The peninsula of Brittany, 250 km long and 100-150 km wide, is sparsely populated, with a landscape of swamps and forests inland. In the north is the coast with small fishing villages between steep cliffs and in the south there are long sandy beaches. Jutting proudly into the Atlantic, Brittany is France’s most westerly province, similar to Cornwall not only in its position but in its strong Celtic influence. Surrounded on three sides by sea, possessed of its own language, folklore and architecture, it is hardly surprising that the French themselves talk of Brittany as a different land. In fact it is three: to the north, a dramatic and towering coastline, dotted with islands and heavily indented with creeks, wooded estuaries and sandy bays; to the south, a gentle coastline backed by rolling dunes and long white beaches; and inland, gentle hills, ancient moorland, megaliths 5,000 years old, thatched farmsteads and gothic churches. The pattern is of small, friendly towns and fishing villages, traditional markets and a way of life that looks to the sea. Watersports thrive in the mainly hot summers and warm waters of the Gulf Stream, whilst away from the beach there are tours or walks, riding, golf courses and tennis courts. And after the day is done there’s a wide and affordable choice of restaurants in which to enjoy the Breton specialities of seafood and sweet or savoury crêpes washed down with local cider.
More information about Brittany