places to visit near domaine de kerlann
The highlight of any visit to Brittany must include a tour of the coast, one of
the most beautiful in France. But why stay rooted to the beach when you can
stretch your sea legs with a sailing course. Domaine de Kerlann works in
partnership with a local sailing school - Cardinale Sud.
Sailing courses with Cardinale Sud start from £100 per adult per week.
Rospico
Rospico is a small sheltered bay where the sea laps gently on the sand and rock pools beckon, the beach is unspoilt and perfect for families. There are frequent picnic spots, viewpoints and beaches to find along the many coastal paths, and you can admire stunning views of craggy outcrops, blue-shuttered houses and the ever-changing Atlantic.
Carnac
Set your children an ancient mystery to solve by taking them to Carnac, France's version of Stonehenge. It is one of the world's greatest prehistoric sites with thousands of ancient stones arranged in mysterious lines and patterns. It's an impressive sight, though you might all end up with cricks in your necks from gawping at some of the giant 20m (60ft) stones.
Dinan
Rather than just building castles out of sand, take your children to see some excellent examples of the real thing. At Dinan the castle is handily positioned in the centre of the town, surrounded by a maze of narrow cobbled streets and medieval timbered buildings. To get the best view of this walled town climb the 15th century Tour D'Horloge. For a real fairy tale castle, where you can all indulge your fantasies of being fabulously rich with servants to tend to your every wish, visit the château at Josselin. It's beautiful. There is also a dolls museum in the old stables, in case your princes and princesses start to get restless and need entertaining.
Vannes
Vannes is a lively medieval town with the usual sprinkling of museums and
restaurants. The "place des lices" is not the site of a mass head lice outbreak
but where medieval tournaments used to take place.
If you close your eyes and concentrate hard you can almost hear the thunder of
hooves, the clash of jousts and gasps of admiration from the crowds. Don't stand
like that for too long though, or the locals will think you've got sunstroke!
More modern-day entertainment for your children can be found south of Vannes at
the park du Golfe; a leisure park with a butterfly conservatory, a robot museum
and an aquarium with over 400 species of fish.
Douarnanez
Douarnanez is the tongue-twisting name of the place that used to be France's leading sardine port. The Port du Rosmer loves to have its photo taken and is full of cafés and restaurants, perfect for people (or boat) watching. The Port-rhu, in contrast, has been turned into a floating museum with over 100 boats.
Concarneau
Concarneau is the third largest fishing port in France, with a Ville Close (Walled Town) that can only be accessed by boat or over a drawbridge. Roam the ramparts of the Ville Close and then explore the narrow streets, which are packed with tourist shops, boutiques and creperies.
Quimper
Quimper is Brittany’s oldest city. Head for the medieval quarter where you’ll find charming cobbled streets, pretty boulevards and a slow pace of life.
Benodet
The seaside resort of Benodet is one of the most popular in southern Brittany. It has three beaches of fine white sand with outcrops that are great for rock pooling. There is also a yacht marina and seawater therapy centre.
Oceanopolis in Brest
Take a day trip to discover this incredible ocean discovery park, which has 50 aquariums in three zones, Polar, Temperate and Tropical.
