What to see and do in Pont-Aven Brittany

Many towns claim to be picturesque, but Pont-Aven in west Brittany is so pretty that it has inspired generations of painters. Here’s what to see and do in Pont-Aven from lovely walks to a fabulous museum and world-class cuisine.

When you first walk into the heart of Pont-Aven, you’re greeted by a natural soundtrack of the River Aven that runs through the centre, tumbling over large boulders along its way towards the sea. One hour northwest of Vannes, it’s a microcosm of so many elements of a Breton town, with its harbour of sailboats, charming huddles of granite dwellings and surrounding woodlands framing the scene. At the bridge in the central crossroads, you’ll notice that even the public toilets here are a work of art, located in a decorative stone building perched over the river.

A painter’s paradise

*Pont-Aven by Gaugin, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons*

Pont-Aven is renowned as the place that has inspired generations of painters thanks to its natural beauty and particular light. Among the independent boutiques, tearooms and restaurants, you’ll find up to 60 different galleries and exhibition spaces, a truly disproportionate number for such a small town, but it means that Pont-Aven is an ideal destination for anyone who appreciates art. You can spend happy hours lingering over vast canvases or more intimate works displayed in windows and on gallery walls at every turn.

Artists began coming to Pont-Aven as early as the 1850s, but one of the first painters to consciously settle here was Robert Wylie, followed by others from America, Canada, Ireland and England. French artists joined and the town became famous as a residential community for artists, creating, socialising and often boarding together. In practical terms, a train line connecting Paris to nearby Quimper opened in 1862, making Brittany more accessible, while the advent of oil paints in tubes made the whole business of painting more mobile and flexible: artists could take their equipment wherever they wished to travel.

The landscapes here are so evocative that they inspired a distinct style of art, known as the Pont-Aven School, whose works typically use bold colours and a simplistic, two-dimensional approach influenced by Japanese art. Also known as Synthetism, this style was a conscious move away from Realism and even Impressionism, often painted from memory and with no shading or perspective.

What to see and do in Pont-Aven

In honour of the town’s role and status, the three-storey Musée des Beaux-Arts is a showcase for Synthetism. Located in the centre, this fine-arts museum leads you chronologically through the evolution of the Pont-Aven School from Wylie to Gaugin, Bernard, Sérusier and Maufra, and includes several scenes of everyday life for Breton peasants as well as seascapes and landscapes, whose settings you might recognise if you’ve already explored the area. Pont-Aven is compact and easy to explore on foot. From the central bridge, you can head in one direction towards the Promenade Xavier Grall, a walk over wooden footbridges and alongside the babbling water; in another direction, there’s the museum and a side street that leads to more hidden galleries, as well as a café-bookshop for refreshments. Head a little further and you’ll come to the Bois d’Amour, one of the best-known locations for inspiring visiting painters, who would set up their easels among the trees.

Alternatively, follow the flow of the river and you’ll soon reach the harbour with its colourful sailboats and picturesque houses on the opposite bank. Walk through a small park into the woodlands and you’ll likely recognise some of the scenes that inspired the great artists of decades gone by.

World-class dining

If you get the chance, enjoy lunch or dinner at Rosmadec Le Moulin (rosmadec.com/en/home), run by Michelin-starred chef Sébastien Martinez. With the look of a classy hipster, this chef is a true artist right through to his gestures and mannerisms, and his award-winning culinary creations are simply breath-taking: captivating to behold and unforgettable once savoured. His signature dishes include the incredible Moules Paul Gaugin – mussels served with swirls of buttermilk, green pepper and an oyster sorbet – and a fillet of John Dory exquisitely cooked and topped with cuttlefish tagliatelle, trout roe, Jerusalem artichoke and sourdough breadcrumbs.

Tucked away near the centre and located in a former watermill (and for a while an artist’s studio), the Rosmadec Le Moulin is historic, welcoming, warm, elegant and atmospheric, with peacock-green walls and soft lighting. The menu is wholly understated but each dish is an artistic triumph, matched by the friendly, professional service from bilingual staff who truly make you feel at home.

Where to stay

Hotel: In the heart of Pont-Aven near the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Pension du Moulin (lapensiondumoulin) is open all year round, offering 25 bedrooms decorated in a fresh, contemporary style that’s firmly focused on comfort.

B&B: The Petit Guéméne Gîte in nearby Guéméné-sur-Scorff is a romantic stone cottage with a private garden in the centre of a vibrant, historic little town.

Pont-Aven Tourist Office: deconcarneauapontaven.com/en

By Annaliza Davis – an editor, translator and writer. She lives in Brittany after falling in love with the area on a school exchange and loves to explore the coast with her scruffy dog Mimi!