Must-see sites
Barnenez Cairn in Plouézoc’h is the largest Neolithic megalithic mausoleum in Europe.
Menez Dregan cave in Plouhinec is a major Paleolithic site and evidence found in the oldest layers of the cave date its occupation back to around 465,000 BC. The cave cannot be visited, but you can learn all about it at the Menez Dregan Archaeological Sites Visitor Centre.
The megalithic necropolis of Pointe du Souc’h is a group of Neolithic burials (a pit tomb and five dolmens). It is also located on the Menez Dregan site.
Palaeolithic
The Rocher de l’Impératrice is a Palaeolithic rock shelter that was home to a hunting camp 14,000 years ago. The site offers a remarkable view of the waters of Rade de Brest.
Neolithic
On the Beg ar Loued site to the south of Molène Island, excavations between 2003 and 2011 revealed the remains of two dry-stone houses built one on top of the other, occupied between 2150 BC and 1750 BC.
The Lagatjar megalithic alignment in Camaret-sur-Mer still has 65 Neolithic menhirs lined up in three perpendicular lines and it is believed that there used to be several hundred of them.
The ‘Stone Wedding’ is a Neolithic alignment located at the foot of Mont Saint-Michel in Brasparts. It consists of at least 77 megaliths stretching 330 metres across the moor and is accessible from the ‘landes et tourbières’ hiking trail in the Arrée Mountains.
The gallery grave at Mougau in Commana is 14 metres long. This megalithic burial site dates from the end of the Neolithic period, around 3000 BC.
Iron Age
The promontory fort at Pointe de Lostmarc’h on the Crozon Peninsula is a remnant of the Iron Age, a Gallic oppidum that served as a refuge for the local population.
Antiquity
The Perennou villa and thermal baths are located on the banks of the River Odet. Archaeological excavations have revealed Roman occupation of the site in the first centuries AD.
The Celtic-Roman temple at Trégouzel in Douarnenez has been a listed monument since 1980.
At Plomarc’h in Douarnenez, the remains of huge ‘garum’ vats date from the Gallo-Roman occupation. At the time, sardines were placed in large salting vats to be made into ‘garum’, a highly-prized condiment at that time. Sixteen salting vats were restored in the early 2000s, and today, these vats are considered to be the largest known from the ancient world.
In Carhaix, the Vorgium Visitor Centre tells the story of the Osismii, whose ancient town featured alleyways, domus, thermal baths and fountains.
The Middle Ages
The Château de Roc’h Morvan in La Roche-Maurice is an exceptional remnant from the Middle Ages, one that must have witnessed the tumultuous history of Brittany.
Le Relec Abbey was founded in 1132 in Plounéour-Ménez. Long abandoned, recent excavations have brought to light a unique architectural heritage in the Arrée Mountains.
Le Goënidou in Berrien is a medieval hamlet built in the 1100s, comprising five groups of four buildings, each arranged around a courtyard.