Belz, Morbihan, Brittany

Description:

The town of Belz was created from the break up of the former ancient parish of Ploemel.  The town is well known for its prehistoric history.  In 1888 numerous bronze axes and gold bracelets were uncovered and in 2006 a field of menhirs was also discovered.

Belz has been given the label 'station clasee' which is awarded to resorts that implement a policy of welcoming tourism.

Belz is in the department of Morbihan and covers an area of 15.67 km².  The island of St Cado is considered part of the town.

Belz is situated on 'La Ria d'Etel' a small inland gulf which benefits from a mild climate and beautiful countryside and coastline.  The town is bordered to the north and west by the River Etel. 

The town is one of the 15 cantons of Lorient and is located 25 km south east of the Lorient arrondissement.

There isn't a regular market in Belz itself however there are several local markets in the area each week.  Check out the Guide2Brittany market section for more information.  Belz has a bakery, two butchers, a fishmongers and two clothes shops.   For all other groceries there is a Super U supermarket in the town.

For clothes shopping and larger chains visit Carnac which is only 13.5 km away.

Belz has two 'Ecoles Primaires et Maternelles' and a 'College'.  The nearest Lycee can be found 3 km in Etel.

The town has one post office, several hair and beauty salons, one garage, a vet, two banks, a dentist, two doctors practices, two opticians, a  pharmacy and a small library.   The nearest hospital is 12km at Riantec.

For entertainment there are two restaurant, three creperies and four Cafe Bistros.  Due to the towns location next to the coast the resturants often offering fresh fish specialities.

Belz has two hotels and two campsites in the town.  Further visitor accommodation is readily available in the surrounding area.

The town is surrounded by coastline featuring beautiful sandy beaches.

The main festival in Belz takes place in August when the town celebrates St Cado with parades, dancing, entertainment and delicious locally caught mussels.

Worth a visit:

• Take a boat day cruise around one of the local islands such as Belle Ile, Houat, Hoedic or Groix
• Explore the chapel island  of Saint Cado who was a local hermit who lived on the island in the 10th century
• Follow one of the many well laid out footpaths and cyclingpaths and explore the local ancient megaliths

Due to its position on the River Etel Belz is in a fantastic location for watersports and there are some great canoeing, sailing, diving and fishing facilities available.

Good horseriding and karting centres can also be found in the area.

Other popular associations include art, music and dance.