Brittany (Bretagne), France

Pointe du Toulinguet, Brittany
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bretagne_Finistere_PointedeEspagnole.jpg
Author: S.Möller


Brittany is one of the 26 regions of France. It occupies the peninsula on the easternmost part of the country with the English Channel to the north and the Bay of Biscay to the south. Britanny is 27,208 sq km (10,505 sq mi) and has a population of 3.1 million people.

Modern-day Brittany is composed of 80% of the former Duchy and Province of Brittany. The remaining 20% is the Loire-Atlantique department, which is now within the Pays de la Loire region.

Crashing wave at Pors-Loubous, Ploggof, Finistère, Brittany
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_storm_at_Pors-Loubous.jpg
Author: Henri Camus
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The Brittany region got its name from Great Britain (and not the other way around). It was settled by refugees from the British Isles following the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England in the fifth and seventh centuries. As a result, some of the people in Brittany, particularly in Western Brittany, who are able to speak Breton, a Celtic language related to Cornish and Welsh. In eastern Brittany some of the people speak another ancient dialect, Gallo.

In recent years there has been a revival of appreciation in regional heritage, and the government now allows Breton and Gallo names to appear on road signs and town names in Brittany, alongside the official French ones.

Notre Dame des Passes, Moulleau district, Arcachon, Aquitaine
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St-Gildas_eglise_0708A.jpg
Author: Romary


The Brittany region is staunchly Roman Catholic, even though of late, church attendance has declined, a similar trend observed throughout Europe.

Going to Brittany

By Plane
The main airports in Brittany are in Rennes, Brest and Dinard. Ryanair flies to Brest from London Luton and Dublin, and to Dinard from London Stansted. Rennes is connected to Paris by Air France.

By Train
There are almost hourly train services from Paris Montparnasse station to Rennes, Brest and Quimper.

Lannion, Brittany
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lannion_055_Place_du_Centre.jpg
Author: KatellG

Cities of Brittany

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