The sea as a playground
Sailing, surfing, stand-up paddling, windsurfing, kayaking, kitesurfing, longe-côte... Brittany's waters offer infinite possibilities, and the many clubs and sailing centers dotted around the coast offer a wide range of activities.
The coastline is a yachtsman's delight, with its wild coasts, numerous creeks and pretty fishing ports. Regattas and competitions are legion. The exploits of a number of skippers, Bretons by birth or adoption, have greatly contributed to the public's enthusiasm for the sport of sailing: Éric Tabarly, Olivier de Kersauzon, Jean Le Cam, Armel Le Cléac'h, François Gabart... The starts and finishes of major ocean races have established themselves as popular events that draw large crowds: the Spi Ouest-France in La Trinité-sur-Mer, the Québec-Saint-Malo transatlantic race (every 4 years), the Jules Verne Trophy, the Solitaire Le Figaro... And let's not forget the legendary Route du Rhum, a single-handed race between Saint-Malo and Guadeloupe that began in 1978.
Nautical passion is also evident at maritime festivals, such as those in Brest, where every four years a thousand old rigs from all over the world gather. The next edition is scheduled for 2024. More modest and very convivial, the Temps Fête festival in Douarnenez, also to be held in 2024, still brings together several hundred traditional sailboats every two years. Other local festivals exist, such as the Doris festival in the Rance valley, and numerous associations work year-round to preserve old sailing ships. Most of them even offer trips on board.
The Breton seas also offer a wealth of seabed riches, ideal for scuba diving. Fauna, flora, rock formations and wrecks make for a spectacular spectacle. The Glénan site, classified as a nature reserve, is one of the most famous. It is home to the International Diving Center, which organizes courses and training during the season.
In terms of well-being, Brittany is renowned for thalassotherapy, of which it is the birthplace: in 1899, Doctor Louis Bagot, a native of Broons, opened an institute in Roscoff, where he perfected the foundations of modern thalassotherapy. Thalassotherapy took off in the 1960s when, after successful rehabilitation in Roscoff, champion cyclist Louison Bobet opened a center in Quiberon. In the decades that followed, others were set up all along the Breton coast: today, there are a dozen or so.
To the happiness of fishermen
A maritime region par excellence, Brittany also boasts many rivers, lakes and ponds. This makes it a land of predilection for fishing enthusiasts. Numerous guides offer outings and courses for beginners and advanced anglers alike. Mackerel, sea bream and pout are yours for the taking. In freshwater, you can flush out trout, carp, pike and shad. Several rivers, such as the Léguer and Aulne, are even home to spawning salmon.
Fishing on foot is a very popular pastime. When the sea recedes, especially during high tides, many amateur fishermen take to the foreshore in search of cockles, clams and other razor clams. Before you set out, make sure you check the tide times so you don't get trapped, and take a ruler with you to ensure you respect the authorized sizes and quantities. Make sure you put back any stones you lift.
A passion for football
Soccer plays an important role in the region. It has the highest number of licensed players and no fewer than four clubs in the top two divisions: Stade Rennais, Stade Brestois, En Avant Guingamp and FC Lorient. That's one in each département! As a result, derbies are frequent and hotly contested.
A passion for football that can be explained by history: at the very beginning of the 20th century, when soccer arrived from England, religious and secular patronages, which criss-crossed the entire territory and competed for influence over young people, created clubs in large numbers to attract them.
A particular fervor surrounds the Guingamp club, twice winner of the French Cup, in 2009 and 2014. It has to be said that En Avant is something of a UFO in the footballing landscape, with its low budget and location in a town of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants. On match nights, the whole of the Costarmorican town vibrates in unison with its stadium, the Roudourou.
A land of cycling
It's the region's other emblematic sport. In the late 19th century, Bretons quickly fell in love with cycling: the creation of the Paris-Brest-Paris race in 1891, followed by the Tour de France in 1903, had a major impact. In their wake, a large number of towns and villages launched their own races, which were popular festivals. Even today, major events are held here, and the Tour de France often makes a stopover.
Brittany has produced many champions, including Jean Robic, who won the Tour de France in 1947, Louison Bobet, yellow jersey in 1953, 54 and 55, and of course Bernard Hinault, five-time winner between 1978 and 1985.
