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Are You Ready To Fall in Love with Brittany in France?

Dream it visit it Brittany France Town Dinan
brown concrete mansion chateau gosselin brittany turrets fortification medieval fortress historical bretagne

The ultimate picture-perfect puzzle-boxes

Stand in beautiful Brittany, close your eyes, imagine someone holds one massive puzzle-box in front of you, open your eyes… THIS is the point where you can’t help but fall in love with Brittany.

Brittany in France is full of magical moments, panoramic scenery, and extraordinary architecture.

From nature to history, to spirituality, to… the list goes on, and on…

brittany france summer former city pierre travel history old
  • Best known for

    Brittany is famous for its gastronomy, history, and religious domains.

Furthermore, it has a legacy of tall upright stones erected in prehistoric times, known as menhirs. In addition to that, yes the list goes on and on, you will discover many megalithic tombs with a large flat stone laid on upright stones, called dolmens or Portal Tombs. The purpose of the dolmens back in 3000 BC and 2000 BC was to mark burial places. Also, it’s believed they may have had a ritual significance. 

Menhirs and dolmens are mainly in Britain and France. Brittany is a beautiful showcase of megalithic monuments and mysterious art vestiges.

Brittany has about 3,000 standing stones through several sites!

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The perfect puzzle-box pictures.
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Point St Mathieu, Brest

Brest, the very essence of Brittany

Brest is a family-friendly resort. The strikingly beautiful lighthouse stands guard over the ruins of a former abbey. The departure point for trips to the Isles of Ouessant and Molène is a short walk away at the port of Le Conquet. Check out the local area in Plougonvelin – a tiny gem, all of ​​19 km².

  • Where to eat in Brest

    For Japanese cuisine, try the Hinoki restaurant. My favorite is L'Imaginaire... you just have to go there and experience it for yourself!

Day-Trip Idea

It is highly recommended to visit the harbor city of Saint-Malo in Brittany, France.

Tinténiac

It is worth the 27 km-drive from Rennes to see the small village of Tinténiac with its architecture masterpiece in the form of the church. Originally dating back to XIIc the church is built from granite. 

church tinteniac small village tourist brittany architecture heritage france wall sculpture religious monumen
Tinténiac Church - a beautiful piece of French heritage.
church tinteniac bell tower wall brittany heritage tourist france architecture small village sculpture
Lorient Marina Sailboat Boat Wharf Brittany

Toes in the water!

There is no shortage of beaches around Lorient.

  • Larmor-Plage is known as the Brittany Riviera with its little inland sea.
  • Lomener is another pleasant stop with the waves playing gently on its beach.
  • At Le Fort-Bloqué you can walk to the 18th century fort when it is low tide.
  • Surfers of all abilities show off their skills at Guidel-plages.
  • And then there is Bas-Pouldu beach between Finistère and Morbihan. 

Find world history intermingled with heritage and landscapes at Lorient

The scenery is a reminder of the conquest of India and the East Indies, and World War II.

France’s second largest fishing port is in Lorient, namely Kéroman.

Lorient is a must for seafood lovers with the quayside and fish auctions every morning – a hive of activities with fishermen and boats, getting fresh fish and seafood to the Merville indoor market.

Celebrate the Celtic nations at the annual August Interceltic Festival

Lorient is known as Celtic land. “With a glorious mix of kilts, Breton bagpipes, Irish fiddles and Galician pipes, the Festival Interceltique celebrates a thriving culture. After the grand parade opened by the local Lann-Bihoué pipe band, there follows a succession of concerts, ‘fest-noz’ and great feasts, full of warmth and friendliness.” – Brittany Tourism.

Put your sea legs to the test at Eric Tabarly Sailing World

place rallier du baty du Baty Rennes France buildings photos houses public domain rallier du baty
Palais Saint Georges Rennes
Palais Saint-Georges, Rennes

On Rennes’ east side the Notre-Dame-en-Saint-Melaine basilica is worth a stop. Look out for the 11th century tower and transept from Benedictine abbey of Saint-Melaine. Also the 14th century Gothic arcades.

Fall in love with Brittany in France
A panoramic view of the impressive Morlaix bridge in Finistère, Bretagne, France.

Colourful Rennes

Known for its traditional half-timbered houses and many beautiful old churches, Rennes is pleasing on the eye. More than 2,000 years ago it was a small Gallic village, namely Condate. Today it’s known for its digital innovation.

Palais Saint-Georges

This French monument is in use by Rennes’ fire services and other civil administrative offices. However, it has a history going back to 1670 when construction started on the same grounds of the former Benedictine abbey of Saint George way back in 1032. The main abbey building was demolished and the newly built Palais Saint-Georges became the new abbey.

More places that are worth seeing, include:

  • The famous 17th century Parlement de Bretagne (Administrative and judicial centre of Brittany, BretonBreujoù Breizh);
  • On the west, the Place de la Mairie (City Hall Plaza, Plasenn Ti Kêr);
  • The 1920s Saint George Municipal Pool, with mosaics;
  • On the south-east side, Saint-Germain church;
  • The weekly big market at the Place des Lices;
  • The Rennes Cathedral (cathédrale Saint-Pierre de Rennes);
  • The 16th century polychrome wooden busts on the façade of 20, Rue du Chapitre;
  • Thabor park area;
  • Gayeulles park; and
  • Oberthur park.
Rennes Palais Saint Georges
Palais Saint-Georges and its beautiful gardens.

Travel Tip(s)

Look for free cancellation options: Some hotels offer free cancellation up until a certain date. Booking accommodations with free cancellation can provide flexibility in case your plans change.

Check the map view: Booking.com has a map view feature that shows the location of hotels. This can help you identify accommodations in areas that are both desirable and affordable.

Plan your trip to Brittany - Map, location, directions

How to get from Paris to Brittany

  • The cheapest way to travel is via bus. The trip will take you about 4h10m and is as scenic as doing it by car.
  • Should you go by car, you will save about 50 minutes in time. In comparison to the bus, it’s more expensive and you have traffic to deal with. You can also try Rideshare if you want to bring down your travel costs. 
  • The third option is to go by train, which is a relatively short 1h28m trip.  It is operated by TGV inOui and departs from Paris Montparnasse 1 Et 2 station.
  • Lastly, and the most expensive means of transport, fly from Charles De Gaulle (CDG) to Lorient  (LRT) and catch a taxi to Lorient. The flight is 1h15m. After that, you have an 11 minute taxi ride (8.3km) to Lorient.
    • You can also fly CDG to Rennes (RNS), which will take you almost 3h30m with all the transport connections. From Chatelet Les Halles you can catch a train every 10 minutes to Aeroport CDG 2Tgv. After the 1-hour flight, catch a bus to République. They usually run every 20 minutes, and the bus ride should take you about 30 minutes.
    • Also, there are direct TGV services from Paris to Brest and Quimper.

 

How to get from England to Brittany?

The easiest is to catch the Eurostar to Paris. After that, take a direct TGV train to Rennes, and other stations beyond, from Paris Gare Montparnasse. 

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