Pontivy Property Insight

Pontivy (Pondi in Breton) is a French town located in the Morbihan department and in the Brittany region. Its name comes from a bridge (pont in French) built on the Blavet canal by a monk called Ivy – ie Pont Ivy. Pontivy is situated in the confluence of the two mains canals of Centre Brittany; the canal du Blavet and the canal de Nantes à Brest and in the core of the principal north to south road of Brittany which connects the coastal areas of the Morbihan with those of the Cotes d’Armor.

Overview

Sometimes called the town which has two faces – on the one hand the mediaeval centre with the Rohan’s castle and on the other hand the district imagined by Napoleon Bonaparte, Pontivy holds a deep relief alternating hills, small valleys and plateaux. With its numerous watercourses/rivers and divided between natural areas and an exceptional heritage, Pontivy offers a successful mix of nature and town. According to the locals, this is a calm and pleasant town where you will discover several historical monuments. Let’s quote for instance the fortified castle built during the 15th century and partly restored where you can see art exhibitions, exhibitions of Breton costumes, concerts and so on through the summer.

As regards festivals, Pontivy has no reason to be jealous of other Breton towns. Indeed, each year you can attend the Kan ar Bobl final (the people song) - a Breton music competition, the Rock Festival (called Rock a Vista) gathering 4,000 people and the Foire aux Oiseaux, the biggest bird fair in France with 12,000 visitors and 7,000 birds.

Pontivy Immobilier & Property Market Trends

The property crisis did not spare Pontivy where prices dropped by 20% over the last few months to the utmost delight of buyers. As a result, this is the ideal moment to find your dream property in a town close to all conveniences. For renovation amateurs, you will probably find a pretty typical house in Pontivy at a very affordable price. Indeed, you can find a great number of properties for less than €70,000 to be renovated. It will allow you to let your imagination go wild! Other typical properties are also accessible from €100,000 for normal-sized houses to €300,000 for larger houses. Each one can choose the home which fits their needs.

To get updated info about housing prices in the Dordogne, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

3 Reasons to Buy a Property in Pontivy

Pontivy is a Breton town that offers everything for anyone. Wonderful scenery, close to the sea, easy access by transport… Pontivy has so much to offer! No one can be disappointed.

• Celtic culture: as exposed previously, each year the final of a competition of Breton songs occurs in the town. Created in 1973 whilst Celtic music was trendy, this competition was successful right from the beginning. This is an important date in Brittany since this contest goes hand in hand with hundreds of musicians and singers. Today, it is part of the music heritage of Breton people. However, the Kan ar Bobl competition is only one of the numerous Celtic festivals which take place each week-end in Brittany.
• Culinary specialities: as in many towns of France, Pontivy has its own typical dishes. For instance, you can taste the salmon served with a Guémené andouille or the camembert coated with breadcrumbs and served with a camembert ice-cream! Of course you will also find more common but typical specialities such as the crepes or the galettes made with buckwheat flour…
• Transport links: Pontivy is easily accessible by all means of transport you may choose. Lorient and Rennes airports are located only less than one hour from Pontivy and serve Ireland (Galway and Waterford) and England (Southampton) but also many French destinations such as Lyon, Paris, Bordeaux or Nice. By train, you may travel throughout Brittany (Saint-Brieuc, Rennes and Vannes). Furthermore, the Pondibus network serves this small town of about 10,000 inhabitants.

Property Styles and Architecture in Pontivy

Slate and sloping roofs, exposed beams, made of stones…, Pontivy houses are so typical and pretty that you will be fascinated!

• Farmhouses: you may find some farmhouses in Pontivy, although they are not as widespread as longères. Farmhouses are often large properties with at least 3 bedrooms and a large land. You may find farmhouses with painted walls and stones all around the windows and doors or with exposed stones (and thus not painted).
• Longère: they are the most typical house of Pontivy and of Brittany in general. You may find it in the surroundings of the town so that you will be able to take advantage of the closeness with the town centre and of the country calmness.
• Detached houses: neither a longère nor a farmhouse, the fact remains that a detached house also holds the typical architecture of Brittany. Indeed, slate roof, exposed stones or white painted walls, exposed beams, garden… everything is in it!

Click here for more info about the Brittany Architecture.