BRITTANY press pack 2019 www.brittanytourism.com Top Canadian Meet Up water - part of brittany’sIn the footsteps of explorers and sailors inDNA Brittany 2 Pink Granit coast ploumanac’h editorial Water – part of Brittany’s DNA With its 2,730 kilometres of coastline, Brit- tany’s heart beats in time with the tides, which are among the highest in Europe. So, as you’d expect, water is a defining feature of Brittany: the sea, of course, which has inspired sailors and explorers for hundreds of years, but also the rivers and canals that criss-cross the Breton countryside. A land of nature and wild scenery, where the air is filled with the scent of sea spray, fields and gar- den, Brittany is a haven for carefully-protected biodiversity. Brittany is celtic through and through, and is proud of its identity, drawing energy from a unique historic heritage. Constantly reinventing its traditions, Brittany has become France’s nu- mber one region for festivals, watersports and walking. Brittany is well-connected and harbours another great treasure : the people who live there. Historically, Brittany was the home port of many explorers and it’s still as outward-looking today. Bretons of every generation have a great sense of hospitality and love letting their hair down. You don’t have to be born here, you can become Bre- ton by sharing the passion. contents 04 The Route du rhum 05 events in brittany 06 alone on an island 07 island hopping in brittany 08 6 breton seaside crafts 09 maritime experiences 10 breton chefs, modern-day adventurers 12 enjoy life in the countryside 14 the well-being and detox trend 16 pedalling through the salt-spray 18 brand new and by the sea 20 brittany: here we are 22 map of brittany 4 The Route du Rhum transatlantic yacht race la route du rhum la route du rhum Skippers with unique track-records The event that get hearts racing! Around 100 skippers will start the race on 4 November. These modern-day explorers have It’s nearly time for the 11th Route du Rhum, so the corsair city of Saint-Malo their own personal stories and reasons for is getting ready to watch around 100 boats set sail for Guadeloupe: a hugely racing, but they’re all passionate about this popular event that sets the city of Saint-Malo buzzing for a fortnight. unique race. Bob Escoffier, who has lived in Saint-Malo for 33 years, is the oldest skipper in the race. He’ll be starting for the fifth time. Morgane Ursault-Pou- pon, aged 32, was born in the year that her father, Philippe, won the Route du Rhum. After years spent cruising the oceans on the family yacht Fleur Australe, this will be Morgane’s first attempt at the Route du Rhum. After chalking-up about 15 years of experience on luxury yachts, traditional sailing boats and multihulls in the Caribbean, Gilles Lamiré first entered the world of offshore racing in 2006, in that year’s Route du Rhum. A massively enthusias- tic sailor, he finished third in the last race. There’s just one line-up, one departure day and time – 4 November 2018 – when ocean racing fans will turn up to witness an exciting chapter in yacht racing histo- ry. Every four years, this iconic single-handed transatlantic race gets hearts poun- ding on land and at sea. With a line-up of 91 competitors, more than two million visitors and a stunning overall victory by Loïck Peyron, the 10th race in 2014 set the tone. The 2018 race will definitely stay faithful to tradition and keep the Route du Rhum legend alive. On 24 October 2018 at 17:00, the Route du Rhum Village will open: a 1,200 sq.m. site with almost 300 exhibitors, at the foot of the ramparts of the corsair city. For 12 days before the start of the race visitors can get a closer look at the skippers and boats and see ‘behind the scenes’ of this legendary transatlantic race. On the programme are entertainments from visiting Caribbean groups, sea shanties and beginners’ watersports lessons for children and adults. Events in Brittany 5 to go with the flow La Route du Rock Festival photo la Gacilly saint-malo - August 2019 La Gacilly - June to September 2019 Every August, pop is in the air around Saint-Malo. The Whether the shots are in black and white or in colour, Route du Rock is back, entirely dedicated to American green is always a major player at the Peuples & Nature and British rock bands and attracting around 15,000 festi- Photo Festival in La Gacilly. Focusing specifically on the val-goers to the pirate city. environment, this is an arts event that fully intends to become part of the landscape. This exhibition counts several hundred large format photos, Every year since 