Jutting out into the Atlantic from France's northwest coast, Brittany is a region of charming seaside towns and remains the last bastion of Celtic culture on the European mainland. Its dramatic seascapes, good seafood and generally tranquil air have long endeared the area to Parisians and other city folk looking for places to build summer homes.
Straddling Brittany's border with Normandy is the spectacular Abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, which rises like a dream from the coastal flats of the Atlantic. It must be seen to be believed. Located about 175 mi/282 km west of Paris (close to Normandy), the Abbey was founded in the 10th century. The cathedral-citadel sits atop a 260-ft/80-m granite promontory. At high tide, the place becomes an island; at low tide, a sandy causeway links it to the mainland (be aware that the tide comes in very quickly).
The best views of Mont-Saint-Michel are from the coastal road between Saint-Jean-le-Thomas and Carolles or from the Jardin des Plantes in Avranches. In Mont-Saint-Michel, you will find winding streets (passageways, really) bordered by old shops, ramparts, museums, houses and restaurants, ending at the Mont-St-Michel Abbey, whose spires rise more than 500 ft/152 m. Wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to walk. Although it's possible to visit the island on a long day trip from Paris, we recommend staying overnight or adding it to a tour of Brittany or Normandy. If you go in the summer, be prepared for crowds.
Clustered just west of Mont-Saint-Michel are three seaside towns worth visiting. St. Malo is a pretty fishing town with lovely views and a nice walk along the city walls (they were carefully restored after being heavily bombed during World War II). At low tide, you can walk out to a small island and visit the grave of the 19th-century French writer Rene de Chateaubriand. In town, try some of the region's well-known crepes.
Dinard, which sits right next to St. Malo, has an attractive beachfront, long promenades and luxury hotels. There's even a casino. Dinan, a bit to the south of St. Malo, is a maze of narrow cobblestoned streets and medieval timbered buildings. A street and two squares are especially worth seeing: Rue du Jerzual, the Place des Cordeliers and Place des Merciers. There are some nice little restaurants along the wharf. We suggest half a day in Dinan.
Toward southern Brittany are the mysterious menhirs (one of the world’s greatest concentrations of stone megalithic sites) of Carnac, which predate Stonehenge by around 100 years; the islands off the coast of Vannes; and the wooden grotesques on the houses in Quimper.
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