Parc Naturel Régional D'Armorique
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The Parc naturel régional d'Armorique ( br, Park an Arvorig), or Armorica Regional Natural Park, is a rural
protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...
located in
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
. The park land reaches from the Atlantic Ocean to hilly inland countryside. There are sandy beaches,
swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
s, strange rocks, fast rivers and the hills of Monts d'Arrée, all blended into one landscape. The park also includes three islands:
Île de Sein The Île de Sein is a Breton island in the Atlantic Ocean, off Finistère, eight kilometres from the Pointe du Raz (''raz'' meaning "water current"), from which it is separated by the Raz de Sein. Its Breton name is ''Enez-Sun''. The island, ...
,
Molène Molène () is an island off the west coast of Brittany and one of the Ponant Isles, making it the largest of an archipelago of twenty islands. In tiers of government it is in Finistère, a department of Brittany in north-western France – sp ...
and
Ouessant Ushant (; br, Eusa, ; french: Ouessant, ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and, in medieval terms, Léon. In lower tiers of govern ...
. The wildlife of the park is diverse and interesting to naturalists. There are sea birds on the islands, European
otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes wea ...
s and
beaver Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
s in the rivers and swamps, and interesting
birds of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
. In the marshes lives a species of rare
carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans Protozoa (singular: protozoan or protozoon; alternative plural: protozoans) are a group of single-celled eukaryot ...
, the
sundew ''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginou ...
, which captures unwary insects.


History

The Armorica regional natural park was founded through a partnership of local and national government in 1969. The park's three islands of Sein, Molène and Ouessant were collectively deemed a
UNESCO biosphere reserve Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific program, launched in 1971 by UNESCO, that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments. MAB's work engag ...
in 1988.


Geology

The area is formed largely from
sedimentary rock Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
s of Palaeozoic age which have been faulted and folded during the
Variscan Orogeny The Variscan or Hercynian orogeny was a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic continental collision between Euramerica (Laurussia) and Gondwana to form the supercontinent of Pangaea. Nomenclature The name ''Variscan'', comes f ...
. Several
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
pluton In geology, an igneous intrusion (or intrusive body or simply intrusion) is a body of intrusive igneous rock that forms by crystallization of magma slowly cooling below the surface of the Earth. Intrusions have a wide variety of forms and com ...
s such as that at Huelgoat were also emplaced at that time. The Armorican Sandstone is a striking white/light grey rock which forms the cliffs at Pen Hir and Cap de Chevre. Islands and rocks within the
Iroise Sea Iroise () or the Iroise Sea (french: mer d'Iroise ; br, An Hirwazh) is the part of the Atlantic Ocean which stretches from the Ile de Sein to Ushant off the coast of Brittany in north-western France. It is contained within the Celtic Sea, borderin ...
are in the main formed from granite and Carboniferous age
limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
. The regional natural park is currently (2018) working towards Geopark status. A local geological museum known as the Maison des Mineraux near the Cap de la Chevre houses displays on the geology of the ‘Espace Remarquable de Bretagne’ or ‘ERB’ which has been designated to conserve the area’s geological heritage. A series of geosites has been designated within the peninsular part of the regional park: * Beg ar gwinn * Enez Louarn * Le Fort * Le Fraternit * Keric Bihan * Le Loch * Lostmarc'h * Pen Hat * Plage de la Source * Pointe du Drezec * Pointe de Gouin - Correjou * Pointe de Raguenez * Pointe Sainte Barbe * Porz Koubou * Porz Kregwenn * Porz Nay * Postolonnec * Quilien * Rozan * Run ar C'hrank * Saint Fiacre * Sillon des Anglais * Sillon du Pal * Trez Bihan Nord * Trez Rouz * Veryac'h * Le Zorn


Geography


Crozon peninsula

Besides the islands, the Crozon peninsula forms the western section of the regional natural park. The principal town is
Crozon Crozon (, ; br, Kraozon, , ) is a commune in the department of Finistère and the administrative region of Brittany, northwestern France. As well as the town of Crozon, the village of Morgat is part of the commune. Crozon is located on the Cr ...
whilst the coastal resorts of
Morgat Crozon (, ; br, Kraozon, , ) is a commune in the department of Finistère and the administrative region of Brittany, northwestern France. As well as the town of Crozon, the village of Morgat is part of the commune. Crozon is located on the Cro ...
,
Camaret-sur-Mer Camaret-sur-Mer (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department in northwestern France, located at the end of Crozon peninsula. Sights Camaret-sur-Mer is home to the ''Tour Vauban'' or ''Tour dorée'' (lit. "Golden Tower"), a historic fortificat ...
li to its southwest and northwest respectively. Tengruc-sur-Mer is situated in the southeastern part of the peninsula. Road access to the peninsula is provided by the D791 road from
Route nationale 165 The Route nationale 165 (also European Route 60) is a highway in Brittany. It connects the towns of Brest and Nantes. It is also numbered European Route 60. The majority of the route is autoroute standard. Route The road commences at Brest do ...
(E60) at
Le Faou Le Faou () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Le Faou are called in French ''Faouistes''. Events The commune contains the village of Rumengol, location of a major religious ...
and the D887 from Chateaulin. The headlands of Cap de la Chevre and Pointe de Pen Hir are significant local attractions for their coastal scenery and historical associations.


