Things to See and Do 

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Le Manoir du Bourg sits in enclosed, private grounds and is surrounded by open fields and stunning forests - a real paradise for hiking and nature lovers.

On the doorstep lies medieval Dinan, one of the most attractive and best-preserved walled cities in Brittany. Here you can take a journey back in time through its picturesque cobbled streets lined with ancient half-timbered houses, artisan shops and pretty cafes. Dinan is the home to the bi-annual event Fête des Ramparts where the streets are filled with bustling market vendors, craftsmen, musical acts, jousting tournaments and grand parades. A real treat for the senses!

Dinard was one of the most fashionable resorts in Europe at the start of the 19th century and what remains of that period are magnificent villas, grand hotels and casinos. It is still one of the most famous seaside resorts of Brittany’s Emerald Coast featuring four beautiful beaches, many boutique shops and inviting restaurants. It’s impossible to miss the statue of film director Alfred Hitchcock on the seafront, it is claimed that he once visited Dinard and based the house used in his most famous movie Psycho on the villa standing over the Plage de écluse.

Brittany is of course known around its oysters with the Belon, Rivière d’Etel, Croisic, Quiberon, Pernef, and Golfe du Morbihan recognised as the best in the world. Brittany oysters are unique in that they are cultivated or ‘refined’, in other parts of the world oysters are not cultivated in this way, but are harvested directly from the ocean. A trip to Brittany would therefore not be complete without a trip to Cancale – the oyster capital of Brittany! Cancale oysters have been famous for over 2000 years since the days they were eaten by the soldiers of Julius Caesar and later when they were delivered to Louis XIV. We thoroughly recommend an evening spent sitting on the harbour enjoying a plate of oysters purchased from one of the many market stalls accompanied by a chilled glass of Chablis. Mais bien sûr!

 

Also nestled on the Emerald Coast sits the medieval port city of St Malo, just a short distance from Le Manoir du Bourg. With an ancient citadel, beaches, museums, marinas and cobbled streets filled with bistros and bars, this is a town with serious oozles of charm. If you want to learn more about this incredibly historic part of Brittany, be sure to check out the Musée de la Ville and the vault of St. Vincent.

 

One of France’s most impressive sights is the nearby Mont St Michel, a magical UNESCO World Heritage Site topped by a gravity-defying medieval monastery. Once an important European pilgrimage site, the islet used to be the peaceful and quiet home of copyist monks and today is the most visited site in France outside of Paris. The story of how the mount came to be a great Christian pilgrimage site dates back to the early 8th century, when Aubert, bishop of the nearby hilltop town of Avranches, claimed that the Archangel Michael himself had pressured him into having a church built atop the island just out to sea. Today it remains a staggeringly beautiful place to visit, treat yourself to a special horse-drawn carriage (maringote) or walk the way from the car parks to the mount, taking in the magnificence as you approach.