Brittany Travel Guide
In this ancient northwestern province, Bretons cling to their traditions. Deep in l'Argoat (the interior), many older folks live in stone farmhouses, as their grandparents did, and on special occasions the women wear starched-lace headdresses. The Breton language is spoken, but the Welsh and Cornish understand it better than the French. Sadly, it may die out altogether.
Nearly every village and hamlet has its own pardon, a religious festival that can attract thousands of pilgrims in traditional dress. The best known are on May 19 at Treguier (honoring St-Yves), on the second Sunday in July at Locronan (honoring St-Ronan), on July 26 at St-Anne-d'Auray (honoring the "mothers of Bretons"), and on September 8 at Le Folgoet (honoring ar foll coat -- "idiot of the forest").
Like the prow of a ship, Brittany juts into the sea. Traditionally, the province is divided into Haute-Bretagne and Basse-Bretagne. Promontories, coves, and beaches stud the rocky coastline, some 1,207km (750 miles) long. The interior is a land of hamlets, farmhouses, and moors covered with yellow broom and purple heather. We suggest first-time visitors stick to the coast, where you can see salt-meadow sheep grazing. If you're coming from Mont-St-Michel in Normandy, you can use St-Malo, Dinan, or Dinard as a base. Visitors from the château country of the Loire can explore the coastline of southern Brittany.
Brittany is a resort region. Many families visit for the beaches. British tourists frequent Dinard, although the water can be choppy and cold, with high waves. La Baule in the south is warmer, with a great beach, restaurants, and the best hotels in the region.
Regional Cuisine -- Breton cuisine derives its excellence from the flavors and freshness of its ingredients. Seafood is abundant: Breton oysters, shellfish, barnacles, and crabs are famous throughout France. Many are served raw, especially Belon oysters, as appetizers (on a bed of seaweed with lemon-onion sauce and white wine).
Other specialties are homard (lobster) in cream sauce, grilled, or boiled; salmon en brochette; trout, excellent with one of the Loire's whites; and lamb and mutton, raised on the salt marshes. Gigot à la bretonne (leg of lamb), served with white beans, is one of France's great dishes. The ducklings of Nantes and chickens of Rennes are succulent, as are the strawberries of Plougastel.
Brittany is famous for its crepes, served plain, sweet, or salted, filled with jam, cheese, ham, salad, or eggs. Most villages have a creperie, some of which sell crepes right on the street.
The only major wine from Brittany is muscadet, cultivated near Nantes; it's an excellent complement to seafood.
