Brittany Geography
- Brittany region is the largest peninsula of France. It is situated in the northwest of France, alongside the Atlantic Ocean and bounded to the east by the Pays de la Loire and Normandy regions.
- Brittany is a harmonious contrasted region of land and sea offering extremely varied environments with granit cliffs, dunes, white sandy beaches, estuaries as marshlands, forest and green countrysides. It is an ideal destination for nature lovers.
- Brittany and its 4 departments: Finistère, Côtes d'Armor, Ille et Vilaine and Morbihan attract lots of tourists looking for numerous nautical activities,superb landscapes and famous natural sites worth to see.
| Brittany Geography and Key Data | |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | Brittany consists of 27,200 km². |
| Departments | The Brittany region consists of 4 departements: the Finistere (29), the Cotes-d’Armor (22), the Morbihan (56)and the Ille-et-Vilaine(35). Each of them have a maritime facade. |
| Communes | Brittany is composed by more than 1268 communes. |
| Coast and Water in Brittany | |
| Ocean | Brittany is bordered along its coasts by the Atlantic Ocean. Brittany includes 1700 kms of coasltine, a succession of creeks, cliffs, dunes and sandy beaches. Brittany region also accounts for about 800 offshore isles and small islands considered as protected areas. The biggest and most famous are: Ouessant, Sein, Hoëdic, Houat, Belle-île, Groix, Molène,Batz, Bréhat or "les Sept-îles", "les îles du Golfe" and "les Glénan". |
| Beaches | The Brittany coast accounts for number of grassy dunes and sandy beaches. This environment covers 20% of the coastline in the Finistère department and 35% in the Morbihan. Brittany also offers a contrasting coastal view with rugged and jagged cliffs and coloured and shaped rocks. The highest cliffs are in the Crozon Peninsula (100m), then the cliffs at Goëlo and at Cap Fréhel (70m)and Quiberon Peninsula(10 to 20 m). |
| Popular coastal resorts | Brittany's most popular coastal resorts are on the south coast including:La Baule, Belle Île and Gulf of Morbihan. The wilder North coast, including:Saint-Malo, Paimpol and Perros Guirec, also attracts summer tourists. |
| Rivers | Brittany is also characterised by the abundance of rivers and its 400 kilometres navigable network. It includes: the River Blavet between Pontivy and Port-Louis,the River Vilaine from Rennes to Redon, or the Western river of France Semnon. |
| Freshwater ponds and lakes | Brittany also accounts for many freshwater ponds and lakes such as the Guerlédan lake: the biggest of the region. |
| Mountains range in Brittany | |
| Mountains | The mountainous Massif armoricain and its granite slopes rises up in central Brittany. The Black Mountains stretch over 60 km, from Locronan to Malestroit. They are covered of dense forest and culminate at a height of 326 m, overlooking surrounding green valleys. The Monts d’Arrée are a range of peaks culminating at 384 m. |
| Forests and Natural Parks in Brittany | |
| Forests | Brittany accounts for numerous private forests and woods located along the valleys or on the plateaus It includes: "Forêt du Gavre", "Forêt de Rennes", "Forêt de Fougères", "Forêt de Loudéac" and the legendary and mythical "Brocéliande" forest also called "Forêt de Paimpont" which extends over 7000 hectares. |
| Protected areas | Brittany is well-known for its "Parc naturel régional d’Armorique" a wild protected and picturesque area. Brittany also accounts for seaside natural reserves such as: Saint-Brieuc Bay, "les Sept-îles", "Saint-Nicolas des Glénan", "l’Iroise", Séné Marshlands, Cap Fréhel, Cap d’Erquy, "la pointe du Raz", Quiberon Péninsula and Morbihan Gulfe. |
| Fauna and Flora | Brittany consists of a wide range of vegetation: oak, beech, hornbeam, chestnut and conifers trees, maritime pines, lichens, mosses, anemones, sea campion, gorse, thistle or broom. Brittany also hosts a wide range of animals:sea birds(cormorants, gannets, petrels), deer, wild boar, roe deer, salmon, trout, soles, mussels and turbot. |
| Areas of interest in Brittany | |
| Côte d'Emeraude | Along 72 kilometres in the northeast of Brittany, this is a succession of cliffs with beautiful landscapes including "Fort la Latte" and "Cap Fréhal". |
| Crozon Peninsula | Located in the Finistere department, this is a wild area worth to see for its cliffs and natural environment, belonging to "Parc naturel régional d'Armorique". |
| "Pointe du Raz" | This is the most visited site in Brittany offering a spectacular panorama view. |
