France: Brest, 2 days in Bretagne
France: Brest, 2 days in Bretagne
Hilary Matson | @hilaryinparis
Available for hire
Spend a weekend in France’s western coastal city. Learn about its marine heritage, eat crepes and oysters, and enjoy its multiple covered public spaces!
Brest is a pretty small, quiet town and you can knock out everything on this list easily within 2 full days.
This guide includes:
📍10 things to do
🦪3 places to eat and drink
🏨1 (great!) hotel
Be sure to pack an umbrella just in case 🌦️
You also get:
✍️My personal notes for each recommendation
📍An interactive map of all recommendations
🔓 Access to all future updates
🎞️Linked videos (where applicable) that bring recommendations and advice to life
💙I'd be so grateful if you shared this guide with a friend or contributed a small tip. 🙏🏼
Updated ago
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Stay
Hôtel L'Amirauté Brest
@hilaryinparis
Really nice staff and beautiful lobby. Great breakfast. Small gym. Some rooms have great bathtubs 🛀
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Eat
La Crêpe Flambée
@hilaryinparis
Solid local crepe restaurant! 37€ for two people (full meal plus cidre).
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My Fish : Authentic Fish & Chips
@hilaryinparis
Tried this place after reading *fantasic* reviews. Very easy to get to on the main tram line that runs through Brest (purchase tram tickets at the stop). Personally, I was a little overwhelmed but the reviews are so good I think we might have just had an off-experience. If not this place, seek out fish & chips elsewhere in Brest!
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Tír na nÓg
@hilaryinparis
There are no shortage of Irish or Celtic-inspired bars in Brest; we liked this place but you can pick any! Have a Guinness and enjoy the lively atmosphere. You might also see live music, too!
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Do
Everything on this list can be done in 1 day. The order of activities is exactly what I followed, and the day flowed very smoothly!
Brest Museum of Fine Arts
@hilaryinparis
5€ for adult tickets. Very small, can do the whole thing in 90 minutes. Closes 12-2pm on Saturday but your ticket is good for multiple same day entries.
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PAM
@hilaryinparis
An old printing press building converted into concept shops and local food court. Get oysters & wine at Lokal! 6 🦪 for 8€ and glasses of wine are 3.5€.
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Téléphérique De Brest
@hilaryinparis
2.2€ for a round trip ticket. Cool views! Takes you to Les Ateliers des Capucins.
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Les Ateliers des Capucins Brest
@hilaryinparis
The largest indoor/covered public space in Europe! Home to all kinds of things, from a coffee shop, a beer shop, a leather store (where you can take leather bag making classes), a virtual reality experience center, a cinema, a rock climbing gym, a bookshop, and more. Tons of open spaces where children wheel around on skates or scooters, or where teens are practicing dance routines, or where families are picnicking at the inside tables.
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Rue Saint-Malo
@hilaryinparis
The oldest street in Brest, as it was not bombed in the war. Fun to poke around, and expect to see friendly local cats meandering about.
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Musée National de la Marine
@hilaryinparis
Great if you are really keen to learn about Brest's naval and marine history. Even if you're only mildly interested in it, it's pretty cool that this museum is in a castle and you walk along the ramparts to get from room to room. Worth a visit.
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Marché du Dimanche Matin
@hilaryinparis
So technically we did this the morning after everything else on this list. But if you're in Brest on a Sunday morning, don't miss this market! It has everything - lots of fresh, hot food, cidre for sale, classic produce stalls, and more. Very lively and lots of people buzzing about.
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More to Do
There are things we didn't quite get to, but if you have more than 1 full day, I would recommend doing these activities as well.
Garden National Botanical Conservatory of Brest
@hilaryinparis
We really wanted to do this, but it is *weirdly* closed on the weekends! So go first thing if you arrive to Brest on a Friday, or are visiting earlier in the week. Always double check hours for this and anything else in France too, they're subject to change.
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Tour Tanguy
@hilaryinparis
This is very close to Les Ateliers des Capucins and Rue Saint Malo, but we opted to spend more time at the Marine Museum instead of visiting the Tour. It looks really small and the view from the Telepherique is great (and much higher). But, if we had more time we would have done it anyway!
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Place Guérin
@hilaryinparis
A local that we bought art from at La PAM suggested we come to this neighborhood to hang out. We, unfortunately, didn't have time but if you do have the opportunity to check it out, you might see another cool side to the city.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hilary Matson | @hilaryinparis
Available for hire
Hello et bonjour ! I'm (another) American in Paris.
I've lived in France since 2016 and I loooove sharing my Paris & France recs in hopes I can help others love this city and country as much as I do. I'm quite confident I've seen more of France than most French people, so no matter what you're looking for, I've (probably) done it!
✅ What I'm a great fit for: Mature travelers, couples, solo travelers, and families who enjoy soaking in authentic experiences, great food and wine, off-the-beaten-track gems, classic sites, and sustainable travel.
🌱 What's sustainable travel about? Traveling in a way that is kind to the environment, respectful of local culture, & supportive of the local economy. My trip-planning services are always through a sustainable lens.
❌ What I'm not a great fit for: Travelers focused on bars/clubbing or high-end shopping.
➡️ Follow me on TikTok, Instagram & Pinterest @hilaryinparis for Paris & France recommendations, tips, personal stories, and more.
🌍 PS: I'm on Thatch because I genuinely love sharing France with folks. My day job is running Yugen Earthside, a booking platform for responsible package trips primarily catering to groups of mature American travelers. My company's website is linked below.
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