Finistère Tourist Info: Audierne

A charming fishing port with a long maritime history, Audierne has a lively fishing quay, some quaint winding narrow streets clinging the sides of the hills and the long sandy Trescadic Beach. There are good seafood restaurants both along the coast and in the town centre. The town has an aquarium which is open from April until mid September. From Audierne you can take a boat trip to the Ile de Sein. In the town you can visit the Church of Saint Raymond whose bell tower dates from 1631. Three boats are sculpted on the south and west facades of the church. For walkers, there is a coastal route covering 4.5 km.

Finistère Tourist Info: Brest

Brest has always been an inportant naval base and port, and this is reflected in the town's attractions. Oceanapolis, Europe's largest marine aquarium is situated in the Port de Plaisance du Moulin Blanc and has over 50 aquariums, varying from 50 ltres to a millions litres. There are three permanent pavilions showing polar, temperate and tropical zones, as well as exhibits, films and shows. Oceanopolis is open daily from March to September from 9am to 6pm, and the rest of the year from 10am to 5pm. It is closed on Mondays except during French school holidays. The ticket office closes an hour before closing time. During July & August it can be crowded and early arrival is advised. Another cultural attraction is the Musée de la Marine, again reflecting the town's Museée de la Marine which is situated in the Château de Brest. Another museum, the Musée de la Tour Tanguy is housed in the 14th century tower which overlooks the harbour. The museum houses an excellent collection of documents, drawings and paintings and other artefacts with particular relevance to the second world war. Admission free. Brest has a large town park, Jarden Kennnedy in the centre of the town which provides a peaceful retreat or a relaxing break from sightseeing.

Finistère Tourist Info: Carhaix Plouguer

Carhaix is sited on one of the most important cities of Roman Brittany, named Vorgium. The town has some ancient buildings, and a local industry based on food processing and agriculture. The annual three day pop festival Les Vieilles Charrues (Old Ploughs' Festival) is held in August and attracts tens of thousands of visitors. Carhaix is an amportant centre for culture and htre in the town. The local council sponsors a book fair in October, the Amateur Theatre Festival in May and Bagadans on 14th July which attracts 12000 musicians and dancers onto the streets of the town.

Finistère Tourist Info: Concarneau

Concarneau is the third largest fishing port in Finistère, with a population of 20,000. It is a popular tourist destination with good facilities for water sports, including sailing, catamaran and kayaking. Other activities in the town are horse riding and golf. The town has a sports complex with an indoor heated pool, 2 saunas and a solarium. The town has an attraction "Le Marinarium" with exhibits featuring the diversity of marine life, its protection and organisation. There are also aquariums including one of 120,000 litres with many species of aquatic plants and animals. Open daily February - December. Another museum La Museé de la Pêche opens in April, May, June & September from 10am to 6pm and in July & August from 9.30am to 8pm. Still on the fishing theme, "La Criée is the morning fish market where the early morning catch is auctioned off. Besides fishing the town also has ramparts to climb with good views over the town, and in mid August the fisherman's festival La Fête des Filets Bleus which features traditional Breton music and dancing. At the top of the town is the Château de Kériolet dating from the 15th century and open daily except Saturdays, from June to Septemer 10.30am to 1.00pm and 2pm to 6pm. From Concarneau you can take a boat trip to the Isles de Glénan.

Finistère Tourist Info: Crozon, Morgat & the Crozon Peninsula

The Crozon Peninsula is located at the very western end of Brittany. It is characterized by its dramatic cliffs, rocky outcrops and many estuaries. A good base for exploring is the town of Crozon. There are good views of the Atlantic from the Pointe des Espagnols in the north, from where you can see across to Brest Harbour. The town's church has an impressive altarpeice consisting of numerous panels dating from the 17th century. There are plenty of basic shops and restaurants, with seafood being a speciality of the region. Activities includ walking, hiking along the various marked trails, windsurfing, horse riding and cycling. Crozon hosts the Festival du Bout du Monde in August every year which attracts hundreds of visitors. The festival has a comedy stage, a childrens's area and a trade fair. The nearby town of Morgat has a long beach and a pretty harbour from where you can take trips to the Cap de la Chèvre, and to tour the multicoloured caves which are only accessible by boat. Tours depart every 15 minutes in high season.

Finistère Tourist Info: Ile de Ouessant

The tiny island of Ouessant is just 8 km by 3 km and can be reached by boats departing from Brest and Le Conquet. It forms part of the Armorique Natural Reserve. The trip takes approximately an hour and can be rough according to the climate. The harbour is not deep enough to accommodate tourist boats, which dock at the port of Le Stiff at the other end of the island. Historically, the women of the island were dominant, taking care of crops whilst the men were away fishing. The village depends mostly on tourism for its income. The local church features a Breton steeple which has holes along its length to combat the strong sea winds. The steeple was a gift from Queen Victoria, in gratitude to the inhabitants who cared for sailors from the British ship Drummond Castle when she was shipwrecked off the island in 1896. The island's village of Lampaul is steep, with some streets accessible by flights of steps. Sheep are bred on the island and are allowed ro roam freely at certain times of the year. Mutton stew is a staple dish. The village has a few shops for basic amenities but most produce is shipped over from the mainland.

