- For the city in Belarus, see Brest, Belarus.
Brest (population 155,000) is a city in Brittany, north-west France, in the Finistère département. Located on the western tip of the Brittany peninsula, the city is an important port and naval base.
The military harbor was fortified by Vauban (1633-1707).
During World War II, the Germans held a large submarine base in Brest. Destroyed at the end of the war, the city has been rebuilt.
Since 1901 Brest has served as the midpoint for the epic 1200km bicycle endurance event, Paris-Brest-Paris.
Brest is a cool little town in a dramatic landscape. Its located at the bottom of a natural bay, at the west end of the Britanny peninsula. Its protected location means that it is ideal to receive any type of ship, from the smallest dinghy to the biggest airplane carrier (the USS Nimitz has visited a few times). Its location also means it is at the heart of one of the most culturally rich regions of France, Brittany, and the local people are extremely proud of this. Every occasion to mix cultural and maritime heritage is a good excuse for a party. The best of those happens every four years, when the town organises a tall ship meeting.
What to do & what to see:
Le Musee de la Tour Tanguy ( houses a collection of dioramas that depict what the state of the city of Brest was on the eve of WWII). The Musee de la Marine de Brest (Exhibits outline Brest's maritime tradition),
The town of Brest itself is not very attractive, apart from a few select monuments such as the Castle and the Tour Tanguy. This is because British and American pilots bombed it flat during World War II, in an attempt to destroy the submarine base the Germans had built in the harbour. As a result, the town was hastilly rebuilt in the 50's with the help of a lot of concrete.
But drive or take a bus a few kilometers out of town and you will discover some of the most impressive landscapes. From fine white sand beaches to tall granite cliffs, this extremely dented coastline is dazzling. Everything to do with the sea, you can do. Sunbathing, windsurfing, yachting, fishing, it's all there. But don't assume anything about the weather, even in the middle of summer. Brittany is quite far up North on the West coast of France and when Mother Nature decides to remind the locals that she is in charge, the resulting storms can be impressive.
Mayors
- 1959-1973 : Georges Lombard
- 1973-1977 : Eugène Berest
- 1977-1982 : Francis Le Blé
- 1982-1983 : Pierre Maille
- 1983-1985 : Jacques Berthelot
- 1985-1989 : Georges Kerbrat
- 1989-2001 : Pierre Maille again
- 2001- : François Cuillandre
Food in Brest
If you like fish and seafood, this is the place for you. Any restaurant will have fresh fish on the menu and you can even find a few fish only restaurants. Any market or supermarket will have an extensive fish and seafood offer if you want to cook yourself. On the other hand, if you'd rather see live fish in their environment rather than eating it, head for the Oceanopolis marine centre and don't forget to bring the kids.
Back on the food front, you cannot leave Brittany before having sampled the most famous local delicacy, the Breton crepe. You will find crepe restaurants (called "crêperies") all over the place. and make sure you eat them with real farmhouse Breton cider.
Finally, if you want to bring back home some local delicacies, head for the biscuit section. My favourites are called Traou Mad and they are similar in a way to Scottish shortbreads. But beware, Breton biscuits are made from real full fat butter so, if you are on a diet, you might be better off buying chocolates.
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