the basics

Over the centuries, Brittany has been shaped by nature and by people, whose daily lives are still intimately linked to the environment and the land. With its capital, Rennes, and all of its 1,270 communes, Brittany has a rich and diverse geography.

Brittany is a region of north-west France. It occupies the most westerly point of France, a peninsula with the English Channel to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the West and the Bay of Biscay to the south. The region itself is comprised of four departments: Finistere (29); Côtes d’Armor (22); Morbihan (56) and Ille-de-Vilaine (35).

Brittany is a land area of 34,000 km². To put this figure into perspective this one region of France is 1.5 times the size of Wales. Something worth bearing in mind if you are planning a quick weekend visit.

The coastline (2,730 km) of Brittany is rugged, yet beautiful. It has many good beaches intermingled with small picturesque fishing villages. Inland Brittany is largely rural: farmland and woodland. The main industries of the region are agriculture, fishing and tourism.

Brittany is renowned for having a high concentration of megalithic constructions. Granite crosses and sculptures of the Calvary are also common throughout the region. This is a land of legends and folklore: the disappearing city of Atlantis, marine monsters, Merlin and King Arthur, Ankou (the grim reaper), Korrigans (mischievous dwarfs) and fairies.

• Brittany has a total surface area of 34,000 km, which represents 5% of France
• With 2,730 km of coastline, Brittany represents one third of France’s total coastline.
• All departments in Brittany are sea-facing.
• There are also many waterways inland, with over 30,000km of rivers and streams