• Regions
• Cities
• Other destina...
• Understand
• Talk
• Get around
• See
• Do
• Eat
• Drink
• Stay safe
• Get out
• Sleep

Map of Brittany

Brittany (French: Bretagne, Breton: Breizh; [1]) is a diverse region of northwestern France.

[edit] Regions

The region is subdivided into four administrative départements:

• Côtes-d'Armor
• Finistère
• Ille-et-Vilaine
• Morbihan

[edit] Cities

• Brest
• Lorient
• Quimper
• Rennes
• Saint-Brieuc
• Saint-Malo
• Vannes
• Vitré

[edit] Other destinations

• Mont Saint-Michel - monastery and town built on a tiny outcrop of rock in the sand, which is cut off from the mainland at high tide. It is one of France's major tourist destinations, and as such gets very busy in high season. Check the times of the tides before you visit!

• Carnac - the megalithic menhirs - stones erected by the prehistoric peoples of Brittany

• Lac de Guerledan - artificial lake created by EDF, a scenic highlight of interior Brittany

• Cote d'Emauraude - verdant rocky coast stretching from St Malo to St Brieuc - bustling resorts, charming fishing villages

Breton islands:

• Batz
• Belle Île
• Brehat
• Groix
• Hoedic
• Houat
• Île aux Moines
• Les Sept Illes
• Molène
• Ouessant
• Quiberon

Anglo-Norman islands (British Crown dependencies):

• Channel Islands

[edit] Understand

Breton flag

Brittany received its modern name when it was settled (in around 500 AD) by Britons, whom the Anglo-Saxons had driven from Britain. Breton history is one long struggle for independence — first from the Franks (5th-9th century), then the Counts of Anjou and the Dukes of Normandy (10th-12th century), and finally from England and France.

The Breton people maintain a fierce sense of independence to this day, as displayed by their local customs and traditions.

In the past 5 years or so a resurgence of the regional identity has happened in France. Breton art, music and culture are recognized across the nation. France has now accepted that in diversity lies strength and unity.

[edit] Talk

The people of Brittany all speak French, many speak the regional Breton language Breton, and many speak English very well. While France tried to discourage the use of regional languages their use is rebounding, bringing a stronger understanding of culture, contributions, and history. Through the local efforts of the Bretons and the DIWAN Breton Language schools, children are being tought in the native language while they learn standard curriculum. The DIWAN schools are supported by world wide efforts through various groups, including the International Committee for the Defense of the Breton Language.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By ferry

• Channel Islands.

Jersey and Guernsey to St Malo

• Ireland.

Cork to Roscoff

• United Kingdom

Plymouth to Roscoff and Portsmouth to St Malo

Brittany Ferries[2] operates the following regular services:

• Plymouth-Roscoff (Pont-L'Abbé, Pont-Aven, certain winter sailings operated by Bretagne)
• Poole-Cherbourg (Barfleur, Coutances, Normandie Vitesse (BF trading name for Condor Vitesse)
• Portsmouth-St Malo (Bretagne with winter service operated by Pont-Aven)
• Portsmouth-Ouistreham (Caen) (Mont St Michel, Normandie, Normandie Express, refit cover provided by Bretagne)
• Roscoff-Cork (Pont-Aven, ocassionally Bretagne)

[edit] By plane

There are airports in:

• Brest (Ryanair flight from London Luton and Dublin, Flybe from Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester, Southampton)
• Dinard (Ryanair flight from London Stansted, and Luton in summer)
• Lorient
• Quimper
• Rennes (flights from Paris and some other French towns, mainly with Air France)
• Saint-Brieuc (Channel island flights)

[edit] By train

The TGV train runs almost hourly from Paris Montparnasse to Rennes, Brest and Quimper.

SNCF website

[edit] By car

The A11, the Océane Route, links Brittany to Paris. A dual carriageway runs from Rennes to Nantes, and there is a motorway from Nantes to Bordeaux.

All roads in Brittany are free! No peages.

[edit] By bus

SNCF offers bus services from all major rail stations in Brittany.

[edit] Get around

In Brittany, all roads are free (no tolls).

[edit] See

• Menhirs and Dolmens Brittany has a large number of megaliths, which simply means "big rocks". These menhirs (standing stones) and dolmens (stone tables) were sites for burials and worship. See some magnificent examples at the bay of Morlaix and the gulf of Morbihan. Museums at Vannes and Carnac detail the archaeolgical finds made at these sites.

[edit] Do

[edit] Eat

• Kig ha farz - meat and stuffing
• Coquilles Saint-Jacques
• Crêpes and galettes (crêpes made from buckwheat flour) are among the regional specialties
• Tourteaux (large crabs) and spider crabs
• Far breton - cake made with prunes
• Kouign amann - butter cake, served lukewarm

[edit] Drink

• Chouchen - Breton mead, a sweet alcohol made from fermented honey, water and yeast
• Cider - alcoholic drink made from fermented apples. Very good ciders are also found in Normandy
• Beer - there is a great variety (some of them are made with sea water)
• Whisky - There are Breton whiskies. Nevertheless there are better ones in the Gaelic world...
• Kir Breton - the local adaptation of the kir. Instead of white wine you pour breton cider. Preferably from the Rance valley. (kir for those uninitiated is blackcurrent liqueur and white wine)

[edit] Stay safe

When swimming in sea watch out for rips and undercurrents. Be mindful that the tide can come at a very fast pace. Don't be stranded on an outlying island! Check the tides (marees) in your local tourist office. Ask for a tide table.

[edit] Get out

[edit] Sleep

There are many roadside Hotels and Pensions available for overnight stays, but facilities vary considerably. If you have particular preferences it is best to book and if you are travelling in the busy holiday season it is essential to book in advance. For longer stays there are a large variety of Gites or Holiday Cottages to choose from. These can be found in towns, villages and very quiet rural areas. Gite rurale: [3] There are a large number of excellent privately run campsites in Brittany, many with swimming pools. It is also worth considering municipal campsites for both overnight stops and longer stays. These are usually very clean, well managed and centrally positioned, with many in beautiful surroundings, (eg. beside lakes and rivers).