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Brittany (/ ˈbrɪtəni / BRIT-ən-ee; French: Bretagne, pronounced [bʁətaɲ] ⓘ; Breton: Breizh, pronounced [bʁɛjs, bʁɛx]; [ 1 ][dubious– discuss ] Gallo: Bertaèyn or Bertègn, pronounced [bəʁtaɛɲ]) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during th...
The official website for your vacation in Brittany, France. Discover places to go, guide to accommodation, hotels, campsites, and much more.
- Overview
- Geography
Brittany, région of France encompassing the northwestern départements of Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan, Côtes-d’Armor, and Finistère. Brittany is bounded by the régions of Basse-Normandie to the northeast and Pays de la Loire to the east. It protrudes westward into the Atlantic Ocean as a peninsula; the Bay of Biscay lies to the southwest and the Engli...
Brittany belongs to the ancient uplands of the Armorican Massif and is generally low-lying, with a mean elevation of 341 feet (104 metres). The Aulne Basin separates the heights of the Arrée Mountains (1,260 feet [384 metres]) in the north and the Noires Mountains (1,001 feet [305 metres]) in the south. Both run east-west. Belle-Île-en-Mer, Ouessant, and several other small islands are part of the région. Erosion has carved out sharp abers, or gorges, in the north, and the coastline is deeply indented. Principal rivers include the Vilaine, the Leita, and the Rance. An oceanic climate prevails.
Decline in the French share of North Atlantic fisheries and the rural depopulation seen elsewhere in France at the beginning of the 20th century led to a population decline in Brittany of more than 11 percent between 1911 and 1946. Then, following World War II, the population rose, and from the 1970s it was bolstered by the growth of industrial and service businesses. However, demographic recovery has been uneven, favouring the coastal areas, with many inland, rural areas continuing to lose population.
Brittany is an important agricultural area in France. Following several decades of change and modernization, farming is efficient and productive, dominated by the raising of pigs, poultry, and calves. Cereals and forage crops are grown, largely to meet the needs of livestock farmers. Vegetables are cultivated in certain northern coastal areas. Fishing has declined in importance, as elsewhere in northwestern Europe, owing to problems of overfishing and the consequent need to limit catches, but it still characterizes many of Brittany’s ports, notably Guilvinec, Concarneau, and Douarnenez.
Brittany is not heavily industrialized, but the growth of such industries as electronics, telecommunications, and automobile assembly has offset the decline of the traditional industries of textiles, leather goods, and ship repair. Other long-standing activities, notably food processing, have been strengthened and modernized. Rennes is the main regional focus of industry and is also the administrative and business capital.
Tourism is prominent in many coastal areas, and in Ille-et-Vilaine coastal resorts have become more important than the fishing industry to the economy. The département of Morbihan has more stone monuments than any other département in France, with several thousand megaliths in the area of Carnac and Locmariaquer west of the Morbihan Gulf. The medieval towns of Morbihan are also important tourist attractions.
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- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Saint-Malo. This quintessential Breton port is a former island near the mainland. Designed as a citadel, Saint-Malo boasts well-preserved medieval fortifications that lend a distinctive character to the city.
- Quimper. On the banks of the Odet River, Quimper is a picture-postcard historic town. Visitors are delighted by the authentic atmosphere of this Breton riverside community, with its sweet pastel-painted half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, and pedestrian footbridges decorated with potted flowers.
- Nantes. At the junction of the Erdre and Loire Rivers, the old Breton port of Nantes has played an important role in history. Nantes was the capital of the Duchy of Brittany during the Middle Ages, and it was here in 1598 that Henry IV signed the Edict of Nantes, which granted freedom of religious belief to Protestants.
- Rennes. The old capital of Brittany, Rennes is still the region's economic and cultural center, as well as a university town. After a fire in 1720, much of the town had to be rebuilt, and more reconstruction was necessary after WWII.
- The Alignments of Carnac (Karnag) The alignments of Carnac are located in Morbihan, Southern Brittany. It is an exceptional site of megalithic alignments of more than 3,000 menhirs over more than 4 kilometers.
- A Romantic Getaway to Dinan. If you are wondering where to go in Brittany for a romantic getaway, Dinan is a good option. Overlooking the Rance River and surrounded by ramparts, the old medieval city of Dinan still keeps its half-timbered houses of the 15th century and its winding cobbled streets.
- The Pink Granite Coast. On the side of Perros-Guirec in the northwest of Côtes-d’Armor, the Brittany coast is dotted with rocks, cliffs, and coves in pink granite.
- Crozon Peninsula – The Caribbean in Western France. Who needs to travel far away with such beautiful landscapes in Western France? Forming a gigantic cross in the sea, the Peninsula of Crozon (Presqu’ile de Crozon) offers Brittany’s condense.
Jun 6, 2019 · Brittany is a beautiful region in west France. Check out this guide to the beaches, towns, charming coastal villages, ports, food, and history.
Discover the ‘Terres Océanes’ at the western tip, the Forest of Broceliande, the green inner lung, the little ports of Cornouaille (Brittany’s Cornwall), and the pink granite rocks. From its bays, gulfs, capes and salt marshes to its capital city, Brittany is a marvel.
