In the heart of Brittany, history buffs can go back in time by strolling through a preserved place: a village which, for nearly 4 centuries, was very prosperous thanks to its industrial activity.
In the heart of Brittany, history buffs can go back in time by strolling through a preserved place: a village which, for nearly 4 centuries, was very prosperous thanks to its industrial activity.
In the green and flowery setting of the Quénécan forest, right at the junction between the Côtes d'Armor and the Morbihan, is a moving vestige of a bygone era: the Forges des Salles and its blast furnace whose activity stopped in 1877.
Originally the property of one of the great families of the French nobility, the Rohan, the village developed entirely around this iron and steel activity which attracted many workers for more than 3 centuries.
Apart from finding a difficult but remunerative job, the founders, blacksmiths or loggers appreciated services rarely found on one and the same site: lodgings (for them and their families), a canteen, a chapel and even - well before other towns - a school!
Furniture, everyday objects, photos or explanatory panels: on site everything is done to allow you to project yourself into the life of these workers from Brittany (but also from Normandy) especially as you put your steps directly into theirs when you enter the ten or so rooms open to visitors.
In a totally immersive way, we learn the history of the iron and steel industry (its technique, the use of charcoal and ore...) while discovering how our ancestors lived: social policy, health and the place of women and children are also presented in an educational way during a tour built with the help of experts based on reliable historical sources.
Open since 2015, the Musée des Forges des Salles is located in the former Blacksmith's Row. Built at the end of the 18th century, this alignment of 12 identical dwellings linked by a single slate roof (typical of Brittany) introduces the visit with a video plunging young and old alike into this not so distant past. And, even if today silence has replaced the hoarse pulsations of the bellows and the rustle of the water wheels, one would really think one was back in the 19th century!
This impression of time travel is also confirmed by the film Rosalie (with Benoît Magimel and Nadia Tereszkiewicz) filmed on site and tracing the story of the famous "woman with beard" who defrauded the chronicle in the 1870s.
To prepare your visit.
Also not to be missed in the surrounding area: the Abbey of Bon repos (which offers a flamboyant sound and light show every summer) and the impressive Lac de Guerledan.
Valérie from Comme des Français
Want to extend time travel? Here are some other sites to discover with the family:
Photo credits : Les Forges des Salles - Valérie Gauthier
