Best Things to Do in Brittany, France | France Bucket List (2023)

FAQs

What is Brittany best known for? ›

Brittany is a wild and windswept region in Northwestern France that's best-known for its medieval fishing villages, rugged coastline, and its fierce independence from the rest of l'Hexagone.

MOULES FRITES FROM NORMANDY & BRITTANY

A famous food speciality of Bretagne you are sure to of heard of is moules frites. This hugely popular dish, in Brittany and Normandy especially, is a simple but delicious main meal.

The most visited town in Brittany, St Malo is, like the Mont St. Michel, a fortified enclave standing on a peninsula at the mouth of a river. The city grew up many centuries ago at the mouth of the river Rance, and became famous as the home of adventurers and pirates.

The beautiful traditions of proud Bretons

Brittany's Celtic cultural heritage can be felt all over the region and locals are fiercely proud of their past. They're playful with it too, with year-round festivals of dance and music and food celebrating traditional Breton ways.

The main language of Brittany nowadays is French, however the traditional language of Breton (Brezhoneg) is much older. Records can also be found in Latin.

Kouign-amann is an emblematic dessert of Breton gastronomy, found in any self-respecting Breton bakery! This specialty from Fouarnenez is made from buttered and sweet bread dough, and then rolled up like a puff pastry.

Kouign-amann from Brittany, is a speciality in the town of Douarnenez in Finistère originating from the 19th century but now eaten all over the world. Made with a layer of butter sealed into the sweet pastry dough and rolled and re-rolled several times. It's baked slowly until it puffs up and the sugar caramelises.

Brittany is primarily known for delicious cow's milk cheeses. Two of the best cow's milk cheeses here are Saint-Paulin and Emmental.

Chouchen or apple mead

This is one of the world's oldest drinks and is part of Brittany's Celtic heritage. Produced from fermented honey and better known as mead, the Chouchen is also called chemillard or chamillard in Haute Bretagne.

What is the best time of year for Brittany? ›

The best time to visit Brittany is April-June

The longest days between sunrise and sunset in Brittany are usually in July, so if you want to get the most out of your daytime activities, be sure to plan your visit around this time. The wet season in Brittany usually falls during the months surrounding July each year.

Brittany has the best tap water for drinking, with a 99.99% compliance rate for nitrate levels and a 99% for pesticides, above the national average. It is more likely that tap water will be contaminated in buildings built before the 1950s due to lead in ageing pipes.

Top spots include La Baule and the medieval port of Vannes. Relaxed escapes to Belle-Île-en-Mer come highly recommended! Those eager to delve into Brittany's rich culture can base themselves in elegant Rennes — the region's current capital — or in Nantes.

An extensive coach and bus network allows you to travel from town to town without the need of a car and equally, it can be used in combination with the train.

Religion. The Breton people are predominantly members of the Catholic Church, with minorities in the Reformed Church of France and non-religious people. Brittany was one of the most staunchly Catholic regions in all of France.

The culture of Brittany is made up of Breton culture, and Celtic culture. Brittany's strongest international connections tend to be in the United Kingdom, particularly in the Celtic groups of Cornwall and Wales, and in Canada.

Brittany is the largest French peninsula. It is around 34,030 km² (13,140 sq mi) and stretches toward the northwest and the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered to the north by the English Channel, to the south by the Bay of Biscay and the waters located between the western coast and Ushant Island form the Iroise Sea.

Here you have some basic vocabulary to get a first impression of the language! Demad! Bonjour ! Hello!

And since the settlement occurred quite some time before the Anglo-Saxons ever came to Britain, the people of Brittany have never spoken English (except, perhaps, briefly and sporadically around the time of the Hundred Years' War much, much later).

What does ker mean in French? ›

In Breton, “KER” refers to one's abode, an inhabited place where one feels good and “ZON” refers to the maiZon, or maison, the French word meaning home.

Galettes de Bretagne are basically thin crépes from the Brittany region in northwestern France. These pancakes are made from buckwheat flour, then filled with various ingredients such as eggs, ham, mushrooms, and bacon.

Saint-Paulin is a French semi-soft cheese made from cow's milk, originating from the region of Bretagne. It was originally produced by Trappist monks. Underneath its washed rind, there is a white-colored body with a creamy and firm texture and milky aromas. Its flavor is best described as nutty and buttery.

Madeleines are soft French tea cakes with the most delicious texture. They are sponge cakes made from a Genoise cake batter baked in special madeleine trays shaped like shells. Madeleines are such dainty and cute French cakes and they taste great with afternoon tea or even with morning coffee.

1. Camembert. Camembert is one of the first cheeses we associated with France, so it's no wonder it tops the list at number one.

Brittany's butter is special, most often salted, in particular using salt from Guérande. There are two reasons for that. First, butter is mainly milk (in particular, cream) and Brittany is a big milk producer. Secondly, in the past, the region was exempt from the salt tax.

Brittany is known for crêpes and cider, as well as delicious seafood! Crêpes (sweet) and galettes (savory) are traditional Breton foods, served in many restaurants and occasionally sold as snacks on the street.

1 1/2 oz Reposado Tequila (Lunazul) 1/2 oz Mezcal (Fidencio) 1/2 oz Apricot Liqueur (Rothman & Winter) 1/2 oz Lime Juice.

What is a Cooper drink? ›

Mixed Drink Recipe from Cocktail Builder. 1 1/2 oz of Bourbon. 1/2 oz of St Germain (or Elderflower Cordial) 1/4 oz of ginger liqueur.

