Seventeen wonders within two hours of the house
Perfect for a half-day trip
Right in the parish of the house: the 1488 battlefield where the Breton army made its last stand against the troops of the King of France, sealing the end of the duchy’s independence. Ruins of the medieval castle and a pond below the village.
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The Breton capital and its medieval heart: cobbled lanes, colourful timber-framed houses around Place du Champ-Jacquet, the Parlement de Bretagne, and the huge Saturday-morning Marché des Lices — one of France’s largest. The Thabor gardens for a breather.
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Europe’s largest medieval fortress, with thirteen towers rising above a lovely old town. The half-timbered quarter below the castle is made for wandering.
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A fairy-tale castle and cobbled lanes lined with timber-framed houses — one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Brittany.
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Perched above the Rance, Dinan keeps nearly two miles of intact ramparts, a 14th-century keep and a picturesque harbour linked by the cobbled, craft-shop-lined Rue du Jerzual — one of Brittany’s best-preserved medieval towns.
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The thousand-year-old abbey rising from a bay with Europe’s greatest tides. A UNESCO World Heritage icon — go early in the morning to beat the crowds.
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Officially one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France: a former fishing village of flower-filled granite lanes on the banks of the Rance estuary.
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The walled corsair city facing the sea. Beaches, crêperies and maritime history — the quintessential Breton getaway.
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France’s oyster capital. Eat them fresh from the harbour-side market, looking out over the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.
Tourist officeSouthern Brittany, the Loire & nearby Normandy
The Castle of the Dukes of Brittany and the famous Grand Elephant of the Machines de l’île — a creative city where heritage meets imagination.
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Ramparts, gardens and half-timbered houses at the gateway to the Gulf of Morbihan, one of the most beautiful bays in the world.
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Nearly 3,000 standing stones aligned over 6,000 years ago — older than the pyramids. A prehistoric site like nowhere else, between moorland and beaches.
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Voted France’s favourite village in 2016, this granite hilltop town is smothered in geraniums and hydrangeas. A castle, cobbled lanes and medieval market halls in the heart of Morbihan.
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Runner-up in the 2025 Village Préféré des Français contest, this medieval town on the banks of the Nantes-Brest canal has 16th-century half-timbered houses lining a picture-perfect square. Wander the towpaths and watch the boats go by in summer.
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Ranked among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, this fortified hilltop town looks out over the Côtes-d’Armor countryside. Ramparts, cobbled streets and old stone houses reward an afternoon on foot.
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A chance to cross into neighbouring Normandy (Orne). Listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of France, this granite hamlet curled into a bend of the Sarthe won over the Impressionist painters — Corot, Boudin — who lodged at the Auberge des Sœurs Moisy. A Romanesque church with 12th-century frescoes, a chapel and an old stone bridge, at the heart of the Alpes Mancelles.
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A walled medieval town on the edge of 2,000 hectares of salt marshes, where paludiers still hand-harvest salt and fleur de sel as they have since the Middle Ages. Cobbled lanes, market halls and the Maison des Paludiers in Saillé round out the visit.
Tourist officeWhat sets Rochefort-en-Terre, Moncontour and Malestroit apart
Out of nearly 35,000 communes across France, only a handful carry this exceptional label. To qualify, a village must have fewer than 2,000 inhabitants, hold at least two protected heritage sites or monuments — remarkable for their landscape, artistic, scientific or historic value — and commit that preservation to its local planning policy. Rochefort-en-Terre, Moncontour and Saint-Suliac all belong to this select circle, where every stone tells eight centuries of Breton history.
Official websiteEvery summer since 2012, millions of French viewers vote live on France 3 to crown their favourite among thirteen shortlisted villages. Rochefort-en-Terre took the title outright in 2016; Malestroit finished runner-up in 2025. Two excellent reasons to come and see for yourself what won the nation’s heart.
Official websiteEvery one of these trips is an easy day out from the house. Book directly with us — we reply within 48 hours.
