Maël-Carhaix is a municipality of Côtes-d'Armor, in Brittany, 55 km south-east of Morlaix, on the borders of Finistère and Morbihan.
In the center of Brittany, the town is close to its neighbor Carhaix-Plouguer, in Finistere (be careful not to confuse the two localities).
Crossed by the rivers Kersault in the north and Kergoat in the south, whose course was used during the development of the canal from Nantes to Brest, consisting of a village and several hamlets, Maël-Carhaix was a living feud mainly agriculture until the discovery of slate in the seventeenth century but were fully exploited from the nineteenth. There are blue slates of Maël-Carhaix on the roofs of prestigious buildings such as La Sorbonne or the National Assembly in Paris. During the twentieth century, the decline of this activity could not be stopped. Only one farm remains open.
Now with more than 1500 inhabitants, the small preserved heritage city has developed several leisure facilities that make it a popular stop for green tourism enthusiasts, leaving to abandon a few hours or days the major sites of the coast.
In terms of heritage, a discovery of the locality can begin with the preserved elements of the Roman aqueduct built in the second century that supplied water to the nearby town of Carhaix. It is an underground stone channel 27 km long with an elevation of 10 m. Explanatory signs have been placed on different points of the route.
To see then, the parish church Saint-Pierre, built in the fourteenth century but considerably overhauled in the nineteenth. We will notice a tower of 1760 and a belfry beautifully classified since 1920. Partially burned in 1973 following a fireworks display, the church was restored identically but a stained glass window recalls this event and mentions the artisans of its reconstruction.
On the religious level still, many chapels that marked out the territory, as in all the region, only remains the chapel of the old priory of Kerléan, restored at the beginning of the XXIe century. From this priory, also comes the Calvary XVe now installed in the cemetery of the town.
Near the church, was moved a milestone of Roman era (second century) installed formerly along the way connecting Corseul to Carhaix.
To see again, in the center of the village, the manor of Maël-Carhaix, whose bases date from the fourteenth and fifteenth century, but which was restored entirely in the nineteenth. The property is private, but you can admire the elegance of the building.
Another essential part of heritage, old slate. A museum animated by volunteers is now dedicated to this industry which made the wealth and the reputation of the locality, employing up to more than 200 workers. So much so that we evoked the slate as the "blue gold" of Maël-Carhaix. Exhibitions show the work of the workers, tools, evocations of the daily life of old times. The museum is open all year. Free access. Information on +33 2 96 24 73 00.
In terms of "nature" activities, the leisure center and its pond offer 25 hectares partly wooded dedicated to idleness, games and swimming. Picnic areas have been set up and a pedal boat rental point is open in summer.
The site also includes walking trails and paths dedicated to mountain biking.
Fishing is allowed provided you comply with the regulations. The base is open for free all year, but some activities (swimming) are only allowed in summer. Information on +33 2 96 24 73 00 or +33 2 96 29 02 72. For fishing, on the pond or on the rivers and at the canal level, contact +33 2 98 93 39 08.
In the extension of the leisure center, have been developed gardens of Kervezennec, which form around water features fed by the large pond of the base a set of landscape and plant including remarkable trees and shrubs, old roses, clematis, perennials and an exceptional collection of aquatic plants and shorelines. Paths dotted with pergolas have been designed for walkers who also admire slate sculptures in reference to the history of the town. Free access, open all year. Information from the association managing this landscaped complex several times classified in +33 2 96 24 70 05.
In addition to these sites, hiking enthusiasts have several routes of choice. This is the case of the Greenway built on the old railway linking Carhaix to Saint-Meen-le-Grand, which runs through the town, and is accessible to walkers or joggers and cyclists. Same thing on the Velodyssey way along the canal.
Other circuits dedicated to hiking are traced in the countryside surrounding the village or near the old Roman aqueduct. Maps and information on +33 2 96 29 02 72 or +33 2 96 24 73 00.
