Road Map Brittany (AA Touring Map France 01): No. 1

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Since the early 1970s, Brittany has experienced a tremendous revival of its folk music. Numerous festivals were created, along with smaller fest-noz (popular feasts). The bagadoù, bands composed of bagpipes, bombards and drums (including snare), are also a modern creation, inspired by the Scottish pipe bands. The Lann-Bihoué bagad, one of the most well-known, belongs to the French Navy. It is the only one that does not take part to the annual bagadoù competitions. Celtic harp is also common, as are vocals and dances. The Kan ha diskan is the most common type of singing. The performers sing calls and responses while dancing. Breton dances usually imply circles, chains or couples and they are different in every region. The oldest dances seem to be the passepied and the gavotte, and the newest ones derive from the quadrille and French Renaissance dances.

Narrow pedestrian lanes lead to bustling public squares and side streets, with many restaurants and crêperies found at every turn. Gracing the Place Chateaubriand is the Hôtel France & Chateaubriand in a neoclassical building modeled after the grand seaside resorts of the Napoléon III era. Guest rooms feature elegant minimalist decor; some look out to the coastline. Amenities include a stylish café, brasserie, and a rooftop restaurant with panoramic views. View of the walled city of Saint Malo and its ramparts Dinard enjoys a splendid natural setting (across from Saint-Malo) along the Rance estuary. Mimosas and camellias flourish here under the influence of the Gulf Stream. Presiding over the Oust River valley, this majestic castle dominates the landscape with its soaring walls and turreted towers. The austere exterior contrasts a sumptuous facade on the interior courtyard, exemplifying the Flamboyant Gothic style of the Breton Renaissance.

Several Breton lords helped William the Conqueror to invade England and the Bretons formed over a third of the landing force in 1066. They received large estates there (e.g. William's double-second cousin Alan Rufus and the latter's brother Brian of Brittany). The Bretons helped to liberate the Cornish, replacing Anglo-Saxon land owners. Some of these lords were powerful rivals. The Namnetes, who lived in the current Loire-Atlantique département (in today's administrative région of Pays de la Loire), north of the Loire. They gave their name to the city of Nantes. The south bank of the river was occupied by an allied tribe, the Ambilatres, [22] whose existence and territory remain unsure. [21]

During summertime, Concarneau is a popular seaside destination thanks to its sandy beaches. The Plage des Sables Blancs is a family-friendly beach with a fine white-sand shoreline and rental facilities for water sports. Near the city center, the Plages de la Corniche beaches are found along the Sentiers des Douaniers hiking trail. About seven kilometers southeast of Vitré is the Château des Rochers Sévigné, an elegant 15th-century Breton manor house. The château stands in an expansive parkland that includes woods with walking paths. The town was rebuilt after WWII in its original style, with granite houses that appear ancient. The city has also retained its medieval ambience because the atmospheric old cobblestone streets have survived the centuries.

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In Lower Brittany, the medieval style never totally disappeared. However, local innovations permitted some changes and the birth of a particular style. Its most distinctive feature is the parish close, which displays an elaborately decorated church surrounded by an entirely walled churchyard. Many villages still have their closes, they date from the 16th and 17th centuries and sometimes include an elaborately carved calvary sculpture. During the 20th century, tertiary education was developed with the creation of the École centrale de Nantes in 1919, the University of Nantes in 1961, the ESC Bretagne Brest in 1962, the University of Western Brittany in 1971, the École Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications de Bretagne in 1977 and the University of Southern Brittany in 1995. The Catholic University of the West, based in Angers, also opened classes in several Breton towns. In 1969, the University of Rennes was divided between the University of Rennes 1 and the University of Rennes 2 – Upper Brittany. After the Second World War, the Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the foremost French military academy, settled in Coëtquidan. Brittany has been inhabited by humans since the Lower Palaeolithic. This population was scarce and very similar to the other Neanderthals found in the whole of Western Europe. Their only original feature was a distinct culture, called "Colombanian". [18] One of the oldest hearths in the world has been found in Plouhinec, Finistère. For those who would like to learn about oyster production, one of the best places to visit is the La Ferme Marine de Cancale. Located in a protected marine environment, this working oyster farm offers guided tours. Gallo is spoken on the eastern half of Brittany. It is not itself a Celtic language. Like French, it is also descended from Latin (and is classified in the Langues d'oïl branch), but has some Celtic influences, particularly in its vocabulary, whereas French has influences from both Celtic ( Gaulish) and Frankish (the Germanic language which arrived after Latin in much of the rest of France).