Top 10 reasons to visit Brittany

If you’re looking to escape from this year’s dismal British summer, why not take advantage of Brittany’s welcoming year round climate. If you’re still not convinced, read on to find out Tourism Brittany’s top 10 reasons for why you should visit the region.

1. A great range of accommodation
As well as offering great discounts on hotels, all types of accommodation from campsites to Chateaux Hotels can be booked via Brittany-best-breaks.com with live availability updates. Campsites throughout the region offer services for caravans, motorhomes and tent pitches with great facilities on site for sports and activities.

Chateaux’s and manor houses nestled in the countryside often provide five star accommodation with world class fine dining, as do many of the outstanding hotels which can be found in the towns and walled cities such as St Malo.

2. A welcoming year round climate
Brittany’s captivating charm lies in its stunning coasts and beaches and unspoilt countryside. From historical towns to sleepy picturesque villages, Brittany has preserved its authenticity while keeping up with the modern world. Long summers and mild winters cater well for the abundance of activities that can be found in the region, be it lazing on the beach in the mid-August heat or trekking and cycling in the cooler months.

Brittany boasts an envious microclimate due to its positioning in the Gulf stream which serves the region well and brings above average temperatures most of the year as well as protecting it from the harsher weather that more northerly regions experience. Average temperatures range from 20-25?c through the summer and 8-15?c in the winter months. This gulf stream and positioning against the Atlantic also creates rare tidal patterns experienced in very few areas of the world, using them to its advantage Brittany is home to the first tidal power station creating an efficient and environmentally friendly energy system.

3. Home from home in less than two hours
Brittany is easily reached by low cost carrier routes from around the UK and Ireland with Flybe offering flights from Southampton, Exeter, Birmingham, Manchester, Luton, Edinburgh and Belfast. Ryanair also operate flights to Brest and Dinard from Stansted, East Midlands and Luton. Channel crossing is easy with Brittany Ferries offering daily crossings from Plymouth, Portsmouth and Poole and Condor Ferries also operate from Poole and Weymouth. Connections from Ireland are operated by Brittany Ferries direct from Cork to Roscoff.

4. Spas and Thalassotherapy
The home of thalassotherapy and modern day Spa’s, Brittany is a destination ideal for a wellbeing break and has over 13 specialised thalassotherapy spas. Day packages as well as preferred longer stays are available offering world class treatments and service that will bring energy and total relaxation.

Expert advice for health and wellbeing accompanied by close medical supervision compliment the seawater therapy and vast range of treatments on offer in thalassotherapy. Stay in the first ever thalassotherapy centre in France, the Institut Rockroum in Roscoff, founded in 1899.

5. Superb and affordable golf courses
Golf has never been so affordable, and the region offers a total of 34 golf courses to choose from. The free Brittany Golf Pass offers a 20% discount off 22 golf course green fees which golfers can register for while booking accommodation.

Be it a fun and friendly 9 hole course by the coast or one of the lush fairways at a private manor, breathtaking scenery surrounds the superb courses which cater for all abilities with a diverse range from technical for the pro to amateur players through to beginner friendly courses. See Brittany-best-breaks.com.

6. Breton gastronomy from Seafood, Gallettes and cider to fine cuisine
Hailed as one of the gastronomic capitals of the world, Brittany offers a fine range of cuisine, from the Breton speciality the gallette, to Cotriade, a fish stew traditionally made from conger eel and famous seafood platters. Breton cuisine is simple, taking advantage of its variety of locally farmed meats and freshly caught fish.

The gallette is a Breton speciality, made from fine buckwheat and prepared on order with fillings using the finest and freshest ingredients and served as a savoury meal all washed down with locally produced Cider. Cows milk cheeses, lamb (raised on the salt meadows) and locally produced vegetables are also on the menu.

Brittany has over 60 Restaurants du Terroir, several Michelin star restaurants, 40 restaurants belonging to the ‘Tables et Saveurs de Bretagne’ Association and 40 authentic crêperies recognisable from their ‘Crêperie Gourmande’ quality seal.

