On the path of memory
Although Brittany in general, and the Côte des Légendes in particular, are not immediately associated with remembrance tourism, the traces of the upheavals of history have nevertheless profoundly marked our territory. Far from being cut off from the world, the Côte des Légendes has a wealth of anecdotes and heritage to reflect on and pass on to future generations. Whether a goal in itself or a stop along the way, here are a few places to remember.
World War II
The Atlantic Wall in Côte des Légendes
During the last world war, the occupying army built a series of fortifications stretching from northern Norway to the Spanish border, known as the "Atlantic Wall", to guard against Allied invasion. Although our rugged, unspoilt coastline is less marked than that of our Norman neighbors, you need only walk along the seafront to discover many traces of these fortifications!
Impossible to be exhaustive here, but let's take a look at some of the emblematic fortifications of the Côte des Légendes: the tobrouk of Beg an Toullou in Plounéour-Trez, the heavy battery of La Métairie in Plouider, the anti-tank wall of Les Chardons Bleus in Brignogan, the fortified complex of Beg ar Skeiz in Guissény or the bunkerized rocks of Meneham. No fewer than 47 fortified points that invite us to remember a time not so long ago...
Memories Museum 39-45
For more information on this historic period in Brittany, don't miss the Musée Mémoires 39-45 in Plougonvelin!
Many tributes to the Canadian dead
This is the story of an intense battle on the water and a ship lost in less than 4 minutes. This is the terrible story of the Canadian destroyer HMCS Athabaskan and its crew. It's 4:28 a.m. on April 29, 1944. Off Île Vierge, a German torpedo boat sinks the Athabaskan. The toll was heavy: 128 men perished, 85 others were taken prisoner. The lucky ones were rescued by the Canadian destroyer Haida.
Today, the Côte de Légendes continues to honor the memory of those who perished and those who survived, to keep this ship anchored in the memory of the coastline. The French continue to pay tribute to these men who came to defend people they didn't know on the other side of the world...
Find the steles
A German cemetery in Brittany
Inaugurated in 1968, this unique site in Brittany, based in Ploudaniel (just outside Lesneven), is home to the graves of 5,835 German soldiers who died in Finistère and Côtes d'Armor during the last world war. Whether on a guided or self-guided tour, you're sure to be struck by the sobriety and quietude of this place of remembrance.
The youngest was not yet 16 and the oldest 64 when they died in France. What's most poignant here are the rows of military graves, exhorting peace. This cemetery is not only a place of remembrance, it has also become a place of reconciliation, where many Germans, as well as schools, continue to come to remember...
Visit the cemetery
Guided tours are organized on a regular basis. The guide wanders from grave to grave, telling the story of the Germans who fell so far from home. The names take on a whole new meaning.
Traces of the Resistance
Kerougon stele
Lost in the lush green countryside of the Mévennes region, this little cross doesn't look like much... yet it commemorates a historic event that claimed 9 lives, and pays tribute to the Kerougon maquis. A reminder of the tragedy: on July 14, 1944, at around 5 a.m., the kerougon farm where resistance fighters were hiding was stormed by the German army with the help of French militiamen.
Of the eleven local maquisards, 8 lost their lives, shot down as they left the burnt-out building: average age 22... The man who had been hiding them, Louis Thépaut, was also killed. Aged 53, he left behind his daughter and wife on a farm destroyed by fire. This sad event bears witness to these troubled times, and makes more concrete a global conflict with local consequences.
Along the way
It's easy to find this stele: all you have to do is try out the loop of the two valleys.