A Travel Guide to Brittany
The beaches, rocky shoreline, fishing harbours and coastal walks are undoubtedly part of the main attractions in Brittany. However, apart from these, there are also a number of impressive sites with both cultural and historic value.
Mont Saint Michel is one of the most visited tourist destination in France and is listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO. The mount sits on the border between Normandy and Brittany. It has been a sanctuary since 709 A.D. The majority of the buildings were built in between the 13th and 16th century. This includes the Benedictine Abbey and the various fortifications that were built to protect the strategic location.
In the past, the mount stood in between moving water courses and quicksand. This made the access to the mount very treacherous. The causeway that is now used to transport pilgrims and tourists was constructed in 1880. During the construction, a lot of silt accumulated around the mount which has made a considerable part of the Bay into grazing land. Currently, the administration is planning to remove the causeway in order to bring the sea back in its place so that the mount would be surrounded by water again. This way Mont Saint Michel will return to its natural beauty.
St Malo is one of the most visited towns in Brittany. It is a fortified enclave just like Mont Saint Michel, and stands on a peninsula by the mouth of the River Rance. Many centuries back the town became famous as the home of pirates and adventurers. Jacques Cartier, the discoverer of Canada was born in St Marlowe and so did corsairs and privateers who looted ships around the western tip of France for centuries. There are many interesting places to visit in St Malo including the notable Cape Horn museum and the Castle aka Bastille of the west that has exhibits connected to the history of the city and its pirates.
There is a wide variety of self catering holiday accommodation in Brittany ranging from apartments and villas on the coast to gites and cottages in the countryside.
