Morlaix and its viaduct

Who this place suits

With family

8/10

As a couple

9/10

With friends

8/10

Solo

9/10

With a dog

7/10

Reduced mobility

4/10

These scores are calculated from what the page records: official rating, facilities, difficulty, duration and location. They are a guide, not a substitute for contacting the venue, especially about accessibility.

About

Morlaix comes down to one unforgettable image: a two-tier stone viaduct of arches set right across the town centre, with trains passing above the rooftops. It is no relic. Built from 1861 to 1863 to carry the Paris-Brest line over a valley too deep to go down and back up, it still carries trains from Paris, Rennes and Brest today. The French Ministry of Culture gives it a length of 284 metres and a height of 59 metres, with fourteen large arches on the upper level and nine on the lower level. And that lower level, designed from the start to link the two sides of the valley, can be crossed on foot, free of charge, as the Promenade de Guichen. The town explains the viaduct. Morlaix grew up at the bottom of a very deep valley, where the Jarlot and the Queffleuth meet to form the Morlaix river, which reaches the Channel some twelve kilometres further on. The historic centre fills the valley floor, while the old suburbs climb three hills. Everything follows from this: steep streets, steps, lanes, terraced gardens known here as kombots, and viewpoints at every turn. In Morlaix, three kilometres on foot are not a three-kilometre stroll. Behind the viaduct lies a much older town, far richer than you might expect. The harbour, at the head of the ria, let ships sail right into the heart of the town. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Morlaix exported crées, fine linen cloth from the Léon grown, spun, woven and bleached throughout the hinterland, to England, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal. The town was then one of Brittany’s great ports. Its merchants grew rich, and they built. This fortune left an architecture found almost nowhere else: the pondalez houses. On a narrow, deep plot, they were built upwards around a huge central space lit from above, the lantern. A wooden spiral staircase climbs several floors, and wooden walkways, the pondalez, link it to the rooms across the void. The house at 9 Grand Rue and the so-called House of Duchess Anne, on Rue du Mur, let you understand this system from the inside. With about 152 half-timbered houses, Morlaix has the highest concentration in Finistère. The viaduct also carries the town’s heaviest memory. On 29 January 1943, twelve Royal Air Force bombers came to destroy it to cut the railway link to the German submarine base in Brest. The viaduct held: one arch was damaged and traffic soon resumed. But the bombs fell on the town. The town of Morlaix records sixty-seven dead, including thirty-nine children from the Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes school, aged four to seven, and their teacher. The Notre-Dame-des-Anges chapel was built where the tragedy happened. Lower down, Place des Otages recalls the reprisals of December 1943 and the people of Morlaix who were deported. You pass under these arches as a tourist; it is right to know what they have seen.

What you will see

• A 284-metre railway viaduct, 59 metres high, set right across the town centre
• Its lower level can be crossed on foot for free: the Promenade de Guichen
• A structure still in service, used every day by Paris-Rennes-Brest trains
• Fourteen large arches on the upper level, nine on the lower level
• About 152 half-timbered houses, the highest concentration in Finistère
• The pondalez houses, an interior architecture unique to Morlaix: lantern, spiral staircase, walkways

Practical information

Address

Centre historique, 29600 Morlaix

Public transport

Morlaix station is on the Paris-Rennes-Brest line, served by TGV trains: about 3 hours from Paris, 1 hour 35 from Rennes and 30 minutes from Brest for the fastest journeys. The station is above the centre: going down is easy, coming back up much less so, and a free electric shuttle links the station and the town centre.

Parking

Paid parking and blue zones in the town centre, with the first half hour free in paid areas. There are many free spaces around the centre, notably towards the harbour, Quai du Léon, Quai de Tréguier and several outlying squares. For a visit of several hours, it is best to park a little out of the centre and walk up. Check the rules on site.

Pets

Exploring outdoors works very well with a dog, on a lead in town. Access to monuments and museums varies from site to site: check before each indoor visit.

Accessibility

Difficult overall: the town is built in a valley, and the hills and steps make it a demanding destination. The lower town remains manageable: the harbour, Place des Otages, the Maison Penanault and the central streets. Most lanes cannot be used in a wheelchair, and access to the viaduct from the centre involves slopes or steps. Call the tourist office for an adapted route.

Best time

Spring and September for the light and long days. Morning for quiet streets, late afternoon for the views from the heights.

Frequently asked questions

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