Must-see attractions in Brittany

  • Rue du Petit Fort street in Dinan, France.

    Rue du Jerzual & rue du Petit Fort

    Brittany

    Lined with half-timbered houses, this astonishing cobbled street has been here since at least the 12th century. It leads downhill at a steep angle all the…

  • Musée des Beaux-Arts

    Rennes

    Extensive collections span the 15th century to the present at the Museum of Fine Arts, plus there is a section devoted to antiquities. The Pont-Aven…

  • Château de St-Malo

    St-Malo

    Château de St-Malo was built by the dukes of Brittany in the 15th and 16th centuries, and is now the home of the Musée d'Histoire de St-Malo, which…

  • Pointe du Grouin, near Cancale, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, France.

    Pointe du Grouin

    Brittany

    A short drive from Cancale brings you to this sublime and stormy headland. Rock cleaves the water and fantastic views range over islands and rocks to the…

  • Château de Vitré

    Brittany

    Dominating the town, Vitré's medieval castle rises on a rocky outcrop overlooking the River Vilaine, and is one of the most impressive in Brittany – a…

  • Île du Grand Bé & Fort du Petit Bé

    St-Malo

    At low tide, cross the beach to walk out via Porte des Bés to Île du Grand Bé, the rocky islet where the great St-Malo-born, 18th-century writer…

  • Grand Aquarium

    St-Malo

    Containing over 600 species of marine creature, this very popular aquarium about 4km south of the city centre features a 'Nautibus' ride – a simulated…

  • Palais du Parlement de Bretagne

    Rennes

    This 17th-century former seat of the rebellious Breton parliament has, in more recent times, been home to the Palais de Justice. In 1994 this building was…

  • Musée d'Histoire de St-Malo

    St-Malo

    Within Château de St-Malo, built by the dukes of Brittany in the 15th and 16th centuries, this museum examines the life and history of the city through a…

  • Abbaye de Beauport

    Brittany

    If you have wheels (or you're up for a glorious 1½-hour walk along the seashore from the town harbour), head 3.5km east of Paimpol to this romantic 18th…

  • Barrage de la Rance

    Brittany

    Built in 1966, this 750m bridge over the Rance estuary carries the D168 between St-Malo and Dinard, lopping a good 30km off the journey. A feat of…

  • Basilique St-Sauveur

    Brittany

    The soaring chancel of the Basilique St-Sauveur is Flamboyant Gothic, but the south side of the church is Romanesque, while other periods and styles get…

  • Cathédrale St-Vincent

    St-Malo

    The city's centrepiece was constructed between the 12th and 18th centuries. During the ferocious fighting of August 1944, the cathedral was badly mauled,…

  • Tombeau de Merlin

    Brittany

    The Tomb of Merlin is worth hunting out, secluded and lying quietly amid a grove of trees. According to legend, the Lady of the Lake circled Merlin nine…

  • La Vapeur du Trieux

    Brittany

    Steam-engine buffs and lovers of fine scenery will be in seventh heaven aboard the chuffing carriages of this 1922 steam train that plies the old railway…

  • Mémorial 39–45

    St-Malo

    Constructed in the mid-18th century, Fort de la Cité d'Alet was used as a German base during WWII. One of the bunkers now houses this memorial, which…

  • Piscine Saint-Georges

    Rennes

    The amazing building housing these baths makes for an astonishing sight as you walk up Rue Gambetta. Constructed between 1923 and 1926, it was designed by…

  • Vieux Pont

    Brittany

    Be sure to head downhill along rue du Jerzual and rue du Petit Fort to the Vieux Pont (Old Bridge). From here, the bridge, a pretty little port, hemmed by…

  • Champs Libres

    Rennes

    Rennes' futuristic cultural centre is home to the Musée de Bretagne, with displays on Breton history and culture. Under the same roof is Espace des…

  • Côte de Granit Rose

    Brittany

    Running along the coast from Penvern to Trégastel and Ploumanach lies one of Brittany's natural wonders: a delightful and breezy coastline of pink-,…

  • Musée Jacques Cartier

    St-Malo

    This 16th-century manor house was the home of controversial explorer Jacques Cartier (1491–1557), who mapped the St Lawrence River and whose explorations…

  • Abbaye de Paimpont

    Brittany

    Scenically overlooking the waters of the Étang de Paimpont (Paimpont Pond), this splendid and tranquil abbey is a highlight of the region. The abbey…

  • Fort National

    St-Malo

    The St-Malo ramparts' northern stretch looks across to the remains of this former prison, built by Vauban in 1689. Standing atop a rocky outcrop, the fort…

  • Île des Landes

    Brittany

    The wave-pounded lozenge of Île des Landes – 1.1km long, slender and uninhabited – is home to hundreds of gulls and other seabirds. It's directly east as…

  • Plage de l'Écluse

    Brittany

    Framed by fashionable hotels, a casino and neo-Gothic villas, Plage de l'Écluse is the perfect place to shade yourself in style by renting one of Dinard's…

  • Tour Ste-Catherine

    Brittany

    The 14th-century Tour Ste-Catherine is just east of Basilique St-Sauveur and beyond the tiny Jardin Anglais (English Garden), a former cemetery and…

  • Fort de la Cité d'Alet

    St-Malo

    Constructed in the mid-18th century, Fort de la Cité d'Alet was used as a German base during WWII; one of the bunkers now houses this memorial, which…

  • Anse du Verger

    Brittany

    Anse du Verger, 4km west of the point, is a lush terrain of beaches, dunes and trails with a picturesque small church, Notre Dame du Verger, dedicated to…

  • Plage de Bon Secours

    St-Malo

    You can splash in the protected tidal swimming pool west of St-Malo's walls at Plage de Bon Secours, wander along the sand or climb the diving board to…

  • Ferme Marine

    Brittany

    If you ever wanted to crack open the science and art of ostréiculture (oyster farming), this well-organised and informative museum, a couple of kilometres…

  • La Demeure de Corsaire

    St-Malo

    This 18th-century mansion and historic monument was once owned by corsair (privateer) François Auguste Magon. Guided tours are knowledgeably presented but…

  • Musée de la Mer

    Brittany

    This excellent little museum in a former cod-drying factory charts the Paimpol region's maritime history. Peruse nautical artefacts, from seine nets and…

  • Ramparts

    St-Malo

    Constructed at the end of the 17th century under military architect Vauban, and measuring 1.8km, the ramparts of St-Malo can be accessed from several…

  • Espace des Sciences

    Rennes

    Highly popular with and chiefly aimed at kids, the Espace des Sciences is a fun interactive science museum arranged over two floors, situated in Rennes'…

  • Château-Musée de Dinan

    Brittany

    The town's museum is atmospherically housed in the keep of Dinan's ruined 14th-century château, showcasing the town's history, with information sheets in…

  • Cathédrale St-Pierre

    Rennes

    Crowning Rennes' old town is the 17th-century cathedral, which has an impressive, if dark, neoclassical interior adorned with a fabulous ceiling.

  • Musée de Bretagne

    Rennes

    The excellent Musée de Bretagne contains exhaustive and in-depth displays on Breton history and culture, through to the modern era.

  • Plage des Bas Sablons

    St-Malo

    This long and pleasant beach by the marina in St-Servan has a dike that prevents the water from receding entirely at low tide.

  • Tour de l'Horloge

    Brittany

    Climb up to the little balcony of this 15th-century clock tower whose chimes ring every quarter-hour.