Description:

Carhaix is a busy market town which has benefited from significant investment during the last fifteen years.  It is considered to be one of the main towns in central Brittany.

Carhaix is situated on the crossroads of several old Roman roads and it is thought that it was the site of the ancient Roman city of Vorgium.

Theophile Malo Corret was born in Carhaix and went on to become a soldier in Napoleon’s Grande Armee and a respected scholar who wrote on the origins and grammar of Breton.  He is commemorated in a bronze statue which was built on the Tour d'Auvergne.

Carhaix is in the department of Finistere in central Brittany close to both the departments of Morbihan and Cotes d'Armor. 

Carhaix covers an area of 25.81 km² and is one of the 7 cantons of Chateaulin and borders the Huelgoat and the Monts d'Arree.

There is a busy market in central Carhaix every Saturday morning.

Carhaix is known locally for its good variety of shops.  The town has several  grocery stores, bakeries, fishmongers, butchers and tabacs.  It also has a wine cave, a bookstore, a hardware store and numerous clothes and shoe shops.  For all other groceries there are several large supermarkets within Carhaix such as Carrefour and Super U.

Carhaix has three Ecole Primaires et Maternelles, two Colleges and three Lycee.

The town has all the facilities you would expect from a busy town such as a post office, several hair salons, garages, dentist practices, doctors practices,  banks, pharmacies and opticians.  There is also a vet, a town library and a centrally located Gendarmerie and Pompier. 

Carhaix has a Ophthalmologist and a good size hospital.

Carhaix has lots of things to do for entertainment with a cinema, a karting and bowling complex as well as a 650 seat theatre.  There are also numerous restaurants, creperies and cafe bars.

Carhaix also has a large swimming pool complex complete with waterslides.

Carhaix has three hotels and a town campsite.  There are also lots of good options for Chambre d’Hote and Gite accommodation in the area.

Carhaix is known throughout Europe for its music festival 'Les Vieilles Charrues' which is held very July.  The event runs over a number of days in July and attracts almost 200,000 visitors who gather to watch music acts from all over the world.

The town is also home to numerous other festivals and events throughout the year which celebrate the Breton culture such as the traditional children's festival Gouel Ar Vugale in June and the Nuit de la Gavotte with traditional dancing in September.

The nearest coastal beach to Carhaix is at Carantec which is just 50 km away.  There area also popular lakeside beaches 14km at Mael Carhaix and 40 km at Lac de Guerledan.  Lac de Guerledan is especially good for children with its clean shallow waters.

Carhaix has a wealth of sporting facilities such as an athletics stadium, a water park area , two sports halls, a bowling alley, a karting centre, a golf course and two equestrian centres.

Carhaix also has an active association scene with clubs for sports, social activities and culture which form a focus point for town life throughout the year.