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

2019 summer exhibitions in Brittany Between the vibrant canvases of the last Impressionist painters in Quimper or Pont-Aven, the lively and picturesque scenes depicting the atmosphere of the 19th century and the...

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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Festival Lieux Mouvants Lanrivain: 22 June to 1 September 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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Art in the Chapels Blavet Valley: 5 July to 15 September 2019 A completely unique experience: each summer, contemporary art and religious art come together with thought-provoking results.

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...

Route du Rock Saint-Malo: 14 to 17 August 2019 Every August, pop is in the air around Saint-Malo. The Route du Rock is back, entirely dedicated to American and British rock bands and attracting around 15,000 festival-goers...

Sound and light shows at Bon-Repos abbey Saint-Gelven: 31 July and 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 August 2019 Every summer for the past 25 years, Bon-Repos abbey has become a stage at nightfall, where you can watch the story of Central Brittany unfold, from Neolithic times to the...

Festival du Film Britannique (Festival of British Cinema) Dinard: 25 to 29 September 2019 Who will win the Golden Hitchcock award? Every Autumn, the same wave of suspense grips Dinard’s version of La Croisette in Cannes. Caesar can keep his César, the British Film...

Quai des Bulles Festival Saint-Malo: 25-26-27 October 2019 This is certainly a date that has been circled in Brittany’s calendar of cultural events. The last weekend in October is when some 400 comic strip artists get together at the...

Yaouank Rennes: November 2019 A fabulous mixture of Breton, world and contemporary music, the Yaouank festival is famed above all for its last night, considered by many to be the biggest fest-noz...

Transmusicales Rennes: 4 to 8 December 2019 A leading light of the modern music scene, every winter for the last 30 years, the Transmusicales in Rennes, has given us a taste of the musical trends of tomorrow. Groups come...

Astropolis Brest: 14 and 15 February 2020 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....

Panoramas Festival Morlaix: April 2020 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.

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Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques (Scallop Festival) Erquy: 18-19 April 2020 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,...

Festival of Brittany mid-May 2020 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...

Etonnants Voyageurs (Amazing Travellers) Saint-Malo: 30 May-1st June 2020 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...

Jazz en Ville Vannes: July 2020 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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Vannes Historical Festival Vannes: 13-14 July 2020 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...

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.