It is the gateway to Pointe du Raz: located at the bottom of the estuary, on the slope of a hill and the banks of the Goyen, Pont-Croix and its heights act as a link between the Pays Bigouden and the “Grand site de France” of Cap Sizun. Maria Caroff, from the Cape Town tourist office, welcomes us with enthusiasm: for this Pontecrucienne of blood and heart, the place is worth the detour.
Our walk begins at Place de la République: from the start of the afternoon, exhibitors and various artists are busy preparing for the “organic, local and musical market” on Tuesday evening. Maria is delighted: Pont-Croix is a city in perpetual change, full of initiatives and projects.
There is no question for this old feudal mound to remain frozen in time: cafes, shops and workshops flourish there, attracting tourists and specialists from all over France.
A religious influence
Asked about the religious notoriety of the town, since the Saint-Vincent minor seminary has long trained the priests of the diocese of Quimper and Léon, Maria tempers: The minor seminary is indeed part of the historical identity of Pont-Croix. But it closed a while ago, in 1973. Today, it hosts the medical center and is the subject of a superb musical center project, a place of residence for musicians from all over France, even elsewhere!
The other strong point of Pont-Croix is the Notre-Dame de Roscudon church, listed as a historic monument in 1851, and in particular its bell tower which would have served as a model for that of Saint-Corentin Cathedral (Quimper). The interior is indeed worth the detour, since you can admire the multi-lobed columns characteristic of the architectural school of Pont-Croix, a statue of Saint James and a gilded wood Last Supper dating from the 17th century.e century.
On the forecourt of the church, a small crowd has formed around Yann Jaouet, from the association “Les Archi Kurieux”. Equipped with a map and a series of photos, it invites visitors to follow a fun route, along the alleys and points of interest of the town: the small and the large rue Chère (from the verb choir!), the mills, the marquisate, the fairground …Pont-Croix has nothing to envy Locronan!
he asserts.
An old beaching port
A walk along the Goyen gives the opportunity to learn more about the origins of Pont-Croix: On the banks of the river, the shipowners’ houses and the towpath bear witness to a port past. The mills, on the other hand, drew their strength from the ebb and flow of the tides and were used to grind wheat. In the great times, Yann says, there were two moored mills, which belonged to two different families. They were at war with each other until they found the solution: marry their children!
Back in the center, we stop at the Marquisate: former home of the sovereigns of Brittany, this large house built around 1550 houses on the one hand the tourist office, and on the other the heritage ecomuseum. The exhibition, devoted to daily life in the 1930s, presents various pieces from donations: a former grocery bistro, a collection of traditional costumes, some tools needed by the craftsmen of the time or a room dedicated to Vincent’s photographs. Camus.
Port, merchant, nun but also artistic and craftswoman, Pont-Croix cultivates its plurality with fervor and continues to establish itself, despite its small size, as the “capital of Cape Sizun”.
The good addresses
To eat :
Lucie’s zinc, home cooking and fresh products
Kouignardise, local pastry inspired by kouign amann (salty and sweet)
To visit :
The marquisate, traditional ecomuseum of the 1930s
The archaeosite, reconstruction of a village in 1354
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