Finistère Tourist Info: Le Conquet

Founded in the 10th century, Le Conquet has not been overrun by tourism and in consequence it has retained much of its charm as a working fishing port. It is located 25 km west of Brest and has approximately 2400 inhabitants. Here, you can take a boat trip to the Isles of Ouessant and Molène, or walk out to the lighthouse at Pointe Saint Matheiu to see the Abbey ruins. There are some fine sandy beaches, notably Blanc Sablons and Porzliogan beaches.

Finistère Tourist Info: Le Faou

Le Faou is a small port dating back to medieval times, set on an estuary on the River Aulne in the Bay of Brest. There is sailing and windsurfing on the river where it widens out to join the sea. The town has good shops and some excellent restaurants. The Maison de la Pays museum, open in high season, has exhibits, photographs and costumes of the area. Le Faou has the status 'Petit Cité de Caractère. Churches to visit include Saint Sauveur, with its 16th and 19th century furnishings, the Church of Notre-Dame de Rumengol and the 17th century Chapel of Quai Quélen.

Finistère Tourist Info: Lorient

Lorient lies on the confluent of the rivers Blavet, Scorff and Ter. The city was almost completely destroyed in the second world war, although the U boat pens survived and have since been developed for French nuclear submarines. Lorient lies on a huge habour which used to be an important base for trading by the Compagnie des Indes. A museum devoted to this period, the Musée de la Compagnie des Indes is located across the bay in Port Louis. Lorient has been host every year since 1971 to the Interceltic Festival, the largest music festival in Brittany which takes place in August, attracting over 600,000 artists and visitors. Events take place at the Place de Congrés, the Eglise Saint Louis, The Grand Théâtre and the Parc de Moustoir which is the home of the Lorient football team. From Lorient you can take a boat trip to the small island of Ile de Groix which has attractive beaches along its 8 km coastline.

Finistère Tourist Info: Morlaix

Morlaix is dominated by its 19th century pink granite viaduct which carries trains from Brest to Paris, high above the town centre. The town has two markets, one for food in the centre of town and a second which is sited under the arches of the viaduct. From July to mid August, the Festival de les Arts dans la Rue takes place on Wednesday evenings, with exhibitions of dancing and music. The town is an estuary port and has a large marina, as well as some picturesque cobbled streets and narrow alleyways. The Jacobin Convent is where Mary Queen of Scots is reputed to have stayed when she passed through the town at the age of five in 1548. The convent also houses the Musée des Jacobins with Roman artefacts and some modern paintings. Another interesting visit is La Maison de la Reine Anne, where Anne the Queen of France and the Duchess of Brittany is said to have stayed when she visited Morlaix in 1506. The house features some excellent carvings and staircases and is open to the public during the summer season.

Finistère Tourist Info: Quimper

Situated on the River Odelt and 15 km from the sea, Quimper has lots to offer the tourist including the imposing Cathédrale Saint Corentin which began its construction in 1239. Quimper has four museums and is famous for its production of pottery. The indoor market, Les Halles Saint Francois is open daily and there is an open air market, Le Grand Marché on Wednesday & Saturday mornings. The flower market takes place on Saturday mornings. Medieval houses can be seen at La Place Terre du Duc, Rue du Chapeau Rouge and Rue Saint Matheiu. The church of St Matheiu has some remarkable stained glass windows. Numerous festivals take place throughout the year.

Finistère Tourist Info: Quimperlé

Quimperlé nestles in a valley at the confluent of two rivers at the foot of hills which tower above it. Situated between Lorient and Quimper, it is a pretty town with some medieval streets and many churches to visit, including L'Elise Saint Croix, La Chapelle des Ursulines, Notre Dame de l'Assomption and La Chapelle de Lothéa on the GR34. Ideal for nature lovers, Quimperlé is on the crossroads of the GR34E, GR34I and the GR34. The indoor market, Les Halles was contructed in 1887. Every Wednesday evening in summer there is an open air concert starting at 9pm in the Place Saint Michel. In mid August the Fête de la Laita takes place with canoe battles and 2CV races.The town also features the pretty river bridge Le Pont Fleuri.

Finistère Tourist Info.

Finistere is on the west coast of Brittany. It has many kilometres of rugged and rocky coastline. A few km off the mainand is the island of Ouessant and the Molèe archipelago. This region is rich in wildlife, especially seabirds, and there are colonies of dolphins and grey seals. The climate of Finistère benefits from the Gulf stream giving rise to mild but cool summers, normally dry, although rainfall can be sudden.

Finistère Tourist Info: Roscoff

Roscoff is a seaside resort of some 3600 inhabitants. It is a modern sea port, with ferries from Plymouth & Cork. See www.cheap4ferries.com www.brittany-ferries.com www.directferries.co.uk .Roscoff has sandy beaches, and 19th century merchants' houses in the centre. The restored gothic church of Notre Dame de Croatz Batz is worth a visit. Another attraction are the Roscoff tropical gardens, where there are over 3000 plant species including specimens from Australia, South Africa and Chile. The gardens have huge rockeries, and from the highest you can view the Bay of Morlaix, Roscoff and Carantec. Take a boat trip to see the Château de Taureau. The sea trip takes 2 hours from Carantec (depart from Kelenn Beach) or 2.5 hours from Plougasnou (depart from Diben Port).