BRITTANY PROPERTY MALESTROIT - GUER - JOSSELIN - PLOERMEL 

Based in the heart of Morbihan, Brittany Property Services is able to welcome and offer you houses in four beautiful and historical towns of the region.

BPS Malestroit - 3, faubourg Sainte-Anne - 56140 Malestroit
BPS Guer - 4, rue aux Roux - 56380 - Guer
BPS Josselin - 12, rue desTrente - 56120 Josselin

BPS Ploermel-1, rue Josselin de Rohan- 56 800 Ploermel

BUY A HOUSE IN GUER ? 

Population 5560 (1999 Cencus) – is some 43Kms south west of Rennes and sits on the edge of the Broceliande Forest which is famous for the legends associated with the Round Table, Merlin and King Aurthur.

The Commune of GUER was established in the seventh century under the leadership of Saint Malo and a Breton monastery. The parish was also part of the former bishop of Alet-Saint-Malo, which was abolished during the French Revolution.

In the early middle ages, GUER was the centre of one of a number of plebes (proto-parishes) that were, for the period, relatively densely occupied and intensively worked.  In the Roman period it lay close to the major road south from Corseul and only 5 kms north of an important road junction.  A late Roman burial ground, with military equipment, has been uncovered 3kms north of the town.

This small market town, surrounded by agricultural land and forest, is also the home of the foremost military academy in France, the “Ecole Speciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr”.  Founded in 1802 by Napoleon-Bonaparte, it is dedicated to the training of the army officers through direct recruitment, as well as numerous officers from other countries.

Nearest Airport – Rennes

Nearest Ferry Ports – Saint Malo, Roscoff

Nearest TGV - Rennes

BUY A HOUSE IN JOSSELIN ?

Population : 2458

The picturesque medieval town of Josselin was the dynastic home of the Rohan family of nobles throughout the middle ages.

There are many tourist attractions in this historic town including the fantastic 12^th Century turreted Chateau overlooking the Oust River, many 16^th century half-timbered building and the gargoyled Basilique Notre Dame du Roncier (our Lady of the Brambles) with its beautiful 15^th and 16^th century stained glassed windows. The Basilica also contains the tomb of Olivier de Clisson, nicknamed ‘The Butcher’ for his tendency to chop the arms and legs off English soldiers in battle!

There’s so much to see and do in the town, it’s easy to see why Josselin has been awarded the status Petite Cité de Caractère (literally ‘little city of character’).

Every Bastille Day (14^th July) Josselin recounts its historic past with the hugely popular Festival Médiéval when the whole town dresses up in period costume – well worth a visit.

The impressive Château de Josselin was originally constructed of wood around 1000AD, and has been added to and rebuilt a number of times over the next 500 years. Henry II destroyed most of it in 1168; and it was nearly destroyed completely again by Cardinal Richelieu in 1629 when he had five of the nine towers pulled down.  The Chateau was extensively restored in the 19^th Century and in more recent times Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother stayed there.

Immediately outside the Chateau in the converted stables is the Musée de la Poupée (Doll’s Museum) which houses a collection of over 500 antique dolls and dolls’ furniture.

Spreading up the hill is the cobbled old town with street cafe’s, Tabac’s, Restaurants and a range of banks and shops. Every Saturday the streets are filled with the weekly street market where you can buy everything from cheese to chickens!

Nearest Airport: Dinard – Rennes

Nearest Ferry ports: Saint Malo, Roscoff, Caen

Nearest TGV: Rennes

BUY A HOUSE IN MALESTROIT?

A former stopping-point on the pilgrimage to Compostella, the small town of Malestroit (micknamed the pearl of the oust) was founded in 987. It first enters the history books in 1343 for being the site of the (illusory) Truce of Malestroit, signed in the Chapelle de la Madeleine during the 100 Years War.

This started the town’s expansion, with small half-timbered shops and large houses for the middle class, made of sculpted granite, springing up during the Middle Ages.

The curious polychrome sculptures attached to the Oriel-fronted buildings also date from this period. And, if you look closely enough, at 3pm it is possible to see the statue of the ox casting a shadow in the shape of Voltaire’s profile on the walls of the surprising St.-Gilles Church.

Malestroit became one of the nine Baronies of Brittany at the end of the Middle Ages and its wealth soon came from textiles, especially flax and hemp. This prosperity was most spectacularly illustrated in the (former) markets in the Place du Bouffay.

Thanks to this wonderful heritage and the efforts made by everyone in the town to keep this heritage alive, Malestroit is one of the 19 ‘Petites Cités de Caractère’ in Brittany.

Malestroit owes this history and these splendours to the presence of the Oust, the river that flows through the town. This provided, initially, a considerable advantage for the leather trade, then hemp. It then faciliated the transportation of construction materials to the town, in particular those coming from the Loire Region (slate, sand, tuffa); cereals for milling, fertiliser and lime for farmers could also be transported by boat.

Conversely, it was possible to export local products: cereals, wood, apples.

Traffic was made progressively easier by the canalisation of the watercourse at the start of the 19^th century, a project ordered by Napoleon. This was initially undertaken for military reasons, then with the objective of opening up the centre of Brittany for commerce.

As a mark of recognition and to confirm is attachment to this vital element, in 1994 Malestroit dedicated a Water Centre to the river.

Nearest Airports- Rennes,Dinard,Nantes, Brest

Nearest Ferry ports – Saint Malo, Roscoff

Nearest TGV – Rennes, Redon

BUY A HOUSE IN PLOËRMEL ?

named after ARMEL - a 6^th century English monk, is a thriving and growing town situated between Rennes (70kms) to the east and Vannes (46kms) to the west.  Enjoying the micro climate created by the Golfe du Morbihan, the town benefits from the picturesque “Lac aux Ducs”, the largest natural lake in Brittany, and the proximity of the historic Forest de Broceliande.  History and Legend play a major part in the make up of this friendly town with sites to be explored or stories to be read.  In 1351, during the Breton war of Succession (part of the 100 Years War) 30 English & French Knights fought the “Combat of the Thirty” near to the gates of PLOËRMEL.

With a population of almost 10 000 people PLOËRMEL has been the subject of considerable investment in recent years with changes to road systems, development of the town centre and three new major supermarkets on the town periphery.  In December 2006 an 8.75m statue of Pope John Paul II, a gift from the Russo-Georgian sculptor, was unveiled to the world.

The Lac aux Ducs offers facilities for water sports of all kinds, hiking, cycling and has a small campsite overlooking the shore.  To the other side of the lake is a challenging 9 hole golf course which has recently received approval to extend to 18 holes.  If you prefer the sea, it is only a short drive to the extensive coastline of the Golfe du Morbihan with it’s sandy beaches and fresh seafood restaurants.

Although some 406kms from Paris, the area is serviced by the TGV to Rennes.  Numerous “low cost” airlines also fly to the area from UK and other European destinations.  Ferry services to France are numerous and the Channel Tunnel has excellent road routes to Brittany.

Nearest Airports – Rennes, Dinard

Nearest Ferry Ports – Saint Malo, Roscoff, Caen

Nearest TGV - Rennes