Parc botanique de Cornouaille visitor guide

Visit Parc botanique de Cornouaille, France

The Parc botanique de Cornouaille is a large botanic park near to Pont l'Abbé in the Finistere department of Brittany. It is about 20 kilometers south of Quimper. The park was created in 1981 and so is a mature and well established park.

Explore the Parc Botanique de Cornouaille

France This Way review: The Parc botanique de Cornouaille is a large park with large collections of camellias, rhododendrons, hydrangeas and acers. It is particularly worth a visit in spring and autumn but is a pleasant spot for a stroll and a picnic anytime.

The Parc botanique de Cornouaille covers four and a half hectares and the main garden area contains sixteen different themed areas.

The highlight of these is a large pond filled with waterlilies and lotus flowers and surrounded by hostas, gunnera and other water loving plants. The noise of the frogs around the pond accomponies your walk whilst dragonflies flitting back and forth also animate the area.

Look out also for the pots of carnivorous plants on the edge of the pond.

The acid soil and regular rainfall of the Brittany region has contrived to form perfect conditions for the large collections of acid-loving plants that have been added to the garden and which originate from all around the world.

A path winds through the garden past the area of climbing hydrangeas, and on to an area of Japanese acers where many of the park's 240 varieties of Japanese acers are planted.

A small stream is the perfect home for many of the hydrangeas and the collection of hydrangeas features vibrant blue and purple varieties as well as pink and white and was lovely during our visit in June.

Also lovely at this time of the year are the flowering cornus trees dotted around the park.

An area of magnolias is filled with 85 magnolias and must be a treat in spring. Also to see in spring are large collecions of azaleas and rhododendrums with 2000 azalea plants and 360 species of rhododendrums. There is also a large collection of camellias.

The park also has a bamboo labyrinth, an area of plants from New Zealand, an exotic garden and a rockery.

When you have finished exploring the park there is a picnic area where you can stop and picnin and there is also a small mineral museum where you can see the collection of 1200 different minerals collected by the park's creator.

The park is open from mid March to mid November except for mid September to mid October. A visit takes around one and a half hours. The garden has been classified as a "remarkable garden" of France.

Attractions nearby

The nearby town of Pont l'Abbé is very nice with its position on the river and its chateau.

Quimper is the capital of the region and its lovely half timber houses, riverside position and historic buildings make it well worth a visit.

The small sea-side resort of Benodet and the charming village and harbour of Sainte-Marine on the opposite bank of the river Odet are both enjoyed by visitors.

You can find more travel ideas in the Finistere guide and the Brittany guide.