The Léon, around Saint-Pol-de-Léon, corresponding to the northern part of the Finistère département. Brittany is widely known for the Breton horse, a local breed of draft horse, and for the Brittany gun dog. The region also has its own breeds of cattle, some of which are on the brink of extinction: the Bretonne Pie Noir, the Froment du Léon, the Armorican and the Nantaise. The Breton language has several dialects which have no precise limits but rather form a continuum. Most of them are very similar to each other, with only some phonetic and lexical differences. The three main dialects spoken in the western end of Brittany are:

Across from the cathedral, the Musée des Beaux-Arts displays a wonderful fine arts collection in an elegant neoclassical building. Highlights are the works by French, Italian, Flemish, and Dutch painters, as well as pictures by Max Jacob and the Post-Impressionist painters of Pont-Aven (l'Ecole de Pont-Aven), which included Paul Gauguin, Émile Bernard, Maurice Denis, Paul Sérusier, and Charles Filiger, among others. Half-timbered houses in Quimper Brittany importantly lost the Mad War against France in 1488, mostly because of its internal divisions that were exacerbated by the corruption at the court of Francis II, Duke of Brittany. Indeed, some rebel Breton lords were fighting on the French side. At the junction of the Erdre and Loire Rivers, the old Breton port of Nantes has played an important role in history. Nantes was the capital of the Duchy of Brittany during the Middle Ages, and it was here in 1598 that Henry IV signed the Edict of Nantes, which granted freedom of religious belief to Protestants. In Roman times, Armorica included what is now Brittany. This was an indefinite region that extended along the English Channel coast from the Seine estuary, then along the Atlantic coast to the Loire estuary and, according to several sources, maybe to the Garonne estuary. This term probably comes from a Gallic word, aremorica, which means "close to the sea". [14] Another name, Letauia (in English " Litavis"), was used until the 12th century. It possibly means "wide and flat" or "to expand" and it gave the Welsh name for Brittany: Llydaw. [15]This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( June 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Economy [ edit ] RMS Queen Mary 2, once the world's largest passenger ship, was built in Saint-Nazaire.

The Château de Josselin has been inhabited throughout the centuries by generations of the Rohan family. The town of Josselin takes its name from the son of the Viscount who built the château.

After touring the Château des Ducs de Bretagne, visitors should continue west of the castle to the historic quarter of Nantes known as the Bouffay district. In this medieval quarter of half-timbered houses, tourists may wander through the maze of winding streets and shop at the enticing boutiques. In 2017, the population in Region Brittany was estimated to 3,318,904 and Loire-Atlantique had around 1,394,909 inhabitants, thus historical Brittany's population can be estimated at 4,713,813, the highest in its history. [62] The population in Region Brittany had grown by 0.9% between 1999 and 2000, and the growth rate reached more than 1% in Ille-et-Vilaine and Morbihan. The region around Rennes and the south are the more attractive areas, whereas the population is declining in the centre and in the westernmost parts. While most of the metropolitan areas are growing, the cities themselves tend to stagnate or regress, such as for Brest, Lorient, Saint-Brieuc and Saint-Malo. In 2017, Ille-et-Vilaine had 1,060,199 inhabitants, it was followed by Finistère 909,028 inhabitants, Morbihan 750,863 inhabitants, and Côtes-d'Armor, with 598,814 inhabitants. [63] The Osismii, who lived in the western part of Brittany. Their territory comprised the Finistère département and the western extremity of Côtes-d'Armor and Morbihan.

With its picturesque canals and pretty half-timbered houses, the medieval village of Josselin is a must-see tourist attraction in the Morbihan area of Brittany. Apart from the town's old-world charm, the highlight of Josselin is its medieval château, which is a perfect example of feudal architecture. Locmariaquer has some of the most amazing megaliths. "Le Grand Menhir" was the largest stone monument ever erected in prehistoric Europe; this 20-meter-long, 280-ton stone structure was created around 4,500 BCE. Gallo had never been written before the 20th century, and several writing systems were created. They are however rarely known by the population and signs in Gallo are often unreadable, even for fluent speakers. In Loire-Atlantique, where Gallo is not promoted at all by the local authorities, many people do not even know the word "Gallo" and have no idea that it has writing systems and publications. [73] The château houses the Musee d'Histoire de Nantes (History Museum of Nantes) on display in the opulent Flamboyant Gothic reception rooms. The diverse collection includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, model ships, and scientific instruments. The museum requires an entry fee, while the château gardens and rampart walk are open to the public for free. The Château des Ducs de Bretagne also has a crêperie restaurant, La Fraiseraie, that specializes in crêpes (both savory and sweet), as well as frozen desserts (sorbet and ice cream) made with seasonal ingredients sourced from local farms. The château's bookstore sells souvenirs, toys, special regional candies, and books about the history of the castle and the city.The Namnetes, who lived in the current Loire-Atlantique département (in today's administrative région of Pays de la Loire), north of the Loire. They gave their name to the city of Nantes. The south bank of the river was occupied by an allied tribe, the Ambilatres, [22] whose existence and territory remain unsure. [21] A peaceful, protected bay in southern Brittany, the Golfe du Morbihan is connected with the Atlantic Ocean only by a narrow channel. The bay is filled with numerous small islands featuring unspoiled natural scenery. The two largest islands Île aux Moines and Île d'Arz are popular summer vacation destinations (many tourists take a boat trip from Vannes). Drive to Dinan/Lehon (126km) – either park up (if in a camper) at the Camperstop in Lehon or drive to booked accommodation in Dinan.