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Top Attractions in Brittany

Brest

Brest is a city in the Finistère département in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon. The city is located on the western edge of continental Europe. With 142,722 inhabitants in a 2007 census, Brest is at the centre of Western Brittany's largest metropolitan area ranking third behind only Nantes and Rennes in the whole of historic Brittany, and the 22nd most populous city in France; moreover, Brest provides services to the one million inhabitants of Western Brittany. Although Brest is by far the largest city in Finistère, the préfecture of the department is the much smaller Quimper. During the Middle Ages, the history of Brest was the history of its castle. Then Richelieu made it a military harbour. Brest grew around its arsenal, until the second part of the 20th century. Heavily damaged by the Allies' bombing raids during World War II, the city centre was completely rebuilt after the war. At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, the deindustrialization of the city was followed by the development of the service sector. Nowadays, Brest is an important university town with 23,000 students. Besides a multidisciplinary university, the University of Western Brittany, Brest and its surrounding area possess several prestigious French elite schools such as École Navale Télécom Bretagne and the Superior National School of Advanced Techniques of Brittany . Brest is also an important research centre, mainly focused on the sea, with among others the largest Ifremer centre, le Cedre and the French Polar Institute. Brest’s history has always been linked to the sea: the Académie de Marine was founded in 1752 in this city as well as the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle was built there. Every four years, Brest hosts the international festival of the sea, boats and sailors: it is a meeting of old riggings from around the world .

Rennes

Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France at the confluence of the Ille and the Vilaine. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department. Rennes's history goes back more than 2,000 years, at a time when it was a small gallic village named Condate. Together with Vannes and Nantes, it was one of the major cities of the historic province of Brittany and the ancient Duchy of Brittany. After the French Revolution, Rennes remained for most of its history a parliamentary, administrative and garrison city of the kingdom of France. Since the 50s, Rennes has grown in importance through rural flight and its modern industrial development . The city developed extensive building plans to accommodate upwards of 200,000 inhabitants. During the 80s, Rennes became one of the main centres in Telecommunication and high technology industry. It is now a significant digital innovation centre in France. In 2015, the city is the tenth largest in France, with a metropolitan area of about 700,000 inhabitants. With more than 63,000 students in 2013, is also the eighth-largest university campus of France. In 2012, l'Express named Rennes as "the most liveable city in France". The inhabitants of Rennes are called Rennais, Rennaise in French.

Vannes

Vannes is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2000 years ago. Vannes is located on the Gulf of Morbihan at the mouth of two rivers, the Marle and the Vincin. It is around 100 kilometres northwest of Nantes and 450 km south west of Paris. Vannes is a market town and often linked to the sea. The name Vannes comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who lived in the south-western part of Armorica in Gaul before the Roman invasions. For several Millennia they conducted a cross channel trade, probably using hide boats and perhaps Ferriby Boats. Wheat that apparently was grown in the Middle East was part of this trade. At about 150 BC the evidence of trade (such as Gallo-Belgic coins) with the Thames estuary area of Great Britain dramatically increased. The Veneti were defeated by Julius Caesar's fleet in 56 BC in front of Locmariaquer; many of the Veneti were then either slaughtered or sold into slavery. The Romans settled a town called Darioritum in a location previously belonging to the Veneti. From the 5th to the 7th century, the remaining Gauls were displaced or assimilated by waves of immigrant Britons fleeing the Saxon invasions of Britain. Under the Breton name Gwened (also derived from the Veneti), the town was the center of an independent principality or kingdom variously called Bro-Wened ("Vannes") or Bro-Ereg ("land of Gwereg"), the latter for a prominent member of its dynasty, which claimed descent from Caradog Strongarm. The diocese of Vannes was erected in the 5th century. The Council of Vannes was held there in 461. The realm annexed Cornouaille for a time in the early 6th century but was permanently joined with Domnonia under its king and saint Judicaël around 635. In 1342, Vannes was besieged four times between forces from both sides of the Breton War of Succession. The city's defending commander, Olivier de Clisson IV was captured by the English, but finally released. The French eventually executed him on suspicion that the ransom was unusually low and therefore he may have been a traitor. In 1759 Vannes was used as the staging point for a planned French invasion of Britain. A large army was assembled there, but it was never able to sail following the French naval defeat at the Battle of Quiberon Bay in November 1759. In 1795, during the French Revolution, French forces based in Vannes successfully repelled a planned British-Royalist invasion.

Plouézec

Plouézec is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France. It has 17 km of rugged coastline that makes it a popular tourist destination all year round, with high quality beaches such as Bréhec and Pors Pin. Its beautiful countryside and coast makes it an ideal place for countryside walks and bike-rides. Plouézec is twinned with the Irish town of Ballinamore and the twinning committee hosts a famous Fest Noz festival every August around the Moulin de Craca which regularly draws thousands of visitors. There is traditional Irish and Breton music, as well as food and drink available. Especially popular is the famous moules-frites, which is a dish of mussels and French fries. It has a strong maritime influence and the people often refer to themselves as enfants de la mer . Water-based sports such as fishing, sailing, and swimming are very popular and are practised by locals and tourists alike.

