Have you had your fill of forests, of endless wheat fields? The time has come for wild cliffs, the foam of crashing waves. The Quiberon Peninsula roars at you. Come. It's worth it.
Not only is nature powerful here. The history of the place is also bloody. July 1795. We are after years of mass slaughter among the French nobility. Heads are falling like leaves from guillotines into barrels. Junior nobles and their supporters are fleeing to neighboring countries. The kings of Europe are shifting uncomfortably on their thrones. Who will stand in their way to stop the revolution in France?
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The first Day-Day in history
In England, a force of French “royalists” is being organized, which the English navy is willing to sail home, in the hope that it will restore the safe and pleasant monarchy to France. 100,000 warriors, led by knights trained in war, are supposed to land back in their homeland and liberate it from revolutionary terror. They celebrate in the pubs of southern England. Get drunk. Chat. The place of landing, the date of landing, everything is carried on the alcohol vapors to the ears of informers. In the run-up to D-Day in June 1944, they will learn their lesson. Luckily for us all.
On D-Day, June 27.6.1795, 10,000, about 90,000 people lined up on the platform. The other 800,000 were as if they had never been. They sailed. They landed on the Quiberon peninsula. It makes sense. A narrow strip of land, in some places only tens of meters between the sea to the west and the sea to the east. You'll see it on the map in a moment. It's very easy to block the advance of a numerically superior force (the French Revolutionary Army numbered about 90,000 soldiers at the time), and establish a bridgehead until the XNUMX who were late for the voyage arrive. It would soon become clear that this was also a death trap. But let them make a mistake in their dreams. Always a good thing.
Let's stop for a moment and focus on the terrain. Where are we?
Quiberon Peninsula
Please note: If you join one of the trips that Zvi and I organize to the area, we will lead you along the route with the best views.
But for the benefit of those of you who will get here independently, here is a detailed map:
pay attention: If you set your navigation software to Quiberon, it will take you to the tip of the peninsula, but on the D768 highway. From there you will see the sandy beaches of the sea to the east, which is certainly fine, but hey… the west coast is called Cote Sauvage. Don’t you feel like getting a little wild?
The pictures I have provided above are from the Wild West Coast. You can travel along it on the D186. So that the navigation software will take you there, and take you along it, I have marked the fishing ports on this wonderful coast on the map above.
Take a picture. Take a picture. Take a picture. Even if you didn't bring a cannon like this from home:
Eat and drink, for tomorrow I will be slow.
Let us return to the 10,000 condemned to death who had just landed on our peninsula on June 27.6.1795, 16. A division of the French Revolutionary Army, commanded by General Louis Lazare Hoche, was advancing towards them from the north. On his banner of heroes was the motto Res non-verba “Actions, not words.” Who knows how to do it like him? At the age of 27 he enlisted as a simple soldier, now, at the age of XNUMX, he is a general. In two years he will die. But he does not know this, of course. This will be a huge loss for France.
Meanwhile, here, at the entrance to the Quiberon Peninsula, he is very much alive. With determination and cruelty he leads his soldiers. These are the best warriors in Europe. Andre Maurois writes in his wonderful book “Chronicles of France”: “At times a spirit of enthusiasm rose in the army… They were imbued with a fierce faith” (Massade Publishing, p. 248), and quotes the orders given to them: “To act offensively, to engage in bayonet combat at every opportunity.”
The 10,000 unfortunates on our peninsula had no chance. They surrendered in the town of Quiberon. There was already a communication network throughout France using semaphore towers. General Hoch relayed the news to Paris, and asked for instructions. It is not known exactly what he asked for, it is known exactly what the instructions were. Most of the prisoners were shot on the spot. The rest were taken to the town of Vannes and… shot there.
On the Quiberon peninsula, General Hoch is held in great esteem. In the center of the town of Quiberon, he stands, cast in bronze, tough, peaceful and fierce – then:
But it is not only here that he is appreciated. Napoleon Bonaparte, who said of him that Hoch was “one of the best generals of France,” ordered his name to be engraved on Arc de Triomphe In Paris.
We will content ourselves with raising a glass of cider in his memory, as well as in memory of those he killed.
We do this in Port Maria at the tip of our peninsula.
By the way, there are ferry crossings from here to Belle-Ile (Beautiful Island), but taking a car there requires a special reservation in advance and the price is high. We will settle for Belle Quiberon. There is also something to see here:
Did you like the article? Want to live in my castle?
Want to travel to Quiberon and many other attractions in a variety of Hiking routes in Brittany That we advertised? You are welcome to stay at Danny's castle and make it a base for your star trips. You can find more information about the castle in the article Manoir de la Chausée – live in an Israeli castle in Brittany.
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