Le pont de Rohan

Located at the eastern end of the harbor of Brest, Landerneau has a curious peculiarity: one of its banks is located in Leon, while the other is in Cornwall! To make the link gently between these two territories, nothing better than to stroll on the bridge of Rohan. 500 years old, it is one of the few inhabited bridges in France. Landerneau has a rich architectural heritage testifying to its prosperous past. From the 16th to the 18th century, many shipowners have made a fortune in the trade of linen, which was exported from the port of the city. The beautiful facades of their mansions still give the city center an undeniable charm. They are, however, less famous than the inhabited bridge, to which Landerneau owes some of its notoriety. This is not surprising: although inhabited bridges were very common in the Middle Ages, they have now almost completely disappeared. If, in Europe, some of them still stand up, only the bridge of Rohan is confronted every day with the phenomenon of the tides! It is 67 meters long and forms the boundary between the maritime area to the west and the fluvial space to the east. Built in 1510 by John II of Rohan and with six arches, it was initially home to a mill, a chapel and even a prison, before homes, overcoming the stalls their owners, do not settle there from the 17th century. For many years, it was the only way to cross the Elorn for all the region! This gave it a strategic importance for the trade. It was not until 1930 that the construction of the Albert Louppe Bridge, between Brest and Plougastel-Daoulas, improved the passage between Cornouaille and Léon! In August 1944, the German army had planned to destroy the inhabited bridge of Landerneau, but fortunately failed in its attempt ... It was finally in 1958 that the Caërnarfon bridge was built a few tens of meters further. The Rohan Bridge then became a pedestrian area welcoming many restaurants, cafes and shops. "Festo deiz" are even organized on some summer Sundays!