Cultural visits
City walks
TO DISCOVER
Brest
Labeled a City of Art and History in December 2017 by the Ministry of Culture, Brest has a rich history.
Stay at the Camping du Goulet in Brest and dive into the heart of this city full of history. If the city has suffered significant destruction during the Second World War, traces of this past are still numerous on the territory. Each year, the city develops with its partners a cultural and heritage program to allow you to discover them
and understand the essence of the city of Ponant.
The castle of Brest,
National Museum of the Navy
The castle of Brest has the particularity to be one of the rare vestiges of the history of the city, which was destroyed by the second world war. Now home to the National Museum of the Navy, this medieval fortress bears witness to the maritime and military past of Brest. Thanks to its strategic location in the heart of the city, on a rocky spur, the castle dominates the Penfeld, the harbor and the inlet. A place not to be missed!
The Tanguy Tower
Sentinel on the Penfeld built in the fourteenth century, it now houses the dioramas of Jim Sévellec.
These models are the flagship works of the artist from Brest and bring to life the great moments in the history of the city of Ponant and the small moments in the daily life of its inhabitants.
Saint-Malo Street
In Brest, the paved street of Saint-Malo, with its stone houses dating from the 1690s, is the only trace of the old
Popular Brest.
As if by a miracle, in the depths of the Recouvrance district, on the right bank of Brest, Saint-Malo Street has survived the wars and the threats of urban modernization. Take the time to discover its traditional Breton houses, its irregular sandstone pavements, its granite walls…
Capuchin Workshop
Former foundry workshops of the French Navy, now rehabilitated into a real place of exchange and sharing. It is a huge hangar allowing young and old to practice rollerblading, skateboarding and other activities, all in a dry environment.
There are also coworking spaces, lunch, snacks and dinner, ephemeral exhibitions, a cinema…
The house of the Fountain
Located in the heart of the Recouvrance district,
the Maison de la Fontaine is one of the oldest
remains of Brest (late 17th, early 18th century).
Fort Montbarey
Fort Montbarey is a fortified structure built between 1776 and 1784 west of Brest.
It now houses a museum-memorial on the history of Finistère during the Second World War.
National Botanical Garden
A real green lung of 40 hectares, the Stang-Alar valley is a natural space along the river separating Brest from Guipavas. It is home to the National Botanical Conservatory garden, created in 1975, which is dedicated to the preservation of endangered wild plants.
The journey begins in Armorica (with the heather of Portugal or the cistus of Landerneau), then detours through the Mediterranean (with the echium of the Canaries or the euphorbia of Morocco) and Asia (hibiscus of China and cypress of Kashmir), before ending in Australia and America (certain species of eucalyptus and magnolia). The treasure of the Botanical Conservatory Garden is in the tropical greenhouses: the largest concentration in France of endangered plants. A world tour at the gates of Brest… Precious nuggets to discover!
Garden of explorers
The explorers’ garden is a botanical garden in the heart of the city, in homage to the great explorers of the 18th century who left from Brest: Étienne Raoul, Philibert Commerson, Jacques-Julien Houtou de La Billardière and Louis-Antoine de Bougainville.
The garden, whose history began in 1694, is home to plants from all over the world. It is an original way to (re)discover the city’s maritime past. A small and peaceful corner of Brest, it is also an excellent point of view on the harbor.
The Archi-Kurieux
Would you like to discover Brest in an original and fun way? With the Archi-kurieux, treasure hunts and games are on the program to discover the city of Brest, its history and its buildings in a playful and participative way. You will get an overview of the city and its history through games and puzzles. Activities for young and old to share with family and friends without any headaches!
The tourist office of Brest is at your disposal to advise you on all the visits of the city of Ponant and the tip of Finistère.
https://www.brest-metropole-tourisme.fr/
02.98.44.24.96
Discover also
North Finistere
Crozon
