Brittany is a great place to holiday as most attractions are within driving distance for a day trip or less if you choose your accommodation well.

Obviously the main attraction of Brittany is the coast line with its many beaches, walks, fishing harbours and historic and cultural sites.

The most renown of these is Mont Saint Michel or St. Michael’s Mount.  This sanctuary stands on  a granite outcrop in the middle of a beach and dates from 709.  In the past the mount was in the middle of quicksands and access was difficult as the causeway was only built in 1880.

Close by is St Malo which is a beautiful town but fortified and standing on a peninsula at the mouth of a river.  St Malo’s history is quite romantic with tales of piracy and the corsairs who preyed on ships rounding the point.

The city has a number of places you’ll want to visit including the Cape Horn Museum, the aquarium and the castle – Bastille – which has exhibits about the pirates!

The island dotted around the Brittany coast all make a boat trip a natural part of your stay.  In Finistere you can take a bost to Ouessant and the Ile de Sein or hop on one from Concarneau to Iles Glenan.  Bird watchers will want to see the Sept Iles just off the coast from Perro Guirec where there is an important reserve for sea birds.

Brittany also has around 600 kilometres of waterways and you can take a self drive boat from a number of locations by the rivers.

In July the Vieilles Charrues Festival takes place near Carhaix, Finistere and is now compared to Glastonbury being the biggest open air music event in France.

In Brest there is an aquarium called Oceanopolis with fifty aquariums divided into three climate zones – polar, tropics and temperate zones.  Well worth a visit!

The botanical gardens at Cornouailles boast extensive gardens and arboretum stocked with over 3000 plant varieties from all over the world.  Carnac is fascinating to tourists because of the standing stones and Dinan just for it’s truly historic towns with ramparts and old architecture.

In Josselin stands a magnificent chateau with stunning gardens and a doll museum every little (and older) girl would love to see.

If you know of more attractions in Brittany we’d love to hear about them and see your recommendations! Please post in comments underneath this post.