Saint-Julien: Menhirs, Chaos du Gouët and Historic Sites
Accommodation in Saint-Julien
Saint-Julien leads to Chaos du Gouët, one of the town’s tourist attractions, which offers hiking trails. In addition, there is the Menhir de la Roche Longue, a Neolithic monument classified as a historic monument since 1 September 1966. Here, paths through a striking landscape meet a stone testimony to the Neolithic period and further traces of a long local history. These two themes give a stay different points of focus, without either overshadowing the historic buildings.
Nature
The Menhir de la Ville Tiénot, also known as the Menhir de la Roche-Longue, stands on a promontory above the Gouët Valley and the Étang de la Coste stream. The Menhir des Prétoquis is located along a path leading from the hamlet of Prétoquis to Chaos du Gouët, bearing witness to human settlement on this slope during the Neolithic period. The landscape therefore includes not only the hiking trails in the Chaos area, but also two stone monuments with their own historical significance. Anyone planning a hike should check current trail conditions before travelling.
History
The medieval Pont de pierre lies between Saint-Julien and Plaine-Haute. The Château de la Coste preserves the foundations and a cellar of a seigneurial residence built in the 16th century and destroyed during the Wars of Religion by the Catholic League from 1588 to 1598. La Grand Maison was built around 1685 as a posting station for the coach route between Saint-Brieuc and Quintin. The bridge, residence and posting station thus represent different periods of the local architectural and transport history, each with its own historical function.
The former presbytery, Le Trait d'Union, was renovated in 2008 and now houses the Saint-Julien media library, an exhibition gallery and a reception hall. The building’s former function remains reflected in its name, while its current use encompasses three specific areas. The interior of the church has been completely restored and is particularly suitable for prayer and quiet reflection. The current opening hours of the media library and exhibition gallery should be checked before visiting; the restored church interior, by contrast, is intended for explicitly sacred use.
In the immediate vicinity of Saint-Julien is the closed Artothèque de Saint-Brieuc museum. Also nearby are the historic Hôtel de Rohan site, the ruins of the Chapelle Saint-Gilles, the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne church and Plage des Rosaires beach. The closed museum therefore belongs to a different category from the historic site, ruins, church and beach. In the wider regional surroundings of Saint-Julien lies the Bel Air mountain.
Other places under the same overarching destination are Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo, Plouguernével, Jugon-Les-Lacs, Ploumilliau, Hénanbihen, Perret, Saint-Gouéno and Plourhan.
To the overarching travel overview: Côtes-d’Armor.
