Stang Korvenn is in the midst of the beautiful countryside and unspoilt coasts of Finistère, with activities to suit every taste (unless you’re looking for noise and crowds!). Wild life is abundant, with kingfisher, heron and many other beautiful birds to watch, as well as the occasional otter and even coypu in the river. Children and families are well catered for, as well as the child free. It is within easy reach of the wonderful wild west coast (30 minutes) as well as being within 45 minutes’ drive to Brittany’s lovely southern coast. The North coast is just over an hour.
Local Area
The village of Saint Thois is less than 1 km away, and has a church, a bar, a café, a post office and a grocery store selling bread, croissants, cheese and wine etc. The pretty market town of Chateauneuf du Faou is a five minute drive away, or you can cycle there along the tow path on the other side of the canal. There you will find restaurants, creperies, bars and cafes plus larger shops, a supermarket and banks etc. Nearby there are many other friendly towns and villages to explore, each with its own unique character.
Nantes Brest Canal
This runs right along the back of Stang Korvenn and is a meandering chain of waterways from Finistere to the Loire, interweaving rivers with stretches of canal built by Napoleon to bypass the English fleets off the coast. It was completed in 1836, around the time our house was built. Stretching for more than 300 km, it is perfect for fishing, swimming (in places) and boating (boat and kayak hire nearby). All types of cyclist will love the tow path that runs next to it for kilometre after kilometre, and this is also perfect for running.
Fishing
See separate link from menu above
Beaches
You are spoiled for choice if you love the sea. Swimming, surfing, sand yachting or just relaxing on golden sand are all within easy reach. Even in the height of summer you can find beautiful quiet beaches that you can enjoy almost to yourself. Or try the chic resort of Benodet just over 50 minutes away on the south coast. The water is clear and suitable for scuba diving or snorkelling. When the weather cools it is still wonderful to walk for miles exploring this varied and fascinating coast – perhaps one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Golf
The golf enthusiast is well catered for in this area. Excellent course at Quimper (Golf de Cornouaille link here) and at Carhaix (link here), just 30 minutes away, among many others.
Also nearby:
Horse riding, scuba diving, Oceanopolis aquarium at Brest, (link here) and many swimming and leisure parks for children and adults in the region.
Just 5 km away is the Chateau de Trevarez in its wonderful gardens. Well worth a visit anytime, at Christmas every year the chateau and grounds are transformed and illuminated unforgettably by a different world-class artist and project team. A truly magical and very different Christmas experience from the end of November to early January. (link here)
Excellent tree-top adventure park catering for children of 5 years up to adult, with varying degres of difficulty, only 25 minutes away. here)For further details of the many ways to make the most of your holiday, visit these sites:
www.brittanytourism.com (link here)
Children’s activities on Brittany holiday guide (link here)
“Brittany’s climate : Brittany shares the common climate of north western Europe in the sense that if the summer is hot and dry in northern France and southern England, then it will be particularly delightful in Brittany. On the other hand, if we have one of our really bad northern summers, then we must not expect to find Riviera conditions in Brittany. However, the southern shores of the old Duchy offer a warmer and more
clement climate than that of almost any part of our islands.”
(from the people’s Brittany by Alan Houghton Broderick, 1951.)