Nestled in the heart of Nantes’s medieval centre lies the magnificent and imposing Château des Ducs de Bretagne, the former home of the dukes of Brittany. It was the place I was most excited about visiting in Nantes and on my first full day in the city, I made my way to the château, keen to get there soon after it opened at 10am. The château dates back to the 13th century and its famous former residents have included Anne, Duchess of Brittany, who went on to marry two French kings, and her father François II. It’s also said to be the…

The Golfe du Morbihan, off the southern coast of Brittany, is studded with islands – 42 to be exact. The largest of which is the Île aux Moines (Monks’ Island). Having glimpsed the island a few days earlier from the Pointe d’Arradon (Brittany’s riviera, which is home to some very posh houses), we were keen to spend the day exploring the almost-enclosed bay and its largest island. We set off for the small, picturesque port of Larmor-Baden (above) shortly after breakfast. There we bought our tickets for the 90-minute boat ride around the gulf, which would drop us off on the…

The sleepy, unassuming Breton village of Sainte-Anne-d’Auray is the unlikely home of one of France’s most significant pilgrimmage sites. On driving into Sainte-Anne-d’Auray, it seemed like any other quiet village in the Morbihan countryside – until, that is, we came upon the massive basilica that dominates its centre. Sainte-Anne-d’Auray’s claim to religious fame dates back to the 17th century when a local farmer, Yves Nicolazic, claimed he’d repeatedly seen the Virgin Mary’s mother St Anne, who told him to build a chapel on the site. When a statue was found on the spot St Anne indicated, a church was built…

With its winding medieval streets, colourful timber-framed houses and handsome stone buildings, the old Breton capital Vannes (or Gwened in Breton) has bags of character, great shopping and lots of photogenic buildings. Originally named Darioritum, the charming market town, which sits at the mouth of the rivers Marle and Vincin, has a long history. It was founded by the Romans and became the capital of Brittany in the Middle Ages. Today, it’s the capital of the Morbihan region. The town’s medieval centre is surrounded by imposing walls, which are studded with towers and gates, and while some stretches no longer exist, around…

The Presqu’île de Quiberon is a 14km-long slither of land on the southern coast of Brittany. Boasting a wild, rugged coastline, attractive resorts and pristine beaches, the narrow peninsula is attached to the Breton mainland by a small sandbank, the Isthme de Penthièvre. We drove down to the Presqu’île de Quiberon after spending the morning touring the megalithic sights of Carnac. Our first stop on the peninsula was the evocative Côte Sauvage (Wild Coast, below) on its south-western tip. The 8km-stretch of rocky coastline is breathtakingly beautiful and it was exhilarating standing atop the cliffs watching the tempestuous waves crash onto the…

Of the many sights to see in Brittany, perhaps the most famous (and mysterious) of all are the megalithic standing stones at Carnac. The prehistoric site is centred around three clusters of stones, or menhirs as they’re also known, not far from the small town of Carnac. We began our visit at the largest of the three sites – the Alignements du Ménec, a group of 1,099 standing stones, laid out in 11 rows on the outskirts of Carnac. Across the road from the menhirs, there’s a visitor centre where you can look out over the site from its first…

When Benjamin Franklin set foot on French soil in December 1776 to seek support in the American War of Independence, he came ashore in the tiny Breton port of Saint Goustan. Situated on the banks of the River Loch, adjoining the town of Auray, Saint Goustan is a delightful, picturesque affair. With a cobbled quayside lined with colourful timber-fronted houses, it’s a suitably charming spot for an influential American founding father/writer/politician/inventor/all-round-genius to disembark. Unlike Benjamin Franklin, we ambled into Saint Goustan on foot via a path along the river (above) and as we approached the centre of the medieval port…

The friendly town of Le Bono, on the banks of the River Auray, was the place we called home during our week-long sojourn in Brittany. With a number of shops and restaurants, a superb pâtisserie, a couple of intriguing sights, and lots of interesting walking trails, it proved to be an excellent place in which to base ourselves. The day we arrived, we inadvertently stumbled upon a Breton festival taking place in the harbour (above). Delighted by the sights, smells and sounds of the festival, we had great fun marvelling at the boats decked out in colourful bunting and listening…