Oysters are a speciality in the region and can be found fresh from the ocean at all of the traditional food markets that are a focal point throughout the towns of Brittany. Visit the Oyster museum and factory at Concale or head down to the water and witness the early morning bustle as the fishermen bring in their catch.

7. Three hundred festivals and events throughout the year
Brittany is brimming with events all year round, be it local theatrical productions in towns of art such as Dinan to major international events such as the 2008 Tour de France. Hosting nearly 300 events throughout the year, the region caters well for an influx of visitors for annual events such as the Art Rock festival which attracts major artists from the international music scene, the 2007 event welcomed The Fratelli’s and Razorlight for its headline acts and promises bands of equal measure for its 2008 line up.

With three sides of coast making up the region, nautical events are a favourite for locals as well as visitors, such as the International Festival of Sailors, Brest 2008. The coastal town welcomes international vessels, yachts and fleets from all over the world. Sailing crews from all over Brittany gather at the maritime event for the six day festivities from 11-17 July 2008 bringing together local culture, music and maritime heritage.

8. Brittany’s “Cities of Art and Culture”
Each city has its own unique character with towns dating back as far as two thousand years from the Gallo Roman period such as Quimper and Vannes. Many of the coastal towns which stretch along Brittany’s treasured bays are etched with historical detail and are often fortified sites such as Malestroit or Auray and many preserved within walled defenses such as St Malo and the members of the Small Cities of Character group.

The people of Brittany are eager to preserve the rich history and the deep rooted religious fractions which make up its turbulent past. Each town, many dotted along the sleepy river Oust, celebrate their heritage with annual festivities, educational workshops, discovery tours and religious trails.

The region has an abundance of Medieval Castles and Chateaux’s, such as the town of Josselin and many areas are dominated by religious beginnings with remains such as the Abbey du Bon Repos at Lake Guerledan in Cotê d’Amor.

9. Walking & White Water on the Wildside
The mild ocean climate offers walkers of all levels the opportunity to take the famous customs trail or lesser known inland trails year round. Following the cliff path, Dinard’s Clair de lune walk has a taste of the exotic with mimosa and palm trees. On the Pink Granite Coast, Trébeurden’s standing stones and dolmens are dotted throughout the Neolithic forest.

For those seeking more of an adrenaline rush, Brittany offers superb watersports on the coast and inland. From white water rafting in the black mountains to kayaking, to a more leisurely meander on Brittany’s main canal heading East from Brest through to Nantes. Brittany also boasts 2700km of coast with a wide range of beaches for activities such as kitesurfing.

Due to the regions peninsula shape the coast offers many different variations on strength of current and wave and have become hotspots for windsurfing, sailing, bodyboarding and surfing.

10. Free-wheeling - “Véloroutes et Voies Vertes”
Whether you are a touring cyclist or a mountain biker, all the roads of Brittany are accessible to cyclists so much so the Tour de France 2008 will start in Brittany. There are 2000kms and nine itineraries of paths crossing forests, woods or along lakesides, disused railtracks and canals such as the historic route from Brest to Nantes along the old rail line.

Many of the Breton islands where cars are banned are havens for cyclists, for example, the Gulf of Morbihan is peppered with over 300 islets where the routes roam free for exploration and are off the beaten track. In towns, cycle tracks allow investigating the streets and alleyways and appreciating their historic heritage.

Several Breton towns, including Rennes, Brest, Lorient and Quimper are seeking to facilitate the use of bicycles in urban traffic zones. The French Cycle Touring Federation provides a great range of services throughout the region offering topoguides and bike hire points.

The “Voies Vertes” green routes are accessible to pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, horseriders and those with limited mobility. The “Véloroutes” use the green routes but also routes across towns with minimum traffic.

For further information on Brittany, visit Brittanytourism.com.