The 18th-century forges, located in an old village in the Quénécan forest. The blast furnace operated until 1878.
Les Forges des Salles, a steel-making village in central Brittany. Located south of Lake Guerlédan, in the Quénécan forest, a few kilometers from Bon Repos Abbey, and close to the towns of Pontivy, Rostrenen, and Mur de Bretagne, straddling Morbihan and Côtes d’Armor via the millstream that runs through the village. Les Forges des Salles has remained intact since it ceased operations in 1877 and is the finest example of industrial heritage in the Côtes d'Armor. Listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments since 1980, the site of Les Forges des Salles bears witness to working life in the steel industry in the 18th and 19th centuries. Iron ore, wood, and water in abundance enabled the Forges des Salles to produce fireplace plates, cannonballs, nails, galettoires (a type of ironwork), plowshares, and more, thanks to the work of around 300 people living self-sufficiently on the estate. Since 1990, this exceptionally well-preserved former ironworking village has been open to visitors, either independently or with a guide. The industrial facilities, the ironmaster's house, the workers' and foremen's lodgings, the canteen, the school, the chapel, and the terraced gardens have remained unchanged since the blast furnace was shut down in 1877. Many rooms have been refurbished in the traditional style according to their original function
In a steelworks, water is as important as wood or ore. Water plays a particularly important role in the operation of the forges. Above all, it provides the driving force necessary for the operation of the blast furnace and its workshops, but it is also essential in the ore washing process. This is why forges are always built downstream from a pond or stream in order to have the necessary head to drive water wheels or bucket wheels. At the time, these reservoirs were the focus of much attention. Without water, there would be no driving force, no steel production and therefore no work. To ensure sufficient flow for the creation of hydraulic energy, four ponds were built in 1622 to supply the forge.
May, June, and September: Weekends and public holidays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.