Regions of France: Brittany

The historical region and the Brittany region (Bretagne, Breizh; Bertaeyn) lies in the north-west of France, on the territory of the eponymous Peninsula, strongly outstanding in the water of the Atlantic. Moreover, this strongly cut with numerous bays, capes and islands (3700 km of the coastline!) Peninsula geologically is the oldest section of the French Earth – the formming of his Armorican array is an ancient (Precambrian period) shield, during the collapse of Pangea former, most likely, part of modern West Africa. The relief of the Brittany exalted, but the low (maximum height is 107 m) and a fairly smooth, although the landscape is raised with rivers and valleys, the landscape resembles Scotland or Ireland. The human influence over the many centuries is so transformed initially enough non-homing terrain that typical for this territory alternating small fields and meadows with the artificial stripes of forest and shrub, and also got his own name – "Bocation".

Climate here is soft, moderate sea. Summer is warm (the average temperature of July + 24 ° C) and the fairly early, winter is soft (the mid-gauge temperature – + 7 ° C) and quite wet, although in general precipitation falls a little – up to 1000 mm per year. The characteristic feature of the Breton weather is the strong sea winds that the coast often achieve quite significant strength (it is for the confrontation of wind erosion that the people of the centuries built and built the famous Forest Blood Stripes), but as the mainland suffocates, they quickly lose their head.

Ancient armorica ("Country by the sea"), as these edges of the Romans called, until the V century. NS. It was populated by Celtic tribes, and after – immigrants from the British Isles (here is the here the modern name of the region). On days when traveling by sea was much safer than on land, the territory of modern Brittany was connected directly with Britain much more than with the mainland of France. Many modern cities, like Saint-Lo, Saint-Lo or Saint-Brie, were founded by Wales or Irish missionaries and received their names in honor of the saints that no longer find in any lists. Until now, in its language and culture, Bretonians are very different from the inhabitants of the rest of France, and in every way they emphasize their authenticity not only on the household level, but also officially. Breton, traditions, epos and complex local symbolism retain their meaning and now, even despite the obvious desire for assimilation by the French culture, well traced the whole twentieth century. This is clearly visible and the region of independence from France, manifests itself and in creating a party "Democratic Breton Union", advocating for the autonomy of Brittany, and in the ubiquitous use of Breton names in road signs or menu, and even in the struggle for obtaining their own regional domain on the Internet. And the local festivals and festivals are saturated at all by folk traditions more than anywhere in the country, and it is clearly not possible on tourists, but for the revival of their ancient culture.

Northern Coast Brittany

Northern Coast of Brittany from the resort town Dinar (DINARD) to the field of the finister (Finistere) on the mostst conditionally divided into two sufficiently different areas of the region. From the dinar to the Gulf of Saint-Brie, green coves Emerald Shore (Cote d’Emeraude), the capital of which is called Saint-little. The main points of attraction here – the old resort town of Dinar (Dinard) and the resort towns scattered around it Lancier (Lancieux), Erki (Erquy), Saint-Briero (Saint Brieuc), Saint-Lunner (Saint Lunaire) and Saint-Cast (Saint Cast Le Guildo), as well as the picturesque castle Late WWW.Castlelalatte.Com.

West Saint-Bree begins the coast Galo (Cote de Goelo) – more rocky and "Wild", More eastern shores, but no less picturesque. These edges are famous for their tides, isolated small bays and huge boulders who have granted the name of the whole coast – Granite Beach (Cote de Granit) Persian-Gaire (PERROS-GUIREC). The narrow rocky bays of this region are more reminiscent of fjords, and rather flat tops of coastal rocks, overgrown with dispersed and shrub, are similar to the Shetland Islands. Here you can visit an attractive town PEMPOL (Paimpol) with its cobbled streets and beautiful old gray granite buildings, Bopor Abbey Ruins (XIII in.) www.Abbaye-Beauport.COM, two picturesque Islands of Brehat – one of the most beautiful places in Brittany, Cathedral of Saint-Trugdal in the town Tregier, Lying 10 km north of him, the famous house Le-Zhoubtre (Le-Zhouboff-du Castell Mer), squeezed between two granite boulders near the village Plugrescan, spa town Persian-Gaire www.PERROS-GUIREC.COM and located just west Tregastel With his beach of Turonus, a small town Plu (Traditional border between the French and Breton parts of Brittany, it is interesting that the names of almost 30% of settlements from Saint-Little to Brest begin to be locked "Plu"), as well as village Kermarya-An-Iska with extraordinary medieval frescoes "Dance death" in her chapel of the XIII century.

