Experience the best of Brest

Brest lies on a deep natural harbour, the Rade de Brest, which has housed French warships for centuries. The Second World War left the city in ruins by 1944, and its straight, modern streets are post-war. The castle at the harbour mouth is one of the few old buildings left, built on Roman foundations and holding a maritime museum, and a vertical-lift bridge crosses the Penfeld river nearby.

A large ocean-themed aquarium stands at the Moulin Blanc marina. The ruined abbey and lighthouse at Pointe Saint-Mathieu face the Atlantic west of town, ferries leave from Le Conquet for the island of Ushant, and the Crozon peninsula has high cliffs. The Armorique regional park spreads inland across the moors of the Monts d'Arrée.

Buckwheat galettes and sweet crêpes with cider are the staple, and scallops from the Rade de Brest are prized in winter. Kouign-amann, a buttery caramelised cake, comes from Douarnenez along the coast. Every few years the harbour fills with traditional sailing ships for a large maritime festival. Weather changes quickly, and summer is the surest season.