Monts d'Arrée

Monts d'Arrée is an area where Celtic mythology and Christian traditions coexist peacefully. A local legend explains why the Monts d'Arrée are so bare: when Christ was born, God asked the trees from Monts d'Arrée to cross the sea in order to greet the newborn child. All trees except for the humble
pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...
,
gorse ''Ulex'' (commonly known as gorse, furze, or whin) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. The genus comprises about 20 species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae. The species are n ...
and heather refused to do this, and so they were wrenched from the ground as divine punishment. Although the highest hill, Tuchen Gador, is only 384 meters high, it is easy to get lost. Low fog is frequent between the hills and above the swamps. The Monts are very irregular. The sharp rocks of Tuchen Gador create a striking contrast to the rounded hills of the Mont Saint Michel de Brasparts. Hiking on the Monts can be treacherous because of the ever-changing weather and the uneven and marshy ground.


Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts and the Chapel of Saint-Michel

Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts, ( in Breton) is the most famous hill in the range. The Mont is 380 meters high and is the second highest in the chain of
Monts d'Arrée The Monts d'Arrée, or Menezioù Are in Breton, are an ancient mountain range in western Brittany which forms part of the Armorican massif. Historically it marked the border of the regions of Cornouaille Cornouaille (; br, Kernev, Kerne) ...
. The Mont was once claimed to be 391 meters high, but this is only true if the height of the Chapel of Saint-Michel is included. One source claims that the top of the Chapel of Saint-Michel is the highest point in
Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...
however the Émetteur de Roc'h Trédudon is 3 m higher at 383 m. If structures on top of these hills are included, the Émetteur de Roc'h Trédudon is even higher, with a 220m antenna on the summit. The summit of Saint-Michel de Brasparts offers fine views of the bogs of Elez Yeun, and on to Lake Brennilis. When the weather permits, one can see the Pont de l'Iroise, and the Bay of Morlaix. The Chapel of Saint-Michel was built in 1672. It is dedicated to
Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
. It was vandalized in 1935, when the statue of the
Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels. The word ''archangel'' itself is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions, but beings that are very similar to archangels are found in a number of other relig ...
was removed from the chapel. Now the building is empty.


Elez Yeun

Elez Yeun is a marshy hollow, visible from the summit of Mont Saint-Michel de Brasparts. Ancient tradition claims that it is one of the gates of hell. The word "ellez" is found in few other names around the region, and comes from the same Indo-European root as the world "hell" in English.


Legends

Elez Yeun is surrounded by many legends and superstitions. It is said that hapless mortals peering into Elez Yeun risked being seized, and dragged down by unseen forces below. Malevolent fiends, often taking the form of a great black dog, are heard baying at night. Another sound heard floating on the night wind comes from the mad revels of lost souls. In Christian folklore, the Youdic (Elez Yeun) was thought to be a place to confine the possessed, but Saint Michael has the power to save souls from falling into it. One legend describes what happened to a priest and a sexton by the name of Job, when they tried to cross Elez Yeun: The unusual chapel of Saint-Michel is considered to be the home of the
Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
who acts as the protector of lost souls wandering in the marshland below his hill. Michael and the Devil had a long history of fighting and competitions. One of the stories says that the Devil was angry when Mont St. Michel and the chapel were built, probably because he knew that
Archangel Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
would be protecting the lost from entering the gates of hell at Elez Yeun. The Devil told St Michael that Mont St. Michel was his, the Devil's, to reside in. Not surprisingly, St. Michael had a different opinion. To decide which one of them was going to keep the Mont, the Devil and St. Michael both agreed to a jumping competition. The Devil jumped and fell into a river, whereas St. Michael's wings carried him much farther away. In this way, St. Michael won the Mont for himself, except for the fact that the Devil still lives somewhere below the Mont.


