Brittany

The province of Brittany in northwest France is fascinatingly "alien," the native Breton a Celtic language more akin to Gaelic than to French. The entire peninsula has 600 miles (965 km) of coast, with chains of beaches, rustic fishing ports, and some of the greatest seafood you'll ever taste. If you're seeking a beach holiday, head for Le Baule along the southern coast. Boasting everything from a casino to a yacht-clogged harbor, it's where Parisians go chic in the summertime. Its fame rests on a sheltered white sandy beach stretching for three miles. Le Baule's rival, Dinard, in the north, isn't one-quarter as chic. Brittany's largest city ...

The province of Brittany in northwest France is fascinatingly "alien," the native Breton a Celtic language more akin to Gaelic than to French. The entire peninsula has 600 miles (965 km) of coast, with chains of beaches, rustic fishing ports, and some of the greatest seafood you'll ever taste. If you're seeking a beach holiday, head for Le Baule along the southern coast. Boasting everything from a casino to a yacht-clogged harbor, it's where Parisians go chic in the summertime. Its fame rests on a sheltered white sandy beach stretching for three miles. Le Baule's rival, Dinard, in the north, isn't one-quarter as chic. Brittany's largest city is Nantes, its capital, famed for its cathedral and château. St-Malo, an ancient fishing village and pirates' stronghold, is more colorful. The archaeologist will head for Carnac with its Field of Megaliths; and if you gravitate to old Breton fishing ports, make it to Concarneau which becomes a beach town in summer.

About the Expert

Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince have written many guidebooks for Frommer's, including Frommer's France and Frommer's Germany.