Discover Maël-Carhaix

If you are looking for a hotel in Maël-Carhaix and would like to combine your stay with local history, you can choose from several areas of interest: slate quarrying, Saint-Pierre Church and the Jardins de Kervézennec. The specific differences can help you choose what to explore based on your interests—from industrial history to architectural and art history, as well as plants and events.

The history of slate in the Bois de Mezle

The Bois de Mezle, also known as the “Valley of the Slate Quarries,” offers insights into the lives and work of slate workers. In the slate valley, a two-kilometre circular trail with information boards guides visitors through the history of slate quarrying. The focus is therefore not only on the raw material, but also on the daily working lives of the people connected with slate.

One specific operation in this history is the Moulin-Lande slate quarry. It opened around 1890 and was worked via an underground shaft; it closed permanently in 2000. A description from 2020 notes that the slate museum in Maël-Carhaix houses tools from the slate quarries, historic photographs and numerous stories from the area’s mining past. The trail, the individual slate quarry and the museum each offer a different focus: information boards along the route, the history of a specific operation, and the museum contents mentioned in the description.

The former railway line through Maël-Carhaix has also been transformed: it was converted into a Voie Verte. The town’s history therefore includes not only slate quarrying, but also the conversion of a railway line.

Saint-Pierre Church: building history and milestone

Saint-Pierre Church was almost entirely rebuilt in 1888 and 1894 to plans by Le Guerranic. Its windows were designed by stained-glass artist Pierre Toulhoat in 1977. They depict the Passion, the story of the Virgin Mary, Saint Barbara and Saint Catherine; another window portrays the 1973 church fire. The sequence of dates distinguishes the event depicted from the later design of the windows.

On the south side of the church stands a Roman milestone, apparently dating from the reign of Septimius Severus (193–211). It was found within the commune in 1873 and once marked the connecting road between Carhaix, ancient Vorgium and the principal town of the Osismii, and Corseul, the principal town of the Coriosolites. Several historical periods thus meet at Saint-Pierre: the near-total reconstruction in the late 19th century, the stained-glass windows of the 20th century, and a milestone connected with an older road.

Jardins de Kervézennec

The Jardins de Kervézennec feature an exceptional collection of aquatic and waterside plants. The gardens are open year-round and free to enter. As access arrangements may change, check locally before your visit.

Exhibitions and events are held regularly; the programme may change. If a particular date is important to your plans, check the latest information in advance. The botanical focus sets the gardens apart from the themes of slate and mining; the events add a changing programme.

Discover more destinations: Bobital, Saint-Michel-De-Plélan, Duault, Henon, Plumieux, Lanrivain, Pludual, Plaine-Haute.

For the regional travel overview: Côtes-D’armor.