6/26/2020

Brittany Travel Guide


Brittany France Travel Guide by Travelling Hopper

Are you planning on a trip to Brittany this year? If your answer is yes, keep on reading to find out everything about this beautiful region in France!



Brittany is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world as it offers everyone something to do, regardless of age.
The endless, white coastline of Brittany spreads over 700 miles to reward you with breathtaking ocean views. Therefore, the trip you plan for Brittany will never be boring with all those beaches, historic cities, tiny fishing villages, medieval castles, and lush mountain scenery.


The Departments, Cities, and Towns in Brittany

It is essential to know the departments and cities before getting on with the places to visit on your trip to Brittany.

At present, Brittany is divided into four departments; Côtes d’Armor (22) in the north, Morbihan (56) in the south, Finistère (29) in the west and Ille et Vilaine (35) in the east. There are nine main cities as well; Brest, Lorient, Quiberon, Quimper, Rennes, Saint-Brieuc, Saint-Malo, Vannes and Vitré.


But Brittany was a part of the Duchy of Brittany, and now it is a separate region with Rennes as its capital. At the same time, the rest of it is the historic archenemy, the department of Loire Atlantique. It is the only wine-growing region in Brittany with Nantes as the capital and a seaport known as Saint Nazaire.


The Must-See Places to Visit in Brittany, France

Traveling to Brittany in France and planning a trip to visit the best cities but don't know what to visit; here are the beautiful and the most famous tourist cities destinations to explore in Brittany France.

 

Brest 

Brest, being a French naval base, was destroyed in WWII, but nothing could stop the rise of this historical city into what you see now. Visit the Conservatoire Botanique National de Brest to see more than 1500 species of plants and the National Navy Museum of Brest to see a huge collection of ships and equipment used by the navy. Océanopolis is a must-visit as it is the coolest aquarium in the world with three marine worlds; tropical, polar, and temperate. There are over 50 sub aquariums located inside it to provide a home to 1000 animal species like penguins,seals and jellyfish!


Saint Brieuc

Saint Brieuc is not much of a city to grab your attention. Still, you can visit the 13th-century solid granite made Saint Brieuc Cathedral. Place du Martray’s half-timbered stone houses, Les Chaos du Gouët (a 10-kilometer trail in a dense wet forest), and the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire to discover the culture of Brittany.


Quimper

You can also visit the 13th-century Gothic-style Quimper Cathedral and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper which accommodates the biggest collection of artwork in Western France (over 3000 pieces) by Jean-Marie de Silgu. Don’t forget to enjoy the most vibrant cultural festival in Brittany, Festival de Cornouaille if you visit Quimper in July.


Carnac

Carnac is famous for the Carnac stones. A collection of megalithic sites in Brittany contains 10000 standing stones, the most extensive such collection in the world dating back to the Neolithic period.

Locronan

This cobble paved village is the prettiest village in Brittany, and the houses are built in solid granite with slate roofs to take you back in time as far as the 15th century. Take a quick visit to the Place de l’Eglise (the town square), 13th century Church of Saint Ronan, and soak in the beautiful views of the countryside at Rue Saint Maurice.


Concarneau

Much is not expected in Ville de Concarneau as it is a fishing harbor, but you can visit the old town ‘Ville Close’ and walk along the city’s ramparts. You can also explore the castle ‘Chateau de Keriolet’ and head to one of the beaches Plage des Dames or Plage des Sables Blancs in the evening.


Lorient

The historic fishing port of Lorient thrives in Brittany. It offers many things for its visitors to see; Lorient Bay (great spot to see colorful yachts), 18th century Maison de l’Imprimeur, the German Submarine Base, Church of Notre-Dame-de-Victoire, etc. And if you are willing to go a little outside Lorient, you can explore the Ile de Groix (island) and spend the evening at Larmor Plage Beach.


Vannes

Vannes is another medieval yet an urbanized town in Brittany with half-timbered houses and a fishing harbor. Take a quick look at Porte St-Vincent Ferrier (the main gate), “Mr and Mrs Vannes” in Place Valencia, Château Gaillard, La Cohue Museum of Fine Arts and jump in a boat to Gulf of Morbihan from Parc du Golfe. Don’t forget to check out the Jardin aux Papillons (butterfly dome) and spend some time in the Beach of Conleau.


Rennes

Rennes is famous for the highest number of half-timbered houses in Brittany, in which 300 such colorful houses seen of all which survived the fire of 1720. Other admirable attractions in Rennes are the red-white Maison Ti-Koz (the most photogenic and the oldest house in Rennes), Rue du Champ-Jacquet, Baroque style Rennes City Hall and Parc du Thabor (a serene, filled park with a waterfall and vibrant flowers).


Saint-Malo — Brittany Tourism

Saint-Malo’s fortifications of the 17th century are fascinating. And the old city of Saint-Malo, gothic-styled St Malo Cathedral (with eye-catching stained glass windows), Fort National, etc. are must-visit attractions. You can also find plenty of beautiful secluded beaches here; Bon Secours Beach, Nicet Beach, and Eventail Beach.


Dinan

The attraction in Dinan is this medieval town itself because you won’t believe places like this exist in real life unless you set your foot in Dinan. A good place to start is the Centre Historique with its half-timbered houses and well-paved streets. The tiny boutique shops and art galleries are impressive. St. Sauveur Basilica of the 12the century is not to miss along with some places like Château de Dinan Museum, Centre Ville Market.


Nantes 

Once famous shipbuilding city has now lost its glamour to urbanization but Nantes’ history remains intact with the ancient monuments and buildings. You can visit the Chateau of the Dukes of Brittany (a 13th-century palace housing a museum at present), Nantes Cathedral (which contains the tomb of Duke of France, Francis II) Les Machines de l’Ile (the walking elephant is amazing!), Passage Pommeraye (a 19th-century shopping complex), Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle and much more.


Saint Nazaire

Saint Nazaire is famous for being a military shipbuilding industrial city, and therefore, the attractions you see here are mostly related to military affairs and war. The Submarine Base with Escal’ Atlantic tour, Submarine Espadon (first French submarine to dive in the Arctic), Écomusée de Saint-Nazaire (a museum that shows you the history of the shipbuilding industry in Saint-Nazaire), the Airbus tour and the STX Shipyard Tour are must-dos and sees in this city.




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