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35660 Langouet
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There are many interesting places to visit in the area around La Briquerie. Brochures and maps have been left in the Cottages to give you plenty of ideas for day trips and excursions - below are some of the more well-known tourist attractions...
Le Jardin Anglais [click to enlarge]Le Jardin Anglais at Port-de-Roche in Langon was originally created by Alan Mason and featured on Gardens Without Borders on Channel 4. There are over six acres of lawns and formal flowerbeds, as well as several water gardens and an outstanding rose garden. It is open to the public from May to October and is an easy cycle ride away (about 3km) - lunch at a nearby restaurant will give you the energy to cycle back!
La-Chapelle-Ste-Agathe in Langon has an original Roman fresco but the chapel is only open as part of a guided tour in July and August (a tour in English is available). Langon and St-Just (a 15-minute drive) have many megaliths and menhirs. The standing stones cover several acres of moorland which is also a great place for picnics and rambling.Chapelle-Ste-Agathe [click to enlarge]
Megaliths at St-Just [click to enlarge]Redon, Nantes & Rennes have excellent shops, bars and restaurants. Redon, the largest local town, is situated at the confluence of two major rivers. It has a pleasure port and many good restaurants and bistros on the "island" in the old town. There is a market every Monday and the huge Leclerc hypermarket (Nantes direction) is a great place to buy goodies to take home.
La Gacilly - home of Yves Rocher - is a very picturesque town with many interesting shops, artisans, bars and restaurants. There is also a factory shop of Yves Rocher products. La Gacilly is a 20-minute drive away and could be combined with a trip to Rochefort-en-Terre, but choosing which town to have lunch in might prove difficult!La Gacilly [click to enlarge]
Rochefort-en-Terre [click to enlarge]Rochefort-en-Terre (a 30-minute drive) is a small medieval city perched on a rocky spur and surrounded by deep valleys. It has shops, art galleries, restaurants and other places of interest to explore.
Pénestin (a one-hour drive) is on the coast and is famous for its "Plage de la Mine d’Or" where the sandstone cliffs shine like gold in the sunshine. The beach is lovely for swimming but can get crowded in the summer. You can buy the famous local mussels and oysters from the quayside at Tréhiguier.Pénestin [click to enlarge]
La-Roche-Bernard [click to enlarge]La-Roche-Bernard (a 50-minute drive) is where the River Vilaine meets the sea. It is a charming, picturesque town (similar to Dartmouth) with ancient buildings perched on the hillside. You can relax and watch the world go by in one of the town’s many bars and restaurants, followed by an afternoon on the beach at Pénestin.
Langouet
A little history...
The town of Langon is said to be the point at which Brittany meets "France" and its development has been influenced over the years by Pagans, Romans & Christians. (In early Celtic beliefs, the Breton Saint Venier is summoned at Langon to make the milk of nursing mothers flow!) The name of the parish of Langon first appeared in the 9th-century when it was variously referred to as Langedon, Langeco, Lanco and Lancon.

Langon was very highly populated at the time of Christ and it was the Romans who built the "Villa de Balac" and its thermal baths (a Roman fresco on its walls dedicated to Venus has been preserved). In the 5th-century, with the arrival of Christians, the thermal baths building was converted into a chapel (La Chapelle Ste-Agathe) and in the Middle Ages, the chapel was consecrated to Ste-Agathe. The town's church, L'Eglise Saint-Pierre-et-Paul, was built in the 11th century. With the arrival of the railways in the 19th-century, Langon began to grow and prosper, but the First World War abruptly stopped its expansion.

Sites
Langon is sited on very poor agricultural land, so most of its ancient sites and artefacts have remained intact. Inhabited by man since at least 10,000 years BC, many Bronze Age discoveries have been made in the area. The church, L'Eglise Saint-Pierre-et-Paul, has one large bell tower and a single bell surrounded by twelve small bell towers (without bells). Overlooking the town are 28 menhirs called the "Demoiselles de Langon" - they supposedly represent a group of girls who wanted to go dancing on the hill rather than go to Vespers.

Things to see
La Chapelle Ste-Agathe (2nd-century origins); L'Eglise Saint-Pierre-et-Paul; Roman frescoes; standing stones.

Things to do
Explore the towpath of the River Vilaine & discover the bridges and rail viaduct crossing the river; nature reserve for bats at Gauna; visit Le Jardin Anglais.
CommuneLangouet
Population1313
Area3654 ha (14.1 sq miles)
Altitude20 m (66 ft)
CantonRedon
Département35
RégionBretagne
Useful contacts
click to visit www.ville-langon.fr
Mairie/Office de Tourisme
click to visit www.bretagne35.com
Tourisme département 35
click to visit www.bretagne.pref.gouv.fr
Préfecture
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