Introduction
Brittany (Bretagne) is the rugged Celtic peninsula at France's north-western tip, thrust out into the Atlantic — a region of dramatic coastline, walled ports, standing stones and a proud identity all its own, with its own language, music and flag. For travellers it offers the corsair city of Saint-Malo, the rose-coloured rocks of the Pink Granite Coast, the prehistoric alignments of Carnac, the island-dotted Gulf of Morbihan, lighthouses and wild headlands, and a famous table of crêpes, cider and Atlantic seafood.
Overview
Brittany occupies the long granite peninsula of north-western France, reaching farther into the Atlantic than any other part of the country — Finistère, its western tip, literally means 'the end of the earth'. It is the most distinctively Celtic of French regions, with a living Breton language, Celtic music and festivals, a black-and-white flag flown everywhere and a fierce regional pride. The coastline is the heart of its appeal: more than 2,700 kilometres of it, from the rose-coloured boulders of the Pink Granite Coast (Côte de Granit Rose) around Ploumanac'h, through the cliffs and beaches of the Emerald Coast around Saint-Malo, Dinard and Cap Fréhel, to the wild headlands of the Crozon peninsula and the Pointe du Raz in the far west, all studded with lighthouses and offshore islands. The walled corsair city of Saint-Malo, ringed by ramparts above the tide, is the region's signature sight, paired with elegant Belle Époque Dinard across the estuary and the perfectly preserved medieval town of Dinan up the river. To the south, around the sheltered Gulf of Morbihan with its scatter of islands, lies one of Europe's great prehistoric landscapes: the Carnac alignments, thousands of Neolithic standing stones (menhirs) raised some 6,500 years ago and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inland, the legendary forest of Brocéliande carries the Arthurian legends of Merlin and the Lady of the Lake. The region's character towns — Quimper with its faïence pottery and twin-spired cathedral, the walled fishing port of Concarneau, the naval city of Brest, and the lively capital Rennes — anchor a region that is also one of France's great seafood larders, famous for oysters from Cancale, and for the buckwheat galettes, sweet crêpes, salted-butter caramel, kouign-amann and cider that define the Breton table. The climate is mild, oceanic and famously changeable; late spring to early autumn is the best season, with summer bringing the great Celtic festivals.
Discover Brittany
Brittany's coastline is its glory, and it changes character as you round the peninsula. On the north coast, the Pink Granite Coast (Côte de Granit Rose) around Perros-Guirec and Ploumanac'h is a surreal jumble of giant rose-coloured boulders sculpted by the sea, threaded by a coastal path and watched over by a famous lighthouse. East toward Normandy, the Emerald Coast (Côte d'Émeraude) takes in walled Saint-Malo, the Belle Époque resort of Dinard, the long beaches and the dramatic headland of Cap Fréhel with its lighthouse and the clifftop Fort la Latte. West, the coast grows wilder: the Crozon peninsula juts into the Atlantic with cliffs, coves and the Pointe de Pen-Hir, and the Pointe du Raz in Finistère — the 'end of the earth' — is a windswept granite headland above crashing surf, one of the great viewpoints of France. Offshore lie the islands that Bretons love: Belle-Île, the largest, with its citadel and Côte Sauvage; tiny, car-free Île de Bréhat, the 'island of flowers'; rugged Ouessant (Ushant) and Île de Sein out in the Atlantic; and the turquoise lagoon of the Glénan archipelago. Lighthouses — Brittany has more than anywhere in France — punctuate every cape, and the long-distance GR34 customs path follows the entire coastline for walkers.
Ways to Experience This Destination
The Pink Granite and Emerald coasts, the Pointe du Raz and Crozon, lighthouses, and the islands of Belle-Île, Bréhat and the Glénan.
Walled Saint-Malo and its ramparts, Belle Époque Dinard, medieval Dinan, Vannes on the Gulf of Morbihan, Quimper and Concarneau.
The Carnac alignments, the Breton language and music, the fest-noz dances and the Lorient interceltic festival, and Arthurian Brocéliande.
Buckwheat galettes and sweet crêpes, cider, kouign-amann and salted-butter caramel, and the oysters of Cancale and Atlantic seafood.
Frequently asked questions
Tourism & destination guides
Official regional tourism board — the coast and islands, walled towns, the Carnac megaliths, Celtic festivals, itineraries and accommodation across Brittany.
Official tourist office for Saint-Malo and the Mont-Saint-Michel bay — the ramparts and intra-muros old town, beaches, boat trips and the great tides.
Visaja keeps this page's contact details and visa guidance under continuous review — still, requirements can change at short notice, so confirm the essentials with the mission or the official government portal before you travel.