Hiking in all its forms
On foot, by bike, on horseback or even on a donkey... Brittany offers a ton of possibilities for short strolls and long hikes.
Hiking is ideal for exploring the coastline. The GR®34, nicknamed the "sentier des douaniers", circles the region along the coast, from Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-Nazaire, over a distance of 2,000 km. It follows the sea as closely as possible, between cliffs, dunes, marshes, moors, creeks, wooded paths... The landscapes follow one another in incredible diversity.
Other hikers' paradises exist in Brittany, where there are no fewer than 20,000 km of waymarked paths: the Monts d'Arrée, which can be circumnavigated in 224 km on the GR®380, the Paimpont forest and its 140 km of waymarked paths, the GR®37 which crosses Brittany from east to west through the interior... You can also follow the 1,600 km Chemins de Compostelle, starting from Pointe Saint-Mathieu, Pont-Croix, Dinan, Locquirec, Moguériec, Mont-Saint-Michel or Beauport Abbey in Paimpol. Another option: the Tro Breiz, linking the seven bishoprics created by the founding saints of Brittany, from Vannes to Saint-Malo, via Quimper and Tréguier. A journey of 1,500 km.
Cycle touring is not to be outdone: with its hilly terrain, Brittany offers a lovely playground. Nine major signposted itineraries criss-cross the length and breadth of the region. Some are mainly on minor roads, with fairly rugged terrain, while others follow old railroad lines or towpaths, which are almost entirely flat. Among the main itineraries is the Vélodyssée (EuroVélo no. 1), which runs along the entire Atlantic coastline from Norway to Portugal. The Breton section runs from Roscoff to Nantes, via the Nantes-Brest canal, another popular itinerary. The Vélomaritime (EuroVélo no. 4) is also enjoying growing success. This very hilly circuit skirts the north Brittany coast and extends as far as Eastern Europe.
As for horse riders, there's a 2,600 km signposted itinerary called Equibreizh. It winds its way around the region, passing through countryside, character towns and even the seaside in places. Numerous equestrian centers offer courses and rides. Donkey rides are also available here and there, for example at La Combe aux ânes, in Lanvellec.
An exceptional setting for golf
Brittany is also a prime location for golfers, with its many and varied courses offering exceptional views, particularly by the sea. A perfect way to combine the pleasures of the game with those of landscape contemplation. Pléneuf, Dinard and Baden are among the most spectacular of these. Once you've put your clubs away, you can relax in one of our characterful clubhouses : in a listed art deco building in Dinard, in a manor house at Domaine de Boisgelin in Pléhédel, in the outbuildings of a château at La Freslonnière, near Rennes...
The gouren, the Breton style of wrestling
Gouren was brought to Armorica by exiles from modern-day Britain in the 4th century. Very popular in the countryside, it was modernized and codified in the 1930s. This traditional wrestling match pits two male or female athletes against each other, wearing black pants ( bragoù) and a white shirt ( roched). It is practiced standing up only. The aim is to knock the opponent to the ground. The fight ends when a wrestler scores a Lamm, i.e. when he makes his opponent fall on his back, with both shoulder blades on the ground. Some 1,500 members were practicing gouren in 2020. Competitions are held indoors on mats in winter, and outdoors on a sawdust mat in summer.
The beautiful vigour of traditional games
They are enjoying a revival among the younger generation. In Haute-Bretagne, for example, it's not uncommon to bring out the shuffleboard for festive evenings. Very popular in Ille-et-Vilaine and eastern Côtes-d'Armor, palet sur planche consists of throwing cast-iron pucks on a poplar board, as close as possible to a smaller puck, called the "master". Other versions exist, on land or on the road.
In the Bigouden region, galoche has been played for centuries. This team game, played on a hard court, consists in throwing your pebbles(peiou) as close as possible to the lipar, a metal piece placed on the famous galoche.
Very popular throughout the region, and also very old, boule bretonne was often played in cafés and at large parties. Similar to pétanque, boule bretonne is larger and made of resin, and can be played on fields as varied as the rules (even if they are becoming more standardized): with or without lead, with or without the use of side strips...
Discover all these games at Cârouj, the traditional Breton games park located in Monterfil, between Rennes and Paimpont.
