France Guide
Brittany
No one area – and certainly no one city or town – in Brittany encapsulates the character of the province; that lies in its people and in its geographical unity. For generations Bretons risked their lives fishing and trading on the violent seas and struggled with the arid soil of the interior. This toughness and resilience is tinged with Celtic culture: mystical, musical, sometimes morbid and defeatist, sometimes vital and inspired.
As their language has been steadily eradicated, and the interior of the province severely depopulated, many Bretons continue to treat France as a separate country. Few, however, actively support Breton nationalism (which it's a criminal offence to advocate) much beyond putting Breizh (Breton for "Brittany") stickers on their cars. But there have been many successes in reviving the language, and the economic resurgence of the last three decades, helped partly by summer tourism, has largely been due to local initiatives, like Brittany Ferries re-establishing an old trading link, carrying produce and passengers across to Britain and Ireland. At the same time a Celtic artistic identity has consciously been revived, and local festivals – above all August's Inter-Celtic Festival at Lorient – celebrate traditional Breton music, poetry and dance, with fellow Celts treated as comrades.
Highlights
1 The Côte de Granit Rose With its bizarre pink rock formations and gem-like beaches, this memorable stretch of coastline is perfect for kids.
2 Cancale If you love oysters, the stalls and restaurants in Cancale's little harbour will have you in raptures.
3 Hôtel de la Baie des Tréspassés Brittany holds no more romantic destination than this land's-end hotel, facing its own colossal beach in splendid isolation.
4 Île de Sein Misty and mysterious island, barely rising from the Atlantic, which makes a great day-trip from western Finistère.
5 The Inter-Celtic Festival Celebrate the music and culture of the Celtic nations at Brittany's best-loved summer festival.
6 Carnac France's most extraordinary megalithic monuments, predating even the Egyptian pyramids.
7 Belle-Île The well-named island offers a microcosm of Brittany, with wild coast in the south, beaches in the north, beautiful countryside between and centuries-old fortifications at Le Palais.
8 Les Machines de L'Île, Nantes A thrilling new art and engineering project at the forefront of Nantes' revitalized tourism industry, offering rides on a twelve-metre walking mechanical elephant.