Quiberon: The Atlantik Wall

Plouharnel / Brittany – France / The « Site du Bego » has approximately 180 pillboxes hidden in the dunes in Plouharnel. This coastal defensive line was designed for two reasons during the Second World War: to protect Lorient’s harbour and Admiral Dönitz’s U Boat and to protect the Atlantic coast from allied invasions.
The Plouharnel site, reserved as a defense base in 1940, is composed of 3400 acres of dunes which already served as a firing range and had never been inhabited. In the spring of 1941, building work began. Locals were called on to work on the site, as well as foreigners, volunteers and prisoners from concentration camps… It took two years and 2 000 people to build this battery which is considered to be one of the most powerful on the Atlantic Wall. A fine example of Germany’s military engineering ! Imagine an army of workers setting to work. An animal and vegetable farm was built on the dune to produce all the necessary food. On 13 March 1944 General Rommel visited the Bego site during an inspection in Brittany and ordered defenses on the beach and reinforcements of the mine fields. The General’s visit indicates the strategic importance of the site.
Almost all of the bunkers used to shelter 700 German soldiers are still visible today. Each one includes a 50m3 tank, a shelter for a generator, ammunition storage and a shelter for 60 servants. The look-out tower on the dune stands 21m tall and can be seen from afar.

Report HD – Bretagne Télé – June 8,2016

 

Jutting out into the sea for 9 miles (14km) and just 72ft (22m) wide at its narrowest point, the Quiberon Peninsula is a tourist destination par excellence. With its rugged coastline, sweeping sandy beaches, fishing villages and rich cultural history, this beautiful area of Morbihan won’t disappoint.

On the western side, the 5 mile (8km)-long Côte Sauvage (wild coast) is the perfect place for getting back to nature via a bracing walk. On the way you’ll pass hidden caves, arches and coves – but swimming is strictly forbidden due to the rough sea. The area is rich in flora and fauna, with a mix of dunes and heathland. As well as spectacular views over the coast and Belle-Île, Brittany’s largest island, you’ll encounter the remains of a Roman fish farm and a Bronze Age fort plus plenty of swooping seabirds.

Quiberon’s beaches have something to interest all tastes. The windy, sandy expanses west of Penthièvre in the north are popular with horse-riders, sand-yachters and surfers whereas families favour the sheltered beaches around Saint-Pierre-Quiberon in the south. Wherever you are, you won’t be far from someone who can teach you a watersport or hire you some equipment.

Quiberon TV World – Quiberon peninsula web TV / Brittany – France / HD 4K