Having spent my recent summer in Brittany, I must say it was quite an eye-opener for me. Being a foreigner, France to me was at the beginning, just about Paris or Nice, Cannes or St. Tropez! In many English literature, these seem to be the places that had been favoured by famous authors, or where celebrities tend to choose to have their holiday home
“Little Britain”, as this region is also known for, boasts of its rich cultural heritage. My husband likes to ‘remind me’ that this is the birthplace of Asterix and Obelix, the characters depicted in the popular comic book, who are the Gauls that were supposed to be the founding population of France.
#1 The Carnacs
These are stones that are erected by the Neolithic men in the pre-Celtic era. They are almost as mind-boggling as the Stonehenge or the statues in Easter Island, as no one knows to what exactly are the symbolism of them.
The name of the stone is called a “menhir”. There are several sites of these found scattered in different parts of Brittany. Some are alignments of menhirs, for which I had seen the one called “Kerlescan” and another called “Kermario”. You see rows of stones erected, like it is in preparation for some sort of ceremony.
“Dolmen” are a collection of menhir stacked up to form a shelter-like structure, which are supposed to be tombs, although the acidic nature of the Breton soil had apparently rotted the bones in the tombs.
Personally, it is quite a wonder that these 4500 BC stones are still standing! And to imagine that in those days, there were no such things as cranes or machines to move them. Bizarre but definitely worth a visit!
#2 Kerhinet VIllage
This is a village found within the Brière regional national park. It is in fact a reconstructed and restored hamlet to depict the traditional living of its ancient inhabitants. You will find restored thatched roof cottages, dirt-roads with ancient vehicles parked by it, and also farming tools placed in the fields, and even an ancient communal oven. And during summer, you will also find a local market every Thursday, and the communal oven is actually put into use by a boulanger!
#3 Sunset at the Côte Sauvage of Quiberon
Quiberon is situated in the Morbihan department, west of Brittany. It is in fact a peninsula, with its western coastline facing the Bay of Biscay, while its eastern costs facing the Quiberon Bay.
If you happen to have a car, try driving through the western coastal route 1 hour before sunset, or you can hike from a convenient spot! Don’t forget to bring a camera with you. Apart from the amazing view of the sea from the cliffs, the sunset is extraordinary! It felt like a dream seeing the sun sinking, and the different shades of orange, pink and red covered the sky and reflected by the ocean!
#4 The Islands
One of my most unforgettable moment, was my one-day-visit to Belle-Île, the largest island in Brittany, that is just 14km from Quiberon. The beauty of this island is indescribable, and many painters had tried to capture its loveliness, for example Monet and Matisse.
If you have only one day to spare, I suggest to take an island tour to cover all corners of the island. Of course, the appreciation of the view seen from a tour bus compared to hiking around the island is not as impressive, but it gives you an idea of how pretty everything is on this island.
For me, this island needs to be appreciated by staying at least 3-5 nights. The clear-watered beaches, the impressive and savage-looking cliffs, the quaint-looking towns… These need to be explored in a longer time period for sure.
I had the chance to visit another island located in the Gulf of Morbihan called Ile d’Arz. This is a much smaller island which you can hike around in just one day. Because of its small size, it might be useful to pack a picnic lunch before taking a boat over since there is a limited number of eateries found on this island, especially in the summer.
Here lies the ruins of a 13th Century mill of Berno, once a watermill which is restored in the 90s and it fits perfectly into the landscape of the beach along with some aging and abandoned boats.
#5 The Food
Yes, being a frequent blogger about food, I can’t resist this particular section.
Brittany is famous for its “fleur de sel”, or flower of salt, especially in the town of Guérande. These are hand harvested salt, and has a high level of mineral, and is considered as an artisanal product, making it expensive due to its labour-intensive nature of harvesting. It gives a distinctive flavour to your cooking!
Cider is a traditional drink of the Bretons, and served in either a bowl or a cup. This is often paired with another traditional dish, which are the crepes and the galettes (crepes made with buckwheat).
The “kouign amann” is a butter-rich cake which is a famous Breton pastry. As you can guess, it is yummy because of its amount of butter with a touch of caramelised sugar!
Due to its proximity to the sea, seafood dishes are in abundance! The “cotriade” is a special Breton dish which is in fact a fish stew. Perfect to warm you up when it you are faced with a gloomy and drizzly Breton weather!
One more thing, the Bretons have their own Coke, which they call Breizh Cola, and they are very proud of it. So much so that if you order a coke, they will serve you this, so don’t say I have not warned you! :)
So there, some ideas to venture through if you decide to visit this slightly less known French region. In fact, I would love to go back again to explore further of the other regions that I had missed! If you had had any experience you would like to share, feel free to drop your comments below!
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