Saint‑Pol‑de‑Léon

A picturesque old district in the shade of the cathedral

The maze of little streets that lead off from Place du Parvis, turning away from the dizzying cathedral from the 13th and 16th centuries, take you into the secular privacy of old Saint-Pol. The half-timbered houses have made way for solid stone constructions with pure and ostentatious lines. At the corner of Rue Rozière, a house with an ornamental turret is a fine illustration of this. Take a look at the street names. They are full of surprises and poetry: Rue aux Eaux meaning Water Street, was formerly called “Rue aux Os” meaning “Bone Street” but sounding the same when pronounced. This was because the street was given over to the butchers. Rue au Lin, meaning Linen Street, is the last vestige of a weaving tradition. Rue du Lavoir, meaning Wash House Street, has a miraculous, never-ending fountain, blessed by Saint Pol Aurélien, and so on.

Architecture that reaches the sky

At the intersection of the main avenues in the town, the Kreisker chapel soars through the sky with its 80-metre tall steeple, challenging man, the weather and the elements. In the shade of this impressing spire are the bishop’s palace, cathedral, canon’s house, seminaries, etc.

A land of market gardening

Thanks to its golden agricultural belt, Saint-Pol-de-Léon is moving away from its prestigious past. Artichokes, cauliflowers, onions, potatoes, camellias, rhododendrons, etc., are stirring up new passion.