Having spent three months in a small town on the edge of Bretagne (technically in Loire-Atlantique but who’s checking?) as part of my languages year abroad, I had the chance for some awesome day trips to some of the nearby towns and villages (before a second French lockdown cut my plans short). Bretagne or Brittany as we Brits call it is an absolutely beautiful yet sometimes forgotten region. There’s so much to see and do there I know I’ve only scratched the surface but here are some spots I think you should check out!
La Gacilly
My favourite picture Massive photos on the side of buildings Cute houses on beautiful cobbled streets Climate change exhibit View from the bridge The bridge
Known as the town of a thousand flowers and famous for being the home of Yves Rocher, this picturesque town is definitely worth a visit. As well as being a cute little town full of arts and crafts shops and adorable local businesses; this town is home to France’s largest outdoor photographic festival for 4 months of the year. Over the summer, from June to September the town is filled with photographic exhibits from a variety of themes and artists! It’s totally free to wander round and such a fascinating way to explore photography at the same time as exploring a physical place.
This year’s theme was Viva Latina so above you can see a small selection of the images from this year. This includes people, landscapes, animals and really gives you a sense of life in Latin America. You can find out more about this year’s exhibition on the website here.
Vannes
The Old Town Porte Saint- Jean (the city gate) Vannes and his wife Town Hall View from the ramparts Château de l’Hermine The Old Town
Despite the fact it poured with rain for the entire time we were there, Vannes was still a charming old city. There’s so much to see and do in this city, as well as plenty of delicious crêperies to visit.
Picking up a map from the tourist office led us around all the key spots of the city including the carving of Vannes and his wife, the Château de l’Hermine with the photo exhibition, Place Henri IV, the historic centre, the cathedral and the ramparts. This is a city you could easily spend a day wandering around (and that’s only the walled city). Unfortunately I didn’t get the chance to see it all but the architecture was beautiful and I know the old town is only the beginning of what Vannes has to offer. The town has a port and not far away at all is the Golfe du Morhiban, with boats to travel in and beaches to relax on, if it’s a nicer day that I had.
Rennes
Old Town houses Rennes Cathedral Inside Rennes Cathedral Parliament of Bretagne Parliament of Bretagne Inside the Parliament View of the city from the Champs Libres Thabor Park Thabor Park
Rennes is a city that is a strange yet enjoyable mix of the old and the new – from ancient buildings to high tech museums and gorgeous parks. We had plenty to visit as well as some classic Breton crepes and cider to enjoy.
I’d definitely recommend checking out the Parc du Thabor – a beautiful oasis of calm in the city full of beautiful plants and scenery. You should also visit The Parliament de Bretagne and the Cathedral St Pierre as well as the delicious crêperie opposite. La Place des Lices also has a great market on a Saturday morning as well as showing off some nice Breton architecture. There’s also the super modern Champs Libres which includes Rennes central library, the Brittany museum and a science centre with a planetarium.
Guerande
Walls of the town Inside the walls View of the walled city The ramparts Proudly flying the Breton flag View from the tower
Guerande, whilst a small town, is very worth a visit and is described as the Carcassonne of the North. It’s a little walled town with winding streets full of cute little shops and restaurants to explore. Since it’s a town full of history I’d definitely recommend you visit the town museum that gives you a brief overview and allows you up onto the ramparts to see out over the town. It’s actually one of the rare walled cities to have all of ramparts preserved.
Guerande is also famous for its salt marshes that I didn’t have the chance to visit but are definitely worth checking out! I did however pick up some salt from one of the hundreds of little tourist shops selling it! It’s almost impossible to leave Guerande without buying at least some salt.
Mont St Michel
Mont St Michel Sea view framed by abbey windows Abbey courtyard In the streets View of the sea Inside the abbey
Mont St Michel is probably the most well known of my list since it is a UNESCO world heritage site after all. There’s plenty to see and do and it’s definitely worth visiting. Make you wear some comfy shoes and are prepared for plenty of walking as the shuttle often has quite the queue so it’s faster to walk and you’ll need to climb plenty of steps to get to the abbey. It’s worthwhile paying the 10 or so euro to get into the abbey as there’s definitely plenty to see and admire. There are also lots of places to eat and shops to admire and browse in, so despite Mont St Michel only being little, it’s easy to spend a day there!
All in all, I’d definitely recommend spending a week in Bretagne, France and visiting some of these beautiful towns and cities in the region.
Have you visited any of these spots before?
Where else in Brittany would you recommend visiting?
Which spot would you most like to visit?
They all sound like towns to visit and I love the pictures! Mont St Michel and Brittany, in general, have been on my travel list for so long! Thanks for sharing x
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Oh I would love to visit here. It looks absolutely gorgeous! I have never been to France before
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Oh wow, Brittany looks absolutely beautiful! I’ve only ever visited France to go to Disneyland when I was a child, it’s a place I would love to go back to and explore quaint little towns like this! x
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Mont St Michel look beautiful! I’d love to go one day!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
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You have shared some great photographs. It looks really lovely.
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Great post and photos! I went to Brittany years ago and loved it!
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It’s such a lovely part of France!
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These pictures are so lovely. There are a whole lot of pIaces I would love to visit in France. I have never been to France but I hope to visit France (Brittany in particular) one day. Great post x!
Ruthiee loves Glamour
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Thanks so much! I would definitely recommend a visit when it’s possible! x
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I would love to go here; sometimes I feel France gets a bad rap that it really shouldn’t have. Articles like this will help turn that around
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I would definitely recommend it! I feel like you often hear a lot of Paris but absolutely nothing about the rest of France! x
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Out of these I’ve only ever been to Mont St. Michel and it was so worth the visit! I’ll definitely give the other ones a shot too in the future, they all look so beautiful!
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Mont St Michel is so beautiful! Glad you’re keen to check out the others! x
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Wow, it looks so beautiful. I love France and would love to travel there more often than I do! I’ve only been to Paris, so other places in France are on my travel list. Thanks for sharing xo
xoxo Olivia | http://www.oliviaandbeauty.com/
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Oh Brittany looks stunning! I spent a year in France and was so gutted I never managed a trip there. It’s definitely on my list.
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It is such a lovely part of France! Would definitely recommend a visit. Whereabouts in France did you spend a year? x
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[…] inspired by the three months I spent living in France as part of my year abroad, I shared my five favourite day trip spots in the beautiful yet often forgotten region of Brittany. Check it out if like me you’re enjoying dreaming of travel and planning for when we can […]
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