One huge beach stretches from Saint-Michel-En-Grev along the entire Bay of Lanon, forming a strip of fine sand, the width of which in the tump reaches several hundred meters. The main decoration of this area is the historic city Lannion (Lannion) www.OT-Lannion.FR lying on the banks of the Leger River (Leguer) at a distance of one and a half kilometers from the coastal line. Widely famous for its medieval streets, stairs and interesting old churches, it is also considered the center of the high-tech industry and one of the fastest growing cities of modern Brittany, which is often called Ville Heureuse ("Happy city"). In addition to the beautiful semi-demolon buildings surrounding the lecture on the square, it is necessary to rise at 142 granite steps to the monastery of the Egliz de Berelevin Monastery (XII in.).

Phoenister

The most West of Brittany occupies the Finister Department (Finistere), famous for its cliffs, narrow fjord bays (local residents call them "aber") and rocky capes. Here literally everything is saturated with Celtic and Breton Folklore, and many peninsula and bays are called almost the same as in Britain. Crowds of tourists in the summer literally flood "Coast Legend", As often called the northern coast of the Forechener, but many and many kilometers of these picturesque places are often simply unknown to guests. The most colorful of the narrow mini fjords of the bays of L’Belé-Ildhu (separates the water of the Atlantic from La Mansha), L’Beben-Benua and L’Ber-Wrak, Landedy Bay, Stagadon and Baye-des-Angle, sand dunes and beaches of the peninsula Saint-Margherit, "Devil Bridge" (A series of Valunov, really forming something similar to the bridge) in Lannilis (Lannilis, is often called Lannilis in Russian), the highest lighthouse in Europe (82.5 m) on the island of Vierge (Vierge), a unique algae museum in Plougerno ( PLOUGUERNEAU) and popular brignogan-plages (Brignogan-Plys), as well as characteristic local old cemeteries, hiding behind stone fences.

You can also see the dilapidated legendary castle of La Rocher Maurice (XIII-XV centuries.), small resort and port Luxury With his Church of Notre Dam de Croa Ba (XVI in.) and thalassotherapy institute lying opposite an islet Bass, For a long time "Sea Quarter" Luxury, and nowadays – a quiet resort, where even cars are prohibited; Two churches of the XIII century in Saint-Paul-de Leon, Dilapidated Castle B Tremasan – According to the legends it was here that the character of the medieval knightly novel Tristan, a snow-white beach near Le-conquet (24 km north of Brest) and the ruins of Benedictine Abbey in Saint-Mathieu. At the mouth of the Morlai River (Morlaix, 13 km north of the town of the same name), a megalithic stone pyramid is towers Curne du-Barnenes, dated approximately 4500 BC. NS., What makes it one of the oldest large-scale monuments in the world. The whole complex (and here, in fact, two pyramids, alone over another), has about 70 meters long and 15-25 meters wide at 6 meters of height. And open to visit (from May to August – daily from 10.00 to 18.thirty; From September to April – from Thursday to Sunday from 10.00 to 12.30 and from 14.00 to 17.thirty; Entry – 5 euros) Only part of this unique structure, and the two most mysterious corridors that permeate the whole complex and leaving, as it is believed to be for the seabed, closed.

One of the largest French ports – the city of Brest lies on the northern shore of the magnificent natural Brest bay, on the very West of the Forechener.

If you move south, towards the city of Cembra (Quimper, Kemper), you can see "The most Bretonsky" City of the region – Lokronan (Locronan), famous for its medieval mansions, preserved in absolutely unchanged form. Also good ancient fishing port Darnene www.Douarnenez-Tourisme.COM in the magnificent bay of the same name with his port museum and the museum, Baye-Dez-Trepasse ("Bay of the Dead", 30 km west of Duarnene) – the most popular place for underwater archeology (in the waters of the bay was found more than a hundred sunken ships, and legends attribute to this place the possible location "Lost City" From), having the status of the National Monument Cape R www.pointeduraz.COM, recognized center of fishing shrimp and Langustov – Summer Resort Oder www.Audierne-Tourisme.COM with his popular aquarium "Akvashou", as well as a tiny island Sen (Ile de sein) 8 km from Cape Ra (it is assumed that he served as the last refuge of the Druids in Brittany).

And, of course, the oldest city of the region and its modern center deserves special attention.