1991, party pirates partaking in the Route du taken by well-known artists and amateur photographers alike. Rock festival have opened wide their treasure troves to reveal Installed in the open air throughout the quaint cobbled streets some of the real gemstones of British rock. Since 1993, and the of the charming village of La Gacilly, this exhibition needs no concert by a group of illustrious unknowns from Oxford, AKA special effects. Created in 2004 by Jacques Rocher, now pre- Radiohead, the Route du Rock has gone from strength to stren- sident of the Yves Rocher Foundation, the aim of the festival is gth and has become somewhat of a benchmark when it comes to make the public think about the future of the planet. Whether to British and American pop and rock. Nowadays, the recipe for the focus is thousand-year-old forests, oceans or civilisations, success is as clear as the lines on a sheet of music paper: musi- there will always be a photographer on hand to expose the cal interlude on the beach below the ramparts in the afternoon, dangers they face. Ethereal but thought provoking, each year followed by a warm-up at the Palais du Grand Large, topped off the festival puts the spotlight on Mother Nature herself, so di- with a musical climax in the fortress built by Vauban in Saint- gnified, photogenic and proud, inviting us to reflect on the fra- Père-Marc-en-Poulet. gility of the world in which we live. FIND OUT MORE FIND OUT MORE www.laroutedurock.com www.festivalphoto-lagacilly.com Festival Chants de marins (Sea shanty festival) paimpol - 2 to 4 August 2019 Every two years some 130,000 festival-goers transform the quays of Paimpol into a sea of happiness. Every two years, throughout August, hundreds of traditional sailing ships call into Paimpol harbour, sea shanties sound out from the quays and international stars are also ready to climb aboard for this sea shanty festival. It’s amour at first sight in Côtes d’Armor, which rises to the occasion every time by raising anchor and setting a course for new horizons. From the Black Sea to the Baltic, the banks of the Nile to the Cape of Good Hope, this event has drawn in the crowds for the likes of Marianne Faithfull, Carlos Núñez, Touré Kunda and Goran Bregović. Sea shanties were originally sung by sailors to help them pace their work on board ship or wind down when they reached port. The shanties tell tales of travel, adventure and camaraderie, themes that now run rife throughout this festival in Paimpol. FIND OUT MORE www.paimpol-festival.bzh/fr 6 A Robinson Crusoe experience in Brittany alone on an island On the isle of Callot : away from it all… There’s no better way to recharge your batteries than to cut yourself off from the outside world. On the Isle of Callot, facing Carantec (Finistère), this former school- house reopened in the summer of 2018 as a charming holiday home. The white colours and pale wood of the furniture, which remind you of its former purpose, add to the serene atmosphere of the place. At high tide, when all the visitors have gone, the is- land offers a peaceful setting, with rushes, heather and fine sandy beaches. Try a spot of fishing on the River Brivet and in the Brière Marshes for guaranteed peace and quiet in a natural setting. There are small and cosy fishing huts available, with nets so that you can try to catch pike, eels or carp. Listen to the silence! FIND OUT MORE Callot School Gîte: www.baiedemorlaix.bz - Pêcheries en Brière : www.insolite.voyage.fr The Île Louet lighthouse cottage The Île Louet lighthouse stands on a rocky islet, 350m off the Carantec coast in the Bay of Morlaix, in northern Brittany. The former lighthouse-keeper’s cottage has been renovated to sleep up to 10 people. From the terrace, with its sunken barbecue, the panoramic view of the Breton coastline is a real treat for any would-be Robinson Crusoes. The accommodation is simple, but it’s a unique experience and a chance to really get away from it all! FIND OUT MORE www.morlaix bay.bzh/fr/inspire/ile-louet-live-on-a- island-like-robinsoncrusoe/ The Petit Bé Fort in Saint-Malo The Petit Bé Fort and its neighbour, the Fort National, are on the Emerald Coast between Saint-Malo and Cap Fréhel. Built by Vauban in the 17th century, these fortresses are separated from the mainland at high tide and have been carefully and lovingly restored. Etienne Marcel, a native of Dinard and a Vauban enthusiast, sees himself as the ‘servant of the fort’: he spent 33 years working on the Fort National, then in 1991 he kicked off the renovation of Petit Bé, which had been left abandoned for 150 years.