Member towns

The Armorique parkland contains the following
communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...
: * Argol * Berrien * Bolazec *
Botmeur Botmeur (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Botmeur are called ''Botmeuriens'' in French. See also *Communes of the Finistère department *Parc naturel régional d'Arm ...
*
Botsorhel Botsorhel (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Botsorhel are called ''Botsorhélois'' in French. See also *Communes of the Finistère department *Parc naturel régional ...
* Brasparts * Brennilis *
Camaret-sur-Mer Camaret-sur-Mer (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department in northwestern France, located at the end of Crozon peninsula. Sights Camaret-sur-Mer is home to the ''Tour Vauban'' or ''Tour dorée'' (lit. "Golden Tower"), a historic fortificat ...
* Cloître-St-Thégonnec *
Châteaulin Châteaulin (; br, Kastellin) is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Geography Châteaulin is located in a valley towards the center of ...
* Commana *
Crozon Crozon (, ; br, Kraozon, , ) is a commune in the department of Finistère and the administrative region of Brittany, northwestern France. As well as the town of Crozon, the village of Morgat is part of the commune. Crozon is located on the Cr ...
*
Daoulas Daoulas (; br, Daoulaz) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Daoulas are called in French ''Daoulasiens''. Breton language In 2008, 9.82% of primary-school children attende ...
*
Dinéault Dinéault (; br, Dineol) is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France. Population In French the inhabitants of Dinéault are known as ''Dinéaultais''. Geography The Menez Hom, a m ...
*
Guerlesquin Guerlesquin (; br, Gwerliskin) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Guerlesquin are called in French ''Guerlesquinais''. See also *Communes of the Finistère department *Pa ...
*
Hanvec Hanvec (; br, Hañveg) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Hanvec are called in French ''Hanvécois''. See also *Communes of the Finistère department *Parc naturel régio ...
*
Hôpital-Camfrout Hôpital-Camfrout () is a commune in the Finistère department and administrative region of Brittany in north-western France. Population In French the inhabitants of Hôpital-Camfrout are known as ''Hospitaliers'' or ''Camfroutois''. Interna ...
*
Huelgoat Huelgoat (; meaning "High Forest") is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Huelgoat are called in French ''Huelgoatains''. Geography Huelgoat is popular with tourists and holida ...
*
Île de Sein The Île de Sein is a Breton island in the Atlantic Ocean, off Finistère, eight kilometres from the Pointe du Raz (''raz'' meaning "water current"), from which it is separated by the Raz de Sein. Its Breton name is ''Enez-Sun''. The island, ...
*
La Feuillée La Feuillée (; br, Ar Fouilhez) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of La Feuillée are called in French ''Feuillantins''. The population has been divided by three since the ...
*
Landévennec Landévennec (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Geography Landévennec is located on the Crozon peninsula, southeast of Brest.The river Aulne forms a natural boundary to the east. ...
*
Lanvéoc Lanvéoc (; br, Lañveog) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. The École Navale, the French naval academy, is located here. Climate Lanvéoc has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''C ...
*
Le Faou Le Faou () is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Le Faou are called in French ''Faouistes''. Events The commune contains the village of Rumengol, location of a major religious ...
*
Locmaria-Berrien Locmaria-Berrien (; ) is a former commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Poullaouen.Logonna-Daoulas Logonna-Daoulas (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Logonna-Daoulas are called in French ''Logonnais''. See also *Communes of the Finistère department *Parc naturel r ...
* Lopérec * Loqueffret *
Molène Molène () is an island off the west coast of Brittany and one of the Ponant Isles, making it the largest of an archipelago of twenty islands. In tiers of government it is in Finistère, a department of Brittany in north-western France – sp ...
*
Ouessant Ushant (; br, Eusa, ; french: Ouessant, ) is a French island at the southwestern end of the English Channel which marks the westernmost point of metropolitan France. It belongs to Brittany and, in medieval terms, Léon. In lower tiers of govern ...
* Pleyben *
Plougonven Plougonven (; br, Plougonven) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Plougonven are known in French as ''Plougonvenois''. International relations Plougonven is twinned with I ...
*
Plounéour-Ménez Plounéour-Ménez (; br, Plouneour-Menez) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Plounéour-Ménez are called in French ''Énéouriens''. See also *Communes of the Finistère ...
* Pont-de-Buis-lès-Quimerch * Port-Launay *
Roscanvel Roscanvel (; br, Roskañvel) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Roscanvel are called in French ''Roscanvelistes''. See also * Quélern *Communes of the Finistère departm ...
* Rosnoën * Saint-Coulitz * Saint-Eloy *
Saint-Rivoal Saint-Rivoal (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Saint-Rivoal are called in French ''Saint-Rivoaliens''. Breton language As of 2010 and previous years, all primary-scho ...
* Saint-Ségal * Scrignac *
Sizun Sizun (; ) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Geography Climate Sizun has a oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The average annual temperature in Sizun is . The average annual ra ...
*
Telgruc-sur-Mer Telgruc-sur-Mer (, literally ''Telgruc on Sea''; br, Terrug) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Population Inhabitants of Telgruc-sur-Mer are called in French ''Telgruciens''. Geography Telgruc-su ...
* Trégarvan


Huelgoat

In
Huelgoat Huelgoat (; meaning "High Forest") is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Population Inhabitants of Huelgoat are called in French ''Huelgoatains''. Geography Huelgoat is popular with tourists and holida ...
, unusual rock formations, fast and clear rivers, the lake, and the dark woods create a
fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic (paranormal), magic, incantation, enchantments, and mythical ...
atmosphere. It is said that
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
walked there, and even hid his treasures in La Grotte d'Artus, or Arthur's Cave.


See also

*
List of regional natural parks of France A regional nature park or regional natural park (french: parc naturel régional or PNR) is a public establishment in France between local authorities and the Cabinet of France, French national government covering an inhabited rural area of outstan ...


References


External links


Parc naturel régional d'Armorique
– Official website

– Brittany Tourist Board {{DEFAULTSORT:Parc naturel regional d'Armorique Amorique Geography of Finistère Tourist attractions in Finistère