Roscoff

Roscoff is a commune in the Finistère département of Brittany in northwestern France. Roscoff is renowned for its picturesque architecture, labeled "petite cité de caractère de Bretagne" since 2009. Roscoff is also a traditional departure point for Onion Johnnies. After lobbying by local economic leaders headed by Alexis Gourvennec, the French government agreed in 1968 to provide a deep water port at Roscoff. Existing ferry operators were reluctant to take on the relatively long Plymouth/Roscoff crossing, so Gourvennec and colleagues founded Brittany Ferries. Since the early 1970s, Roscoff has been developed as a ferry port for the transport of Breton agricultural produce, and for car-based tourism. Brittany Ferries and Irish Ferries link Roscoff with both Ireland and the United Kingdom. The nearby Île de Batz, called Enez Vaz in Breton, is a small island that can be reached by launch from the harbour.

Aleth Cathedral

Aleth Cathedral was the cathedral of the Roman Catholic diocese of Aleth, now Saint-Servan in Saint-Malo, Brittany. Aleth was a Gallo-Roman settlement on a peninsula on one side of the Rance estuary. The bishopric was established in the 9th century. The cathedral was destroyed by Norman invaders in the 10th century but later rebuilt. The site of Aleth however was not a secure one and the town of Saint-Malo had begun to grow up on a far more defensible site on a rocky islet in the estuary. In 1146 the seat of the bishopric of Aleth was moved to Saint-Malo by the then bishop, Jean de Châtillon, and established in the monastery, founded in 1108. The bishopric thus became the Diocese of Saint-Malo and the abbey church Saint-Malo Cathedral, replacing the cathedral in Aleth. Competition with the new town came to a head in 1255, when resentment in Aleth at the tax demands of Saint-Malo resulted in armed conflict. Aleth lost, and the walls, fortress and church were dismantled as punishment. The former cathedral ruins are still to be seen in the commune of Saint-Servan which occupies the area of the former Aleth.

Quimper Cathedral

Quimper Cathedral, properly the Cathedral of Saint Corentin of Quimper, is a Roman Catholic cathedral and national monument of Brittany in France. It is located in the town of Quimper and is the seat of the Diocese of Quimper–Leon. St Corentin was its first bishop. The cathedral is notable in that unlike other Gothic cathedrals it slightly bends in the middle to match the contours of its location, and avoid an area that was swampy at the time of the construction. The cathedral was the site of a devastating fire in 1620 when the bell tower was burned and the populace saw a green devil in the flames. The cathedrals stained-glass windows also commemorate various aspects of the Catholic doctrine of the Virgin Marys Immaculate Conception. The life of St Anselm, prior of Bec in France and archbishop of Canterbury in England, is told over 16 medallions owing to his importance in the development of the idea.

Saint-Malo Cathedral

Saint-Malo Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa, and a national monument of France, in Saint-Malo, Brittany. It was formerly the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Malo. This see was created in 1146 when Jean de Châtillon, Bishop of Aleth, transferred his bishopric to the growing town of Saint-Malo on a more secure site across the river. The monastery of Saint Malo, founded in 1108, became the home of the bishopric and its church the new cathedral, replacing Aleth Cathedral. It was abolished under the Concordat of 1801 and its territory divided between the dioceses of Rennes, Saint-Brieuc and Vannes. The pipe organ was made by Koenig factors, father and son, built in 1977 and inaugurated in 1980. It is composed of four keyboards and one pedal and 35 stops. This organ replaces an older one built by Louis Debierre in the romantic style, which was destroyed in 1944. A new choir organ of two keyboard, one pedal and 18 stops has been also built by Koenig in 2014.

Dol Cathedral

Dol Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Dol-de-Bretagne, Brittany, dedicated to Saint Samson. It was formerly the seat of the Archbishop of Dol, one of the nine ancient bishoprics of Brittany. The archbishopric was suppressed during the French Revolution and abolished by the Concordat of 1801, when it was merged into the dioceses of Rennes and St. Brieuc. The building is notable for its eclectic mix of styles and idiosyncrasies, such as the incomplete north tower on the main west-facing entrance. The tower was begun in 1520 but never finished due to lack of funds. A local myth has it that the top was knocked off by the devil, who threw the nearby Dol menhir at the building, which was buried in the ground in consequence. The south facade contains a small 13th-century porch, known as the Bishops porch. This was supplemented by a much grander porch in the 15th century. The latter was decorated with biblical relief carvings by the sculptor Jean Boucher at the end of the 19th century.
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