Normandy
This gorgeous bucolic 4-hectare delight of a garden is surrounded by typical Norman half-timbered buildings, as well as a museum of old tools. For rest…
Must-see attractions in Brittany & Normandy
Finistère
Inside this 14th-century tower, displays on Brest's history include a sobering reminder of what Brest looked like on the eve of WWII. One display…
St-Malo
The St-Malo ramparts' northern stretch looks across to the remains of this former prison, built by Vauban in 1689. Standing atop a rocky outcrop, the fort…
Normandy
Dieppe’s often-windy, beach is a 1.8km-long stretch of smooth pebbles, rather like the beach at Brighton across the channel. The vast lawns were laid out…
Brittany
The wave-pounded lozenge of Île des Landes – 1.1km long, slender and uninhabited – is home to hundreds of gulls and other seabirds. It's directly east as…
Finistère
This magnificent 15th-century home (which, despite the name, has nothing to do with Duchess Anne) overlooking place Allende, is one of the finest examples…
Brittany
Framed by fashionable hotels, a casino and neo-Gothic villas, Plage de l'Écluse is the perfect place to shade yourself in style by renting one of Dinard's…
Golfe du Morbihan
This broad neolithic tomb sits on the southern shore the Rhuys Peninsula, on the southern edge of the Golfe du Morbihan. Built between 4500 and 2500 BC,…
Calvados
The long and broad beach at Trouville is its greatest asset, packed with sun-seekers and children in summer, and punctuated with tennis courts, various…
Mont St-Michel
Situated up on a hill, this old working windmill dates to the early 19th century and is quite a picture on the way to Mont St-Michel. You can buy flour,…
Normandy
Many of the Canadians who died in the Dieppe Raid of 1942 are buried at this peaceful site framed by rolling fields. The cemetery is situated 4km towards…
Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour
Finistère
Its timber roof like an inverted ship's hull, the 17th-century Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Rocamadour at the Pointe de Rocamadour is dedicated to the sailors…
Rouen
The Ceramics Museum, housed in a 17th-century building with a fine courtyard, is known for its 16th- to 19th-century faience (tin-glazed earthenware) and…
Brittany
The 14th-century Tour Ste-Catherine is just east of Basilique St-Sauveur and beyond the tiny Jardin Anglais (English Garden), a former cemetery and…
Finistère
Wander through 3500 species of exotic plants (many from the southern hemisphere) at this impressive garden on the coast; for an exhaustive list of plants…
St-Malo
Constructed in the mid-18th century, Fort de la Cité d'Alet was used as a German base during WWII; one of the bunkers now houses this memorial, which…
Golfe du Morbihan
On the eastern side of place St-Pierre looms the 13th-century Gothic Cathédrale St-Pierre, being ambitiously restored in parts at the time of writing…
Caen
A handy primer for fathoming the character of the region, this two-part museum situated within the former Logis des Gouverneurs in the Château de Caen…
Normandy
Fécamp’s 800m-long, smooth-pebble breezy beach stretches southward from the narrow channel connecting the port with the open sea. In July and August it's…
St-Malo
You can splash in the protected tidal swimming pool west of St-Malo's walls at Plage de Bon Secours, wander along the sand or climb the diving board to…
Brittany
If you ever wanted to crack open the science and art of ostréiculture (oyster farming), this well-organised and informative museum, a couple of kilometres…
Finistère
The cliffs of Pointe de Dinan, 6.5km west of Crozon, provide a dramatic outlook over the sands of Anse de Dinan and the rock formations locally known as…
Finistère
The mild island climate of Île de Batz supports these luxuriant gardens, work on which began in 1897, with over 1500 plants from all five continents. They…
Brittany
This excellent little museum in a former cod-drying factory charts the Paimpol region's maritime history. Peruse nautical artefacts, from seine nets and…
Honfleur
Children and adults will enjoy this lush greenhouse that houses scores of species of free-flying tropical butterflies in the northwest of town, a short…
Golfe du Morbihan
On the corner of rue Noë and rue Pierre Rogue, look for the famous Maison de Vannes et Sa Femme, which sports a timber carving of a portly 16th-century…
Brittany American Cemetery & Memorial
Mont St-Michel
Almost 5000 Americans who died during the Normandy and Brittany campaigns of 1944 are buried or memorialised at the Brittany American Cemetery & Memorial,…
Finistère
This beautifully restored half-timbered house dating back to the 16th century is a typical example of a Morlaix maison à pondalez (house with an inner…
Musée du Débarquement de Utah Beach
D-Day Beaches
This impressive museum is a few kilometres inland from the US landings at Utah Beach. Guided tours of the museum and of the landing site can be arranged…
Golfe du Morbihan
This fascinating, fantastical and intriguing museum is a delightful and thought-provoking place, displaying eccentric – and some downright creepy and…
Jardin des plantes de Coutances
Normandy
These delightful landscaped botanical gardens date to the mid-19th century and include a Cedar of Lebanon, magnolias and a large variety of flowers as…
Golfe du Morbihan
This is the easternmost of the major groups, a smaller grouping which is also accessible for exploration in winter. You can also find the dolmen de…
Rennes
Crowning Rennes' old town is the 17th-century cathedral, which has an impressive, if dark, neoclassical interior adorned with a fabulous ceiling.
Golfe du Morbihan
These beautifully manicured gardens lie just outside the walls of the town and are a gorgeous place to relax and take in some astonishing views.
Rennes
The excellent Musée de Bretagne contains exhaustive and in-depth displays on Breton history and culture, through to the modern era.
Parc du Château de Rochefort-en-Terre
Golfe du Morbihan
Unfortunately, the Château itself is not open to visitors, though you can wander through its attractive, landscaped gardens.
Finistère
Head southwest of town to this viewpoint poking into the sea, where you can discover the remains of an old 18th century fort.
Finistère
About 7km south of town, this is decent spot for sunbathing and swimming, with views back to Concarneau.
Brittany
Climb up to the little balcony of this 15th-century clock tower whose chimes ring every quarter-hour.
Golfe du Morbihan
The huge Grotte de l'Apothicairerie is formed from two caves where waves roll in from both sides.
