coast - the longest stretch of our road trip - where Le Brittany & Spa awaits us in Roscoff.

It is a gem with just 29 rooms and consists of an old stone house with a modern glass extension, shines with Michelin-awarded cuisine and shows us that each of the Relais & Châteaux establishments can be very different, but are all manageable in size and personal.

Fish and seafood from local fishermen dominate the menu at Brittany & Spa - 1 Michelin star!

(Bild: Andrea Thomas)

The town is predestined for thalassotherapy - the sea is omnipresent, the climate is mild and the air is rich in iodine. Roscoff has beautiful granite houses and restaurants where oysters are offered cheaply with a glass of wine at happy hour, inviting not only tourists to enjoy them. I like sitting next to the locals at a long table in the late evening sun and tasting these rare delicacies, which are not available so cheaply anywhere else, chatting about the weather, which is constantly changing here and usually around 20 degrees, and imagining myself at the pulse of the French attitude to life.

Manoir de Lan-Kerellec: the restaurant's Michelin-starred cuisine is influenced by the sea!

(Bild: Andrea Thomas)

THE FOURTH STAGE
The coast in the north offers many fantastic views and it is wonderful to walk barefoot on the white sand between the dunes of Keremma or at Kerlouan. The Côte de Granit Rose, the pink granite coastline, is also spectacular and can be seen at Ploumanac'h, for example. Finally, Trébeurden is the last destination on our personal route to happiness, the Manoir de Lan Kerellec. This is a family-run gem. 18 rooms, enchanting panoramic views, a first-class Michelin-starred restaurant, a place where you would love to stay longer.

Jewel in the north: Plougrescant and the house between the rocks.

(Bild: Andrea Thomas)

Before finally heading back home, a detour to Cap Fréhel is a must. Breathtaking views and the Fort La Latte on a wild rocky cliff, which has often served as a film set, are worth the detour on the return journey. Cancale is the "oyster capital" of Brittany. The abundance of plankton in the bay of Mont Saint-Michel gives them a typical taste, and the high tidal range does the rest - we can see for ourselves in one of the numerous restaurants on the promenade or at the oyster stand by the lighthouse!

By the way: slurping oysters is not considered a luxury here; the best you can pay at the stall is 50 cents per piece.