Morlaix is a handsome Breton town built around the steep valley of the Dossen river, dominated by a colossal 19th-century railway viaduct that spans the town centre two storeys above the rooftops. The viaduct is the first thing you see and the thing you remember — it gives Morlaix an almost surreal sense of scale.
Below the viaduct, the old town is a tangle of medieval half-timbered houses, many with the distinctive Morlaix "lantern houses" — tall, narrow buildings with internal courtyards lit from above. The Maison à Pondalez on Grand'Rue is the finest surviving example and is open to visitors. The Musée des Jacobins, in a converted Dominican convent, covers Breton art and culture. The streets climb steeply on both sides of the valley, rewarding walkers with views over the slate rooftops.
Morlaix makes a good base for exploring the northern Finistère coast. The Cairn de Barnenez, one of the oldest megalithic monuments in Europe, sits on a headland just north of town. The pink granite coast and the parish closes of the Élorn valley are both within easy reach.