Tourist Information
SEA - BRITTANY
In short
- Brest is located in the far west of Brittany. It used to be a military port, especially under the aegis of Richelieu, for strategic reasons. The main part of the city was destroyed during WW2, before it was rebuilt during the 1940s and the 1950s. Nowadays, fortunately, it is more famous for its universities and its great schools ("grandes écoles" in French) than for its battalions.
- The International Sea Festival ("La Grande Fête internationale de la Mer") occurs every four years (one week in July) and exhibits traditional boats from all over the world in order to glorify the sea, navigation, and sailors.
- Brest Castle dominates the city, as a testimony of Brest's military history. Its original buildings were erected in the 3rd century by the Romans. There, you will find the Naval Museum.
- The Quilbignon (or Motte-Tanguy) Tower, in front of the castle, is a Vieux Brest ("Old Brest city") museum.
- Brest's cultural turmoil is important all year long: every summer, les Jeudis du Port ("the Harbour's Thrusdays") will give you the opportunity to attend free concerts; in November, the Festival Européen du Film Court (French for "European Short Movie Festival") unfolds in November; Astropolis, which happens at the beginning of August, is dedicated to electronic music; the tale festival ("Festival du Conte" in French), in November, and Subito, which celebrates improvisational theatre, are just a few examples among many festivals and cultural events.
- Last but not least, let's not forget Océanopolis, this huge aquarium which is Brest's pride (rightly so).
Climate
This town located on the seafront has an oceanic temperate weather. It often rains; however, much less than what you could guess from the pictures... The average temperatures are 9.3°C in January and 20.7°C in July. If you want to enjoy the sea and the Vieux Brest ("Old Brest") activities, come and book your holidays during summer.
Our best tips
- Go and visit Océanopolis; it is worth a look! There are more than 1000 animal species coming from all over the world.
- Go on and attend the Jeudis du Port (the "Harbour's Thursdays" in French); it's free and it unfolds outside, and it is all about having fun and spending some good time.
- Let's have a Breton "crêpe" with a glass of cider, two specialties of the region.
Average prices for hotels
- Low budget: 51€ per night in low season and 58€ in high season.
- Mid-range: 68€ per night in low season and 71€ in high season.
- Luxury: 74€ in low season and 108€ per night in high season.
Recommended areas for your hotel
- The "railway area" ("quartier de la gare"), to avoid the travels from one place to another with your suitcase.
- Near the Pont de Recouvrance ("Recouvrance Bridge"), which means near the Motte-Tanguy Tower.
Need more information about this place?
We wrote un mini guide for our readers that we hope is coming as handy as possible (also available in PDF format to download, useful while traveling without an internet connexion) :
Brest : Handy Mini Travel Guide
