+1 888 396 5383 617 776 4441 [email protected] DUVINE.COM Europe / France / Brittany Brittany Bike Tour A Place Apart: Escape France and Welcome to Brittany © 2021 DuVine Adventure + Cycling Co. Visit Pont-Aven, the artist’s haven where Paul Gaugin’s Pont-Aven school of painting was born Sip hard cider at a cider producer that’s been family-run for three generations Ride your bike right to the Carnac stones, a collection of megaliths hewn by the pre-Celtic Bretons in the Neolithic Age Get a fascinating, immersive lesson about salt at the Guérande salt marshes Arrival Details Departure Details Airport City: Airport City: Paris, France Paris, France Pick-Up Location: Drop-Off Location: Quimper Train Station La Baule Train Station Pick-Up Time: Drop-Off Time: 12:45 pm 10:30 am NOTE: DuVine provides group transfers to and from the tour, within reason and in accordance with the pick-up and drop-off recommendations. In the event your train, flight, or other travel falls outside the recommended departure or arrival time or location, you may be responsible for extra costs incurred in arranging a separate transfer. Emergency Assistance For urgent assistance on your way to tour or while on tour, please always contact your guides first. You may also contact the Boston office during business hours at +1 617 776 4441 or [email protected]. Tour By Day DAY 1 Welcome to Brittany Your guides will greet you at the Quimper train station and usher you to the French coastal capital of oyster farming at Chateau de Belon. We’ll visit the family-run farm where Belon oysters were first cultivated and taste some directly from the beds. Then, fueled by lunch and fitted to our bikes, we head to the charming old port town of Pont-Aven, a haven that attracted and inspired artists like Paul Gaugin and Emile Bernard. Ride through villages of granite houses unchanged over a century and enjoy the wide-open roads. Once we reach our hotel, we’ll toast to the exciting week ahead and dine in the hotel’s traditional restaurant. Meals: Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Quimper, Pont-Aven, Port Manech, Kerascoet Accomplished: 20 miles / 33 km, elevation gain: 853 feet / 260 meters Accommodations: Manoir Dalmore DAY 2 The Rocky Coast of the Morbihan Begin the day with a quiet ride on tranquil country roads. We leave the Bigouden region and cycle down Morbihan’s charming southern coast, stopping for lunch at a former ferryman’s house on the banks of the Laita River. Once you’ve tasted your fill of rustic buckwheat pancakes and farmhouse cider, walk it off at the 12th-century Cistercian Abbey. This afternoon we’ll spin past rows of sandy dunes on our way to L’Armor Plage and stop at a sweets factory to taste the signature treats of Fort Bloqué. A short transfer delivers us to our home for the next two nights, Château Locguénolé. Tonight, we’re treated to dinner in Port Louis, a maritime commune home to an historic 16th-century citadelle. Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Riec-sur-Belon, Moëlan-sur-Mer, Pont du Doëlan, L’Armor Plage Accomplished: 31 miles / 50 km, elevation gain: 1,417 feet / 432 meters Longer Option: 36 miles / 58 km, elevation gain: 1,738 feet / 530 meters Accommodations: Château de Locguénolé DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications. DAY 3 Off the Beaten Track of the Morbihan This morning we ride a scenic loop that follows a bike path along the Blavet River before leading us southwest in pursuit of the sea. Pedal peaceful roads and pass through a series of hamlets with names that begin with ‘Ker’—the Breton word for village. We settle at the mouth of the Etel River—another oyster hotbed—for a picnic lunch of fresh salads and Breton specialties. In the afternoon, continue our scenic ride all the way to the Atlantic. Here, we’re rewarded with white sandy beaches and well-deserved drink. After shuttling back to the hotel, prepare for a gastronomic dinner in Château de Locguénolé's Michelin-starred restaurant. Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Hennebont, Languidic, Nostang, Sainte-Hélène, Port Louis Accomplished: 35 miles / 56 km, elevation gain: 1,033 feet / 315 meters Longer Option: 46 miles / 74 km, elevation gain: 1,571 feet, 479 meters Accommodations: Château de Locguénolé DAY 4 The Megalithic Road Our ride today brings us to the Île de Saint-Cado where we’ll stop to admire the 12th-century chapel. Savor a few more freshly shucked oysters before we hop on our bikes once more to cycle mellow hills and shady woods punctuated by stone churches. In Carnac, we marvel at megalithic stones and discuss their origin over an authentic Breton lunch. Afterwards, you may choose to continue cycling to the beautiful port town of Auray. This evening we transfer to La Baule, a chic seaside town frequented by Parisians where you are free to dine on your own. Meals: Breakfast / Lunch Destinations: Balz, Saint-Cado, Carnac, Auray, La Baule Accomplished: 24 miles / 38 km, elevation gain: 810 feet / 247 meters Longer Option: 39 miles / 63 km, elevation gain: 1,305 feet / 398 meters Accommodations: Castel Marie-Louise DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications. DAY 5 The Salt Flats of Guérande Today we’ll ride among Guérande’s 5,000-acre salt flats and stop to enter a well-preserved WWII bunker. Lunch is served at a favorite restaurant of locals called La P’tite Casquette. Back in the flats, we’ll meet with a salt harvester who shares the fascinating process of salt formation. Our afternoon ride brings us to La Baule, where you can shop, relax on the beach, or enjoy a cocktail by the sea. We chase the sunset on a coastal ride, then return to the hotel to celebrate our last dinner together. Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Guérande, La Baule Accomplished: 29 miles / 46 km, elevation gain: 886 feet / 270 meters Accommodations: Castel Marie-Louise DAY 6 Au Revoir After a final breakfast in Brittany, there’s time for one more ride through Le Croisic, or you can remain at Castel Marie-Louise for a dip in the pool. Our bike tour concludes at La Baule Train Station, and your guides will see you off safely. Meals: Breakfast Destinations: Le Croisic, Nantes Optional Ride: 9 miles / 15 km, elevation gain: 197 feet / 60 meters DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications..