Brest > Quimper

Region: Brittany
Departments: Côtes d'Armor, Finistère, Ille-et-Vilaine, Morbihan
Population: 3.42 million
Prefecture: Rennes
Surface area: 27,209 km2
Specialities: apples, cider. Galette (sausage). Far breton. Kouign-Amann. Chouchen. Breton whisky. Breton shortbread. Plougastel strawberries. Cotriade (fish soup). Andouille from Guémené. Paimpol coconut. Seafood and fish
Major sports clubs: Stade Rennais, Stade Brestois, En Avant Guingamp, FC Lorient (football). RC Vannes (rugby)
Major competitions: Tro Bro Léon, Bretagne Classic, Route Adélie, Boucles de l'Aulne (cycling), Arkea-Ultim Challenge Brest, Spi-Ouest France, Transat Québec-Saint-Malo (sailing), Jumping international de Dinard
Festivals: Vielles Charrues in Carhaix, Route du Rock in Saint-Malo, Transmusicales in Rennes, Festival interceltique in Lorient. Cornouaille Festival in Quimper. Fest-Jazz in Châteauneuf-du-Faou. Festival du bout du monde in Crozon. La Gacilly photo festival. Étonnants voyageurs in Saint-Malo. Festival des Remparts in Dinan
Economy: The region produces 12 pc of France's agricultural output, making it the second-largest region in France behind Nouvelle-Aquitaine: livestock farming (84 pc of the region's farms), primarily dairy production, pork (58 pc of French tonnage) and poultry (43 pc of French egg production). Brittany is France's leading fishing region, accounting for almost half of national production. Food industry. Tourism. Defence (French Navy). Telecommunications
Tourist attractions: Saint-Malo, Rennes, Vannes, Quimper, Brest, Dinan, Dinard, Concarneau. Pointe du Raz, Cap Fréhel. Brocéliande forest. Fougères castle. The alignments of Carnac. Belle-Île-en-Mer. Islands of Groix, Ouessant, Bréhat. Locronan. Gulf of Morbihan. Océanopolis
Websites and social networks: www.bretagne.bzh

Plougastel-Daoulas (Pop: 13,500)

A peninsula nestling in the harbour of Brest between the two rivers Elorn and Aulne. Its motto is War Zouar Ha War Vor, a Breton phrase meaning "on land and on sea". Its Saint-Pierre church and its 17th-century calvary. Famous for its strawberries, the undisputed emblems of the peninsula since the 18th century.  They owe their fame to Amédée-François Frézier, a naval officer who brought the fruit back from South America. Known for its sweet flavour and strong aroma, the heyday of the Plougastel strawberry was between 1920 and 1950. At that time, Plougastel-Daoulas was the second largest strawberry-producing region in France (6,000 tonnes/year) after Metz. The microclimate created by the Gulf Stream and the siliceous soil have made this peninsula a great vintage for strawberry production. Since 1995, the strawberry has been showcased at the Museum of Strawberry and Heritage.

Dirinon (Pop: 2,200)

This is the birthplace of Jean Malléjac, second in the Tour de France won by Louison Bobet in 1953. He won a stage and wore the Yellow Jersey for five days. In 1955, he collapsed during the ascent of Mont Ventoux after taking too many amphetamines. His trainer, who was also Charly Gaul's coach, was excluded from the Tour de France. It was the first exclusion for doping in the history of the Tour. The 16th-century church of Sainte-Nonne in Dirinon, part of a parish enclosure, has been listed as a historic monument since 1916.

Logonna-Daoulas (2,130 inhabitants)

Situated in the harbour of Brest, Logonna-Daoulas is famous for its Logonna stone, a granite-based building material quarried in the commune and used in the construction of buildings such as the Saint-Louis church in Brest. The town's quarries also produced kersantite, a stone prized by sculptors. The village has an interesting religious heritage (Saint-Monna church, listed as a World Heritage site in 1935, Sainte-Marguerite chapel painted by Eugène Boudin, Saint-Jean-Baptiste chapel) and civil heritage, notably the Château de Rosmorduc, named after the family who ruled the area during the Ancien Régime.

Rosmorduc Castle

Construction: 16th and 17th centuries.

History: The lands of Rosmorduc have belonged to the eponymous family since the 13th century, the original manor having been a fortified building protected by a trapezoidal enclosure and moat. It was probably built in 1545 and restored in the early 17th century and around 1648. In 1710, the Rosmorduc family abandoned the family castle to establish their main residence at Château de Kerazan. The manor house became a country residence reserved for hunting and lost its main building. Seized as national property during the Revolution, it was transformed into a farm. In the 1900s, a major restoration and reconstruction campaign was carried out by the architect Henri Mellet. 

Listed as: historic monument in 2007.

Hanvec (Pop: 2,000)

Birthplace of Christian Gourcuff, former player (Rennes, Guingamp and Lorient) and coach of Lorient, Rennes, Algeria and more recently FC Nantes.

Menez-Meur Estate (zoo)

Animal park in the Armorique Regional Nature Park, covering almost 650 hectares of moorland and heather, peat bogs and hedged farmland. Located in Hanvec, in the foothills of the Monts d'Arrée, the estate offers 16 km of signposted theme trails. Discover Breton domestic breeds such as Pie Noir cows, Ouessant sheep and Blancs de l'Ouest pigs, as well as the wildlife on the estate - wolves, deer and wild boar.

Pont-de-Buis-lès-Quimerch (pop. 2,950)

This commune is famous for its powder factory, set up in 1687 on the orders of Colbert. In 1795, it was attacked by Cadoudal, who seized gunpowder to supply his supporters. The powder factory became even more important in the 19th and 20th centuries, when it was transformed into the Service national des poudres et salpêtres. The history of the site is punctuated by a number of accidents, and its importance increased during the two world wars. In 1975, a series of explosions killed four people and injured 36 others, calling into question the operation of the site, which was taken over by the Swedish company Nobel Sport in 1996. Another explosion occurred in 2014. Created by the merger in 1965 of three communes, Pont-de-Bouis, Quimerc'h and Logonna-Quimerc'h, the commune has three churches, including Saint-Pierre de Quimerc'h church (16th century, in ruins), which has been a listed building since 1932.

Menez Quelerc'h

This 2.9-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 6.9% is partly used by the Boucles de l'Aulne. On 11 July 2018, the route of the 5th stage of the Tour de France for men, linking Lorient to Quimper, passed through the Ménez Quelc'h. It is rated in the 3rd category of the Tour de France mountain classification.

Locronan (Pop: 800)

Listed as a Historic Monument since 1924, Locronan is one of the most prestigious and most visited sites in Brittany, due to its architectural quality. Numerous art craftsmen have settled here. Situated on a mountain, in an exceptional natural setting just 5 km from the sea, Locronan is also the starting point for numerous walking and mountain bike trails. A land of inspiration for artists, painters (such as Yves Tanguy, a native of the village), writers, sculptors and film-makers, the village has been awarded the Most Beautiful Villages in France and Small City of Character labels. Locronan has the particularitý of having all its electricity and telephone networks buried since the filming of Roman Polanski's Tess in 1979, which won an Oscar for best set in Hollywood. Many other films have been shot in Locronan, including Philippe de Borca's Chouans, Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Un long dimanche de fiançailles and many others... To preserve the authenticitý of the historic centre, there are no traffic lights and cars stay outside, while traditional signs mark the shops. The village's main monument is the church of Saint-Ronan, built between 1430 and 1480 by the lords of Nevet. The church houses a superb 15th-century stained-glass window depicting the scenes of the Passion in 18 panels. The Pénity chapel, built in 1530 by Renée de France, daughter of King Louis XII, replaces the original church and houses the tomb of Saint Ronan.