30 Great Days Out In Brittany

 A sample day...

Site map

Vannes is the capital of the Morbihan department of Brittany. Morbihan owes its name to the gulf, or inner sea (Mor Bihan being Breton for little sea) on which Vannes lies. Vannes retains much of its town wall, including seven gates. Within these ramparts, around the cathedral, are nearly 200 buildings, many of them half-timbered, of the 16^th and 17^th centuries. The best shopping is to be found there.

A short walk round the town.

A good place to start is the Tourist Office -1 Rue Thiers, 56000. They provide a leaflet, in English, for a very interesting town walk, giving more detail of the town’s attractions than I have space to do here. They also give out an excellent general map of the area. As there is very often a festival in Vannes, of music, sailing, or street theatre, it is worth enquiring about what is currently going on. If you are considering a boat trip in the gulf, this is the place to ask for details.

Open: July and August, daily 9am to 7pm, except Sundays and bank holidays, 10am to 6pm.   Out of season, Monday to Saturday, 9.30am to 12.30, 2 to 6pm.

Web site: www.tourisme-vannes.com - in French only.

Email: info@tourisme-vannes.com

The fish hall. Monday to Saturday 7am to 1 pm. Very busy, especially so on market days – Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The ramparts (when you can find them!) built during the 13th century from which there are fantastic views. Look out for the lavoirs (wash houses) in the gardens below.

Cathedral of St. Peter (13th-19th cent.), which contains the tomb (and skull, in a glass case) of St. Vincent Ferrer (an evangelist who died here in 1419). Some fine statues, copes and mitres.

Musée des Beaux Arts (la Cohue). Place st Pierre. The gallery shows pieces by Monet and Delacroix, as well as works by Breton artists.

Open: mid June to end September, daily, 10am to 6pm.  Rest of year, 10am to noon, 2 to 6pm, closed on Tuesday, and on Sunday morning.

Cost: Age 12 and over - 4€. Under 12 – free. A joint ticket can be purchased for the Chateau Gaillard for 6€.

Château Gaillard: An outstanding display of prehistoric (Neolithic) items, as well as some more modern displays, sited in the former House of Parliament of Brittany.

Open: Mid June to end September, daily 10am to 6pm.  Rest of year: only during school holidays, in the afternoons.

Cost: Age12 and over - 3.50€.  Under 12 – free. A joint ticket can be purchased for the Musée des Beaux Arts for 6€.

A brief history of Vannes

Vannes is the one-time Roman Darioritum, the capital of the Vénètes (they also had relatives in Italy who founded Venice). For the fate of the Vénètes, read about the Mound of Tumiac, below. The emperor Probus had the town walled in the 3^rd century and it was the meeting point of several Roman roads. In the time of the Breton kings, Waroc'h had the ramparts rebuilt. In the Middle Ages continual battles were fought between the Franks and Bretons for possession of the town.

In 919, Vannes was pillaged and burned by the Vikings, their first, and typical, taste of the people who would become their Norman neighbours. In 1154 the Arab geographer Idrisi described the town as ‘one of the principal cities of Brittany …at the end of the gulf, a pleasant and populous spot, where there is a port and shipyard.’ The Parliament of Brittany sat at Vannes from 1514 for 14 years and would sit there again, after the union of Brittany with France. In the 17^th century Vannes indulged in slave trading and piracy. Now it calls itself ‘the most dynamic small town in France’. With its plethora of festivals and events, it’s difficult to argue with the description.

7.3         The Séné nature reserve

At Séné, follow the signs for the Réserve naturelle.

The gulf of Morbihan is an important place for migrating birds. Tens of thousands pass through each year. This nature reserve was created in 1996 to protect about 400 acres of salt marsh and salt pans. 200 species of birds can be seen here. Here also can be seen the basins used for taking salt from the marshes.

Open: July and August, daily 10am to 1pm, 2 to 7pm.  1^st Feb to 30^th June, Sundays and bank holidays, 10am to 1pm, 2 to 7pm.

Cost: Adult - 4€.  Students and school children - 2.50€.  Under 12 – free.

Website: www.reservedesene.com (French only)

7.4         The tumulus of Tumiac (Butte de César)

Is a 10 minute walk from the D780 (signposted). From the tumulus there are superb views of the bay, the gulf and the islands. From here, in 56 BC, Julius Caesar is supposed to have watched the naval battle between his Roman fleet and the Venetii. Caesar had built the fleet against this local tribe, who owed part of their wealth from shipping tin from Britain. Caesar's attack, while partly designed to establish authority over the whole of Gaul, was also a prelude to the invasion of Britain. The Venetii controlled the waterways with a formidable fleet of their own and were aided by British Celts. At first the Gallic vessels outmatched the Romans, and they could do little against them. The Romans, however, used hooks launched by archers to grapple the Venetii ships. Before long, the Venetii were completely defeated, and like many tribes before them, those who were not slaughtered on the spot were sold into slavery. With the defeat of the Gallic resistance, Caesar launched two unsuccessful attacks on Britain.

7.5         Port Navalo/ Arzon / Port de Crouesty

Port Navalo, an ancient fishing village, is now joined to Arzon and Port de Crouesty. Here are luxurious residences, hotels, supermarkets, a casino and one of the largest marinas in France. The harbour of Port de Crouesty is busy, with tourist and sailing boats, bars and restaurants. There is a very good beach to the south. At the western point (Port Navalo) is a light house and two more nice sandy beaches. Everywhere there are great coastal walks and views of the ‘big sea’ and the ‘little sea’  and across to Locmariaquer (see Day 11), on the other side of the narrow strait.

The Tourist Office,  Rond-point du Crouesty, 56640, supplies useful local maps, including cycle routes.

Open: July and August, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 12.30, 2 to 7pm. Sunday, 10am to 1 pm.   Rest of year, Mon to Sat, 9am to noon, 2 to 6pm.
Website: www.crouesty.fr

Email: crouesty@crouesty.fr

7.6          Suscinio castle

An impressive 14th-century moated castle set in marshland at the edge of a tiny village, on the southern edge of the Gulf of Morbihan, once the summer residence of the Dukes of Brittany. The Dukes moved about a great deal, but Suscinio was one of their favourite residences. Their entourages were huge. In 1305, when Duke Jean ll went to Lyon to assist at the crowning of the Pope, he was accompanied by 90 people (the Duke was to die on this trip). The castle passed to the French crown in 1520 and over the following centuries fell more and more into ruin until it was used as a stone quarry. Thankfully it has been massively restored in the last 40 years and is now a museum.

Open: From April to September, daily between 10am and 7pm (for the rest of the year, it closes on Wednesdays and between noon and 2pm).

Cost: Adult - 6€.  Child (8 to 17) - 2€.  Under 8 - free.

There is a gift shop, and a creperie 200 yards away.

Website: www.suscinio.info - In French only.