The Pontivy Communauté Tourist Office welcomes you all year round in the unusual setting of the barge Duchesse Anne. You'll be able to discover an unusual place to visit, with brochures and maps of the region and Brittany at your disposal.
The Duchesse Anne is the only barge in France to accommodate a tourist office. She welcomes the public all year round, alongside the quay, but has kept her sailing capacity! Every 5 years or so, we unhook her from the quay and set off to meet hikers and locals on the banks of Brittany's canals.
This barge is one of the last ladies of the Nantes to Brest canal in Brittany.
History of this barge
Before she was named Duchesse, she was used to transport goods and was known as Ideal. She was launched on 21 November 1929. She is a single-screw barge of the deck type built of iron. She has a hull length of 26.38 m and a beam of 4.55 m, with an average unladen draught of 0.40 m and a maximum loading capacity of 130,787 tonnes. Norman Riddle undertook extensive refit work, giving her the appearance of a small yacht, right up to the change of engine (260 bhp), which gave her the ability to sail at sea. At the time, she was sailing on the Nantes-Brest canal with a wealthy American clientele on board. Ronald Reagan's bodyguard was one of her guests from across the Atlantic. It was Norman Riddle who christened her "Duchesse Anne.
Things to see in the area
Afin de visualiser les différentes informations, vous pouvez utiliser les flèches de navigation placées à droite du tableau
Pontivy Communauté Tourist Office
2 quai Niémen
56300 Pontivy