August is the hottest month in Brittany with an average temperature of 18°C (64°F) and the coldest is January at 7.5°C (46°F) with the most daily sunshine hours at 7 in July.

Although sliding towards heavier rainfall, cooler ocean temperatures, and cooler days, October in Brittany can still be an amazing time to visit this wonderful region.

Brittany Climate and Weather

The summer months see temperatures rise as high as 86°F (30°C). Winter is wet and mild with average daytime temperatures reaching 42°F (6°C). Summers don't get as hot as in some other areas of France, just as the winters don't get as cold.

Can you drink tap water in France? Although many French people prefer bottled water, in most places in France, tap water is perfectly okay to drink. Some locales, like Paris, even pride themselves on the quality of their tap water.

Yes, tap water in Paris is perfectly safe to drink and is readily available wherever you go, even at public water fountains. As long as taps aren't labeled eau non potable—meaning “not for drinking” in French—everything else is potable. In fact, drinking water from the fountains of Paris has been encouraged.

Yes, Paris has one of the most quality water networks among the main cities in the world. In brief, if you have doubts about the tap water about your hotel or your rental apartment, you can go for it. That is what the water and local authorities says and what. So, we, the Parisians trust and do with no health risks.

$500–$1100

Working with a reputable breeder is the most expensive way to introduce this breed to your family, as a purebred Brittany costs between $500 and $1,100, but it comes with some benefits.

the oldest city in Brittany. Located 302 miles slightly south, and due west of Paris, the town of Quimper is in Northwestern Bretagne, or the Lower Brittany region of France.

Quick Facts About Brittany, France:

In French “Brittany” is spelled “Bretagne”. Great Britain is known as “Grande Bretagne”. The capital of the region is the city of Rennes. Rennes has a population of over 200,000 people and is one of the major university towns in France.

Can you swim in Brittany beaches? ›

The dramatic scenery and white sand make for beautiful views, while the clear waters and caves are great for snorkelling and swimming.

Brittany's climate through the seasons

The Finistère area of western Brittany tends to have the coolest weather in summer, while the south coast of Morbihan, benefiting from a sunny microclimate, is the warmest.

On the border of Brittany and Normandy sits le Mont Saint-Michel, a craggy island nestled in a sandy tidal floodplain.

Brittany is the only motorway-free region of France which happily means there are no motorway tolls to pay. Instead, it is served by a fast and efficient network of dual carriageways that have a speed limit of 110km (68mph) resulting in easy, stress-free driving.

On the smaller car ferries, serving shorter routes you will be allowed to stay in the car during a journey if you wish. For example, if your crossing is about 10 or 15 minutes you will see that most people just stay in their cars while waiting to disembark on the other end.

For overnight crossings to France and on our Spanish service, a cabin or reclining seat must be pre-booked whilst availability remains. Bookings without on board accommodation may only be accepted on our French routes after all such accommodation has been reserved.

Brittany is distinct from other French regions because of its Celtic heritage. About one-quarter of its population of 2,815,900 (1992 est.) are able to speak Breton, a Celtic language similar to Cornish and Welsh. The language, customs, and costumes are preserved mainly in the more isolated west.

The culture of Brittany is made up of Breton culture, and Celtic culture. Brittany's strongest international connections tend to be in the United Kingdom, particularly in the Celtic groups of Cornwall and Wales, and in Canada.

Historically a farming and fishing region, Brittany has developed a strong ecosystem for the agri-food industry, covering some 70,000 jobs and a third of the region's businesses. It has become established as a leading region for health and nutrition.

Brittany adopted the Triskel (Triskèle, Triskell, triquètre, triscèle) as a regional symbol. The Triskel, the Celtic 'Spiral of Life' represents three stylized human legs or three spirals.

What are people from Brittany called? ›

The Bretons (/ˈbrɛtɒnz, -ənz, -ɒ̃z/; Breton: Bretoned or Vretoned, Breton pronunciation: [breˈtɔ̃nɛt]) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany, north-western France.

Brittany historically was referred to as “Little Britain”.

An example is the Celtic settlement near the town of Saint-Malo in Brittany which was named after the Welsh Malo d'Aleth, one of the most famous saints in France. As such, the region gained the name “Little Britain” or “Brittany”.

Traditional dance groups were formed and Breton music featuring bagpipes became a folk fashion all over France. You may also see the traditional sport of Breton wrestling, where, before they start to throw each other to the ground, the wrestlers kiss each other loudly three times!

Legends, myths & history of Brittany

There is much to enchant, from giants and fairies to stories from Arthurian legend - Arthur, Merlin, Morgan le Fay and Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, are amongst some of the key characters with various rocks, springs and more that are said to have mystical ties to them.

The dominant religion in Brittany is Catholicism, as is the case with most of France. However, Brittany has a number of “Breton religious festivals” that interweave Celtic culture with traditional Catholic practices.

Bordier Butter, made in the Brittany region of France, is very possibly the best butter in the world. Unfortunately it's made in small batches and sold almost excusively in France.

Brittany is known as Bretagne in French and at first it was a province and duchy and only later turned into a region. Rennes, former provincial capital, is the chief city. In ancient times the region was part of Armorica.

Meaning “from Brittany” or “Great Britain,” the origins of this name seem pretty clear. The first use of the word Brittany was used in Northern France where a region by the same name was founded and is still called today.

The name Brittany [brit-n-ee] is a female name of French and Latin origins. It came from Brittany, a region of France. Brittany is a Celtic name that originates from the ancient region of Britain. This feminine name signifies "from Britain" or "from the land of the Britons".