Broons is a French commune, capital of the canton of Broons, located in the department of Côtes-d'Armor in the Brittany region. It is a commune of Poudouvre, traditional country of Upper Brittany.
The municipality of Broons has 3,000 inhabitants. It is located south of Dinan Agglomeration, and is the center town of a living area of 12,000 inhabitants.
Broons has all the infrastructure, services and local shops and is served by the express road (RN12) and by the Paris-Brest railway line. Located 30 minutes from Rennes and Saint-Brieuc, 20 minutes from Dinan and Lamballe, Broons has all the advantages of a city in the countryside.
Its territory of 35 km² crossed by three rivers is occupied to the southwest by a vast wooded area which was once part of the Brocéliande forest.
The village developed in the Middle Ages, seat of a seigniory based at the Château de la Motte-Bron (now defunct) which played an important role during the wars of succession in Brittany. It has also remained famous thanks to the personality of Bertrand Du Guesclin who was born there in 1320, later became Constable of France (chief of the armies) and who symbolized the fight against the English during the Hundred Years War.
Halfway between Rennes and Saint-Brieuc, Broons is a commercial town that took advantage of its geographical position under the Old Regime and was served from the 19th century by the railway line linking Paris to Brest. This is still the case today, the locality of about 3000 inhabitants being labeled "Village stage" because of its services, tourist accommodation and its leisure offer.
We will therefore gladly stop there before reaching the Emerald Coast, the medieval city of Dinan, or even the legendary forest of Brocéliande...
If nothing remains today of the old seigniorial castle of La Motte-Broons and if the castle of Brondineuf, another feudal seat which had some rights over part of the territory of Broons, is located in the neighboring town of Sévignac, Broons nevertheless still has a civil heritage of interest. This is the case of the manor houses of La Cavée (17th century), Launay-Milon (18th century) and Lohéac (18th century) which testify to the prosperity of the parish and its lands in the second half of the Ancien Régime.
In terms of religious heritage, the Saint-Pierre church dates from the last years of the 19th century, having been rebuilt in place of an older building. Note the mosaic surmounting its portal and, inside, a beautiful Virgin and Child in the Baroque style. Also worth seeing is the Chapelle de la Madeleine (14th century) which is said to have been founded by Du Guesclin's mother and which housed municipal meetings at the start of the Revolution, or the chapel of Leslian (15th century).
In terms of "nature" sports and leisure, the La Planchette area is pleasant: in a green setting, it is dedicated to family walks, and has a playground for young children, a skate park and fields dedicated to "street football" and basketball. The area also includes a body of water and a sports course lined with apparatus.
The town also has a swimming pool open from April to October with a heated swimming pool and solarium ideal for lazing around. Information on +33 2 96 84 70 01.
On Broons, again, indoor or outdoor tennis courts are accessible to visitors (join the local club) and a field reserved for mountain bikers has been set up (information in town hall on +33 2 96 84 60 03).
For fishing enthusiasts, the communal pond or the local rivers are interesting exercise grounds.
Bordered to the south by the forest, stretching to the north towards the valleys leading to the coast, the town has hiking trails dotted with heritage elements and bucolic viewpoints. Maps and information on +33 2 96 58 06 58.
