Tourist information on Brest, France

Brest is a large city on the west Atlantic coast of France, in the Finistère department of the Brittany region. Strategically located in a sheltered position on the Léon peninsular near the western extremity of Brittany, Brest has long been recognised as in important naval seaport, and today it is the second largest military port in France (after Toulon). Brest is no longer the industrial city it once was and nowadays its economy is dominated by the service sector, although it is also a major centre of education, with its large university and several elite schools, including the École Navale (French Naval Academy). As almost the entire town was destroyed in the Second World War and too hastily rebuilt in concrete, Brest has little to offer in the way of historical architecture, but this is made up for by the stunning landscapes that wrap around it, offering ample scope for coastal walks, sunbathing, fishing, sailing and other water sports. It is also an extremely good place to experience traditional Breton culture.

Brest originated as a fortified Roman camp, Gesocribate, built at the end of the 3rd century AD. Previously, the region had been under the control of Armorican Gauls. As the town became vulnerable to attack from marauding Saxons and Normans from the 7th century, its defences were progressively shored up, so that by the Middle Ages it had become a heavily fortified castle city. Through its maritime trade, Brest became prosperous and a rival power to the Duchy of Brittany. Following the marriage of Francis I to Claude, the daughter of Anne of Brittany, Brest and Brittany were both absorbed into the kingdom of France. It was Cardinal Richelieu who first saw the value of Brest as a military seaport and, in 1631, he ordered the construction of a harbour and arsenal there. Over the next century, this developed into a fortified naval base and busy shipbuilding centre. In 1750, the Breton engineer Antoine Choquet de Lindu built the notorious Brest prison, whose best known escapee is the arch-criminal Vidocq. From the mid-1700s to the mid-1800s, Brest's importance declined owing to a permanent blockade by the British navy. The town recovered its prestige in the mid-19th century when Napoléon III paid a visit and authorised several major building projects, including the creation of a commercial port and expansion of its arsenal. Brest was the landing point for American troops during the First World War but was almost completely destroyed in World War II by Allied bombardments (to destroy a German submarine base in the harbour) and the subsequent Battle for Brest. The city was quickly rebuilt after the war, with granite and concrete buildings replacing its ruined historic buildings. Brest's industries would show a steady decline towards the end of the 20th century. Today its economy depends heavily on its service sector and tourism.

Very little remains of Brest's historic architecture following its virtual decimation in the Second World War (only four buildings were left standing in the city centre after its liberation in 1944). The city consists mainly of modern concrete constructions, although there are a few older buildings, mainly in the Recovrance part of the town (on the west side of the River Penfeld). It is here that the oldest surviving building in Brest is to be found, the 17th century Maison de la Fontaine. One of Brest's oldest monuments is Tanguy Tower, a 14th century round tower which now houses a museum dedicated to local history. The recently restored Questel Fort was built in the 18th century as part of Louis XVI's initiative to bolster Brittany's defences against a possible English attack. L'Église Saint-Sauveur de Recouvrance is a Jesuit-style church that dates from the mid-1700s and is the oldest church in Brest. Although it was controversial when it was first built in the 1950s, the Église Saint-Louis is a striking example of modernist architecture, which is noted for the quality of the modern art that adorns its interior. Its most striking feature is its stained glass windows depicting the seven founding Breton saints and various Biblical scenes. This replaced an earlier church that was destroyed in World War II.

Brest has quite a wide range of museums. The Musée de la Tour Tanguy, located in the Tanguy tower, is dedicated to the history of Brest and includes some impressive dioramas which illustrate the city of Brest as it was before WWII. The Musée national de la Marine de Brest is sited in a medieval castle and represents Brest's maritime tradition through a large collection of models, paintings and sculptures. Adjacent to this is Océanopolis, a huge aquarium comprising three zones (polar, tropical and temperate) which allows visitors to explore the marvels of the world's oceans. This exhibits over a thousand species of marine animals and includes one of Europe's largest penguin pools. The Musée des beaux-arts is Brest's principal art gallery, replacing one that was obliterated during World War II. It offers a diverse collection of French and Italian art from the 16th to 19th centuries, including several works of Pont-Aven post-impressionism, as well as some interesting examples of modern art. The Musée mémorial Fort Montbarey recounts the history of Finistère during the Second World War and its liberation by the Allies.

The landscape around Brest is a magnet for outdoor enthusiasts, offering sandy beaches, grottos, coastal and hillside walks, and breathtaking granite cliffs. One of the main attractions in the Brest region is the Conservatoire botanique national de Brest, situated in the vallon du Stang-Alar. This is a world-class botanical reserve that covers an area of 25 hectares and includes 4000 species of plant-life, of which 1500 are threatened with extinction. Other attractive green open spaces in Brest are the Jardin Kennedy, a park situated in the southern part of the city centre, and the Rives de Penfeld, a picturesque river setting in the north-east of the town, an ideal spot for jogging and walking.

Brest's regional airport (l'Aéroport de Brest Bretagne), situated 10 km northeast of the city centre, is used by Air France and several low cost airlines (RyanAir, Flybe, easyJet, and others) which offer services to a limited number of European destinations (Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Bordeaux, Birmingham, Manchester, Southampton and Dublin). A ferry service operates to Plymouth and Cork. The train station, Gare de Brest, provides connections to Paris, Rennes and Quimper, the shortest journey time to Paris being about four hours.