Moncontour travel guide

Visit Moncontour (Brittany, France)

Moncontour is a charming small town in the Cotes d'Armor department of northern Brittany, to the south of Lamballe and south-east of Saint-Brieuc. Along with some of the other towns in the region, Moncontour was once the centre of Brittany's renowned linen production (said to be the best linen in the world, at its peak in the 17th century).

Note: there is more than one Moncontour in France: see also Moncontour, Vienne (Poitou-Charentes)

Explore Moncontour

This medieval walled town still contains a good amount of its original defensive walls, built in the 13th and 14th century. Combined with the fact it is on a promontory, Moncontour has a more dominant aspect than you would expect of such a small village.

Entering Moncontour and exploring the streets within the walls, mostly around the church and central marketplace, you will discover many attractive medieval buildings and houses of the gentry from the 17th century built from the proceeds of the linen trade, and also some older colombage houses.

The medieval houses around Place de Penthièvre and along Rue des Dames are among the most ancient and most picturesque in the village.

Most of the remaining houses are built in the local granite and have interesting features including the signs hanging from the walls that are on several of the buildings indicating their original purpose (or more recent interpretations such as the one above the tourist office).

The sombre grey of the granite is offset by the ironwork balconies and baskets of flowers that add interest and colour to the town centre.

The Town Hall and the church of Saint-Mathurin also date from this period of prosperity: visit this baroque style church to see the ornate clocktower and the lovely stained glass windows.

Attractions nearby

The surrounding region is known as the 'Pays de Mercantour', a quiet region of Brittany that has lots of signed routes through the countryside for walking, cycling and horse-riding, each following a particular theme - visit the Mercantour tourist office for more information.

A noteworthy destination for enthusiasts of religious architecture is the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Haut, south of Moncontour towards Trédaniel, where you can see medieval statues in painted wood of six saints, each with a reputation for healing the sick.

Note: photo is copyright

You can find more travel ideas in the Cotes-d'Armor guide and the Brittany guide.