|
Vannes
A truly attractive town, Vannes hosted the 16th century summit when the Duchy of Brittany became united with France. Since then the old town, behind its ramparts, has remained more or less untouched.
As with many medieval towns, it is much better to park the car and walk around. A guided tour from the tourist office is a good idea as there is so much to see.
All around the cathedral is worth exploring with the ancient houses, Museum of Fine Arts and the old streets with some very chic shops. Beside the  Aquarium, there is the "Musée
des Automates", with mechanical toys from the 19th century and the butterfly house "La Papillonneraie".
Auray
A small, pretty town on the river, Auray's main attraction is its old quarters, particularly St Goustan, with its narrow alleys and streets, lined with superbly preserved 15th century houses.
The renaissance-gothic church of Saint Gildas should definitely be visited with its surrounding wood-faced houses, together with the St Esprit college. The Goélette Museum on the Quai Martin exhibits the history of St Goustan in a converted tuna fishing boat.
Once a week during July and August, there are evening performances of sea shanties and Breton songs. There is a weekly market on Mondays.
Carnac - La Trinite sur Mer
With its beautifully sheltered beaches, particularly mild climate, stylish villas and seaside pines, Carnac is a foretaste of paradise for many summer holiday-makers. But this summer resort, which is divided between the town and the beach and is one of the most elegant in Brittany, is even better known for its alignments of world-famous
menhirs.
The alignments – the lines of stones rise up from the moorland and scrub over a distance of about 2.5miles. There are three main henges. The Kerlescan, the smallest, consists of 240 standing menhirs. There is an observation post at the Kermario, from which the 982 standing stones can be admired. Like Stonehenge, all three are oriented
precisely towards the sunrise at the summer solstice or the equinoxes.
La Trinite sur Mer is the former port of Carnac and it has become world-famous as the yachting port of the champions. The Trinite marina has berths for over 1,000 yachts and is always full. Races, regattas and parades of tall ships are held throughout the year, so it is not surprising that in season there is a major sale of maritime
objects, new and old, scientific instruments, model ships, furniture and navigational aids.
|
