Culture and Heritage

Discover Brittany's soul

Culture and heritage

Climb to the top of a lighthouse and play at being a watchman. Learn about Brittany’s tales and legends. Wander around the narrow streets of centuries-old towns or take up the challenge of an Escape Game deep inside a medieval fortress… Dance until dawn to the beat of electro music or Breton bagpipes… Push open the door of a chapel you find on a country lane, surrounded by greenery. Appreciate the beauty of a rood-screen, the brilliance of a stained glass window or the boldness of a contemporary creation… Brittany is rich in all kinds of traditions. It’s up to you to discover its secrets!

Focus on

Relive the days of Knights and princesses in Brittany If tales from the Middle Ages are the stuff of your dreams, bring the family to visit six fortified stately homes and castles in Brittany where you can experience life in...

Step back in time

Do you like to stroll around, daydream and step back in time? Then come and explore this land of legends. Storm its castles and lighthouses; listen to the history of its secret chapels and sumptuous mansions; you’ll find it really rewarding!

Brittany’s ‘Towns of Art and History’ Some of these towns have thousands of years of history; come and learn their story. Cathedrals with soaring spires, town mansions with superbly-decorated façades, the remains...

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Exploring Brittany’s chapels What would Brittany be without its chapels hidden away in the heart of the countryside or around the corner of a sunken lane? Centuries-old, they attract visitors as much for...

Unlock the secrets of the great megalithic sites Not many people know that Morbihan is home to a priceless treasure: the world’s largest concentration of megalithic sites all in one place. This heritage is surrounded by...

The 10 most beautiful parks and gardens What will you go for? English style or French? Country landscapes or exotic gardens? In Brittany we have a huge range of parks and gardens. This is a land of mariners and...

On the lighthouse route The coastlines of Brittany have the greatest concentration of lighthouses in the world and Finistère chalks up the highest score. If you’re heading for the Brest Terres Océanes...

Six beautiful little Breton ports With their quaysides lined by terraces, narrow streets full of colour and pontoons stretching gently out to sea, Brittany’s little ports are irresistible. The coastal...

Brittany’s ‘Small Towns of Character’ These are the towns and villages labelled ‘Petites Cités de Caractère®’. Discover a maze of little back streets laid out in the Middle Ages. Picturesque half-timbered houses...

Brittany's main events coming up

Try out this (small) selection of events in our region, a mix of unmissable outings that could be unusual or iconic, based on sports or entertainment, dancing or fine dining…

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Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques (Scallop Festival) April 2019 Erquy, Saint-Quay-Portrieux and Paimpol are all known for their scallops and every year in April, they organise a festival in honour of their queen of the seas. Fishing trips,...

Panoramas Festival Morlaix - April 2019 Forget April showers, just join the long queue of festival-goers, all keen to enjoy the unrivalled view of today’s rich musical landscape provided by the Panoramas Festival.

Festival of Brittany 17-26 May 2019 Concerts, exhibitions, ‘fest-noz’, markets…Since 2009, the Fête de la Bretagne has become the perfect occasion for the region to set out to conquer the world with its vitality...

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Gulf Week Gulf of Morbihan: 27 May - 2 June 2019 Over a thousand boats gather in Ascension week every two years to put on an extraordinary spectacle in one of most beautiful bays in the world.

Etonnants Voyageurs (Amazing Travellers) Saint-Malo: 8-10 June 2019 For the last 20 years, the ‘grandchildren of Stevenson and Conrad’ have got into the excellent habit of meeting below the ramparts of Saint-Malo. Flying where its fancy takes...

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Art in the Chapels Blavet Valley: Summer 2019 A completely unique experience: each summer, contemporary art and religious art come together with thought-provoking results.

Astropolis Brest: July 2019 Every summer for nearly 20 years, there’s been a rave-olution in Brest. Astropolis brings together the ultimate in techno, for a festival that parties along at lightning speed....

Le Voyage à Nantes Nantes: July-August 2019 The Voyage à Nantes event has stage set the town every summer since 2012. Forty historical and modern sites make up the sensitive and poetic trail of the same name. This...

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Festival Lieux Mouvants Lanrivain – June to August 2019 Every year an unusual, off-beat festival takes place in the heart of Brittany that combines major artists, innovative shows, naturalists and pop-up gardens. Head to...

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Vannes Historical Festival 13-14 July 2019 Every year in July, the town of Vannes takes to the streets to show off its historic past with pride. During the Fêtes Historiques, plunge into the medieval atmosphere at the...

Vieilles Charrues Carhaix: 18-21 July 2019 Whilst the line-up at the Vieilles Charrues changes every year, for over 20 years its recipe for success has remained the same with a mix of eclecticism and conviviality,...

Jazz en Ville Vannes: July 2019 July goes with a swing in Vannes, with the sound of New Orleans filling the town. Outside by the ramparts or inside the cosy bars, you can listen to the syncopated beats and...

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Festival Le Cornouaille Quimper: July 2019 Dedicated to the sheer richness and diversity of Breton culture, the Festival de Cornouaille is a cultural cornucopia, and even though it is now nearly ninety years old, this...

Skedanoz Carnac megalithic site: July 2019 In July and August, come along to Carnac’s famous megalithic site at dusk. There’s a very special atmosphere, with clever lighting effects displaying the standing...

Festival Lyrique en Mer Belle-Ile-en-Mer: 30 July-16 August 2019 From the magnificent decor to the prestigious choir singers, it’s hard to decide which is the best part of the Lyrique en Mer festival. Every summer, some of the great...

Festival du Bout du Monde (Land’s End Festival) Crozon Peninsula: 2-4 August 2019 A melting pot or melting pop, it’s clear that this August festival in Crozon Peninsula is a cultural and musical pic‘n’mix. And whilst the festival is at ‘the ends of the...

All Brittany's main events

Plan your holiday

Want to discover more about Brittany and all its treasures? Are there experiences you’d like to try between the salt-marshes, islands and ocean? Or maybe you’d like to design your own pick-and-mix holiday, with a bit of cycling, sailing or walking, enjoying the seaside or taking in some modern art.