Parc du Thabor
Le Thabor is a magnificent 10-hectare landscaped garden situated in the heart of Rennes. Its origins date back to the 17th century when it was a garden adjacent to the abbey of Saint-Melanie. At the end of the 18th century, it became a public walk reserved for men. It was extended and developed in the second half of the 19th century by Denis Bühler. The south part of the park was created at the beginning of the 20th century. Le Thabor includes a botanic garden with 3122 named species, a collection of remarkable trees, rose garden, aviary and bandstand. It offers a floral discovery trail which changes with the seasons.
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the island of Batz
Discreet jewel of the High Léon, not the least bit flashy, the island of Batz lives on agriculture and fishing, following the seasons and the tides. Due to this seasonal nature, many islanders had to go over to England to sell their onions, known as “Johnnies”, in the early XXth century. Only separated from Roscoff by a 2km long chenal, it takes no more than 10 minutes to get there. A pretty coastal path of about 10 kilometers leads you all around the island.
A calm and tranquil island
Like a generous garden set on the open sea, Batz offers its wealth with touching simplicity. Thanks to a micro-climate, a myriad of vegetables can be harvested a month early: potatoes, cauliflowers, endives, and artichokes grow on the open land, enjoying natural fertilizer provided by the sea: seaweed. Bucolic as well as marine landscapes charm the eye: horses grazing in a meadow, rugged cliffs and rounded dunes go together in harmony. In some spots, heather and gorse give way to exotic species.
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Fort National , Saint-Malo
In the 17th century Saint-Malo became a haven for corsairs preying on ships in the English channel, which made it an inevitable target for an attack. For this reason VaubanSébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), is considered one the of the greatest military engineers of all time. In his life he was responsible for the fortification of over 160 places in France, however his major contribution to warfare was his methods of attack, which revolutionised siege warfare. See the 'engineers' page for more information on Vauban.
'was ordered to strengthen the town's fortifications. He not only modified the town and castle ramparts to mount artillery, but also designed a series of outlying forts on the islands in the bay.
Firstly, three forts were built on small islands just to the north of the town; the Petit Bé Fort, the Grand Bé Fort and the Fort Royal (later called Fort National). These three forts could all be walked to at low tide. Secondly, there was Fort Harbour, on an island to the west of Saint-Malo. Thirdly, on two small rocky islands farther to the north, the Fort La Conchée and the Fort Cézembre guarded the more distant approaches to Saint-Malo. The forts were placed such that an enemy ship would be forced to sail right under their guns in order to attack Saint-Malo.
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Menhirs , Carnac
Brittany stands out in the distribution of menhirs by virtue of both the density of monuments and the diversity of types. The largest surviving menhir in the world is located in Locmariaquer, Brittany, and is known as the Grand Menhir Brisé (Great Broken Menhir). Once nearly 20 meters high, today, it lies fractured into four pieces, but would have weighed near 330 tons when intact. It is placed third after the Thunder Stone in St. Petersburg and the Western Stone in the Western Wall as the heaviest object moved by humans without powered machinery.
Alignments of menhirs are common, the most famous being the Carnac stones in Brittany, where more than 3000 individual menhirs are arranged in four groups, and arrayed in rows stretching across four kilometres. Each set is organised with the tallest stones at the western end, and shorter ones at the eastern end. Some end with a semicircular cromlech, but many have since fallen or been destroyed
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