The south of Cerpets, on the southern coast of the Foreigniter, begins the famous coast of Cornaua (Cornouaille) – the most popular seaside resort of Brittany, wide famous for its natural beauty and clean beaches. To the best places of rest here are family resorts Benente (Benodet, in these parts their pronunciation laws) and Fuenn (Fouesnant), the third largest products of the fishing port in France – Concarnaire (Concarneau) with his old town-fortress associated with the mainland narrow bridge; perpetuated by goguen small port Pont-Aven, Amazing Glenan Archipelago (Glenan) with its unusual landscapes and flora, as well as cute towns Riek-sur-Belon (RIEC-SUR-Belon), Cloir carname (Clohars-Carnoet) and Moelan-sur-Mer (Moelan-Sur-Mer).

Inner Brittany

The internal regions of Brittany are completely exhausted by blue ribbons of numerous rivers and canals connecting the phinister and the Loire Valley in a single water artery, known as the Nantes channel – Brest. These edges are quite poorly known to foreign tourists, but the French themselves love them for calm landscapes and many beautiful places that are ideal for environmental tourism and outdoor activities.

The most interesting town here Kare-Plouger (Carhaix-Plouguer) with his Renaissance mansion of Mason-de-Sezhenev (now there is a tourist office here) and the four-day July rock festival WWW.vieillescharrues.Asso.FR, ARMORIC REGIONAL NATURAL PARK BETWEEN MORAL AND BRINNILIAL, PRESENT SHAOS VALUNS AND SOSS Forest Foret de Huelgoat Northeastern Brennili, Forest Scenic Town Kenesan (Quenecan), a number of beautiful reservoirs between the Care Plouger and Pontivy (Pontivy), the old Market city Pontiva www.PONTIVY.FR with its allowed medieval neighborhoods and ROAN lock (XV in.) who belonged to the same Roshanam (they controlled a third of Brittany in the Middle Ages) Castle with the Basilica of Notre Dam de Poche, and lying immediately behind him the museum of dolls in the town Joslen (Josselin), decorated with unusual carvings and sculptures church in an ancient town Maletroua (Malestroit), WWW Breton Resistance Museum.Resistance-Bretonne.COM in the village Saint-Marseille (2 km west of Malteroa), one of the most beautiful villages of Brittany – Rochefort-An-ter www.Rochefort-en-terre.COM (17 km south of Malteroa) with its excellent castle and a rich medieval city of Redon (Redon), today known for its historians of the XVII-XVIII centuries and monasteries.

The southern coast of Brittany could be a luxurious seaside resort, if it were not for his rocky shores. However, these edges are very popular as one of the largest historical sites of the country – here, among the many secluded bays with warm water, a huge number of prehistoric sites that attract both archaeologists and history lovers. However, the seaside resorts here are quite a lot, since individual sections of the sandy coast are tightly built up with cozy seaside towns. Yes, and this shore itself from Lorienta to the bay Bournef French is figuratively called the shore of love, although it is officially referred to as Cap Atlantic.

The fourth largest city of Brittany, Lorient lies on the West Bank of the Great Natural Harbor, protected from the ocean of the island of the Groom (Ile de Groix).

Eastern Loriaan, on the peninsula of the same name, is located a live city-port Kibron (Quiberon, in Russian transcription – Cyberon) – starting point to the resorts of Bel-Ile Island and wild shores Cat Savazh. At the same time, the eastern coast of Kibron differs radically different from the Western – here the strip stretch the excellent sandy beaches with a good rest infrastructure, a small park and a miniature golf course. And in the city itself is a major thalassotherapy center "Kibron-Talassa".

Island Bel-Il (Belle-Ile, 45 minutes ferry from Kibron) geographically continuing the peninsula and therefore it looks like two drops of water. Western coast dick and rocky, and oriental canopy and covered by a narrow stripe of beaches. In the Middle Ages, the island belonged to radon monasters, then – ambitious Nicolas Fuce (Minister of King Louis XIV), and later the British. Therefore, a powerful star-like Citadel, designed to protect the interests of Bel-ile owners, immediately striking all guests of the island. Built according to the drawings of the same Voban, the fortress of the island is considered one of the best samples of fortification art in Europe. And tourists, except for sizes and inaccessibility, will be able to evaluate numerous underground galleries, mysterious basements, endless abrasives of rooms, dungeons and firepoints. Until 1961, the complex was used as a prison, so a museum was opened in the walls of the citadel (although his collection is mostly based on fiction). It is also worth seeing the Grotto Lapoticerger on the Western Taste of the Island, two cliffs – Jean and Jeanne (on local legends it is two lovers, turned into a stone) and a beautiful small town of Conclusion (Sauzon) in the North-West Bank.

4 km north of the Karnak city in the base of the Cabron Peninsula is located the most important prehistoric plot in Europe – about three thousand mysterious stone columns ("Tumuli") and Dolmen Neolithic Epoch. The town of Karnak itself is a major seaside resort.