The cultural sites of Normandy, Brittany and the Atlantic Loire Valley are among the most treasured in France, with each region having its own idiosyncratic blend of galleries, museums and historical places of interest. From the D-day beaches of Normandy, to Gauguin’s original boho retreat in Brittany and the Atlantic Loire Valley’s New Modern Art Museum, what follows is by no means an exhaustive list of options, but proves there are more things to see and do across these three regions than you could possibly hope for in one trip, so let’s get started …
Normandy
There is so much to see in Normandy that it is almost like a country in its own right, so one way to navigate your way around this incredibly culturally rich region would be to pick a theme to give focus to your journey. It could be based around sites from the second world war, or you could take up the trail of some of France’s eminent painters (we’ll get to both below), or you could even follow in the footsteps of the Vikings. That’s right – Normandy derives its name from the territories invaded by the “norsemen”. Parc Ornavik, a reconstructed medieval town, is great fun for families and an ideal place to embark on any Viking-themed tour, with blacksmiths and weavers demonstrating their skills, and a “viking interpretation centre” due to open this year.
Alternatively an art-themed tour on the trail of the impressionists is a lovely way to go, taking in the eyecatching harbour of Honfleur, where the Musée Eugène Boudin shows work by Monet, Courbet and the rest. Then it’s on to Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer, whose “Parisian Riviera” beaches were often depicted by the en plein air artists; next comes Giverny, to see those familiar water lilies at Monet’s home, the Fondation Claude Monet, and, to gain an understanding of the bigger picture, the Museum of Impressionism.
Or try the museums and sites associated with the second world war, such as the The Grand Bunker at the Museum of the Atlantic Wall, a restored command and control post in Ouistreham, and the miles of tunnels and trenches of the Maisy Battery in Calvados.
But there are so many other historical sites to see, from the Bayeux tapestry and Caen’s gothic churches to the medieval streets of Rouen, a city full of great museums such as the Ceramics Museum, in a 17th-century palace, and one dedicated to Joan of Arc, who was burned at the stake in the city.
There’s also the quirkier side of Normandy’s history to explore, with sites such as Les Bois de Moutiers, an Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll Arts and Crafts house and gardens that’s a splosh of England near Dieppe, the Château fort de Pirou, built on an island and protected by three moats, plus the epic Mont-Saint-Michel, a monastery on its own tidal island, surrounded by a village, down near the border with Brittany.
Squeezing them all into a theme could be tricky. Chances are, once you arrive – we recommend sailing with Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth to Caen or Le Havre for ease, flexibility, and the fun of a blustery journey – you’ll want to experience a bit of everything. You might just have to come back.
The Atlantic Loire Valley
The New Modern Art Museum, which only opened in December, is another feather in the cap for the Atlantic Loire Valley’s cultural scene, showing there is far more to the area than its lively capital, Nantes, and the resplendent chateaux for which the wider Loire region is famed, and which lie like frothy turreted wedding cake decorations along its middle stretch.
The museum, housing almost 1,000 19th- and 20th-century works donated by the collectors Martine and Léon Cligman, forms part of the 900-year-old Royal Abbey of Fontevraud, a fascinating site from which Eleanor of Aquitaine ruled France. It was later turned into a prison by Napoleon, and now features boutique hotel rooms and a far-from-ascetic Michelin starred restaurant.
Any of the north-west coast ports will get you to the Atlantic Loire Valley in two to three hours’ drive, though it’s quickest from Caen, where Brittany Ferries operates from Portsmouth. Then, elegant castles with notable art collections and opulent interiors are spread at such perfectly manageable intervals along France’s longest river, with delightful leafy countryside between them. It’s as if their founders had an eye on the future tourism potential, all those centuries ago.
Of the Loire Valley chateaux at this western end of the river (in the Atlantic Loire region, rather than the Indre-et-Loire farther east), the Château de Saumur dominates the charming town’s skyline with its turreted towers. It houses two museums, one featuring decorative crafts such as tapestries and ceramics, the other about equestrian pursuits, of which there is a strong tradition in Saumur, which is home to the Cadre Noir and the French national riding academy, where visitors can take a tour and watch displays of horsemanship.
Farther west, Château d’Angers is a vast defensive fortress, very different in style from the other Loire chateaux, and one of the best preserved medieval castles in France – great fun for kids to romp around, with dungeons and gardens. At some chateaux, the addition of contemporary arts venues and events has added a new level of interest, such as at Château de Montsoreau, which opened a museum of contemporary art in 2016, covering art and language, and conceptual art.
When you’re finally chateau’d out, and before finishing up with some time on the glorious west coast beaches, head to the Atlantic Loire Valley’s capital and cultural centre, the city of Nantes. Among its family-friendly attractions and museums are the unmissable giant mechanical ride-on animals of Les Machines de l’Île, and the Jules Verne Museum, dedicated to the writer. Next head to the theme park of Puy du Fou, at Les Epesses, about an hour’s drive away, to take in an enormous reenactment show that brings 700 years of history to life.
Brittany
Any holiday to Brittany is bound to be largely spent at the beach. A necklace of wide open sands and pale pretty coves fringes the huge peninsula that makes up this vast westernmost region of France, and is one of the foremost reasons to visit, especially for families.
Luckily for those who love sightseeing as much as relaxing, though, time on the beach here can be justified as a cultural pursuit as post-impressionists such as Paul Gauguin and Paul Sérusier were hugely inspired by them.
Gauguin was for some time enamoured of the pretty cobbled town of Pont-Aven, which became a creative hotbed for the post-impressionist movement, home to an artists’ colony and style that became known as the Pont-Aven school. The town, in the south, is a good starting point for a tour. The best way to come, so you can bring your car to explore – and benefit from flexible booking, as well as the freedom of an open air journey – is by taking a Brittany Ferries route from Plymouth to Roscoff, two hours’ drive away, or Portsmouth to Saint-Malo, two-and-a-half hours, then work your way north.
Modern Pont-Aven has more than just the windmills of Gauguin’s day, though – now little galleries and boutiques pique your interest. There’s also the Museum of Pont-Aven, showing some of the work of the premier exponents of the eponymous school. Nearby, Trémalo’s church houses the carved crucifix that was the inspiration for one of Gauguin’s most famous paintings, The Yellow Christ.
But, like a New York hipster neighbourhood, Pont-Aven eventually got busy and lost its edge, so Gauguin and his crew moved on, 12 miles east to Le Pouldu, a seaside village and your next port of call. Those with kids can let them work off some energy in the waves before an hour or two at La Maison-Musée du Pouldu, a reconstruction of an old inn that was decorated floor to ceiling by the artists who wintered there in 1889.
A little way inland from here is a brilliant attraction for children, the Village de Poul-Fetan, a charmingly reconstructed 19-century village that brings the history of Brittany to life, with workshops by crafters in traditional dress, treasure hunts, games and farm animals.
Then it’s back west to Quimper, Brittany’s cultural heart and a city of pretty squares, beautiful public gardens and four major museums, not least the Musée des Beaux-Arts, featuring collections dedicated to the Dutch and Flemish masters, 20th-century movements such as Fauvism and works inspired by Brittany itself, as well as the Musée de la Faïence, showcasing Quimper’s hand-painted ceramics.
Moving from painting and ceramics to film, the village of Locronan, a little farther north, is famous as a movie location, the backdrop to more than 30 films including Polanski’s Tess. Artisan stores and the workshops of woodworkers, sculptors and painters that are open to visitors line its hilltop streets, and there are epic walks from here down to the coast, three miles away.
Those desperate for some city time can tag on a night or two in Rennes, Brittany’s capital, in the east of the region, at either end of the trip. Street art is the thing here, so challenge any rebellious teens in your group to spot graffiti by the likes of War! (AKA the “Rennes Banksy”) and aliens by Invader, works that are becoming attractions in their own right. There are dozens of galleries to see, such as FRAC, one of the country’s largest collections of contemporary art, but by that time you might be desperate for a paddle, so you could take time out at the white sand coves of the dramatic Crozon peninsula, north along the Finistère coast from Locronan, before heading home.
Book your journey to north-western France at brittany-ferries.co.uk
