Five things you can do with the family in Brittany
There are many things to do in Brittany, from spending lazy days on the great beaches to enjoying an enlightening day out in the region’s many historical towns. If you’re travelling to this beautifully diverse and culturally inspiring region of France with youngsters, take a look at the following five things you can do with the family in Brittany.
OCEANOPOLIS
Oceanopolis can be found near Brest. It has an amazing 10,000 different species and 68 large aquariums to entrance children. Sharks, seals, penguins and numerous tropical fish combined with exciting exhibitions, films and live shows about everything connected to the sea are there to be enjoyed. They have three pavilions – Polar, Tropical and Temperate. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink and relax between events. You will certainly need a full day to do Oceanopolis justice.
CHATEAU DE FOUGERES
In the turrets of the Château de Fougères, imaginations can run wild in this incredible fairy tale castle. It is one of the biggest surviving strongholds in Europe. There are astounding views across the Brittany countryside from the ramparts, and children will have a great time exploring the numerous turrets and towers of this genuinely enchanting place. They even put on historical spectacles that take you right back in time!
ADVENTURE PARK
If your children need to burn off a lot of excess energy then take them to the tree top adventure park, aptly named ‘Adrenaline Forest’, which can be found near Rennes in the Parc de Gayuelles. It has eight tree top routes, all very safe, even if they are twenty meters up in the air, plus a kilometre-long zip wire route. There are specific routes for all ages of children right from two years upwards, and include monkey bridges, barrels, lots of swings and ropes plus the daredevil zip wires. The place is fully supervised by trained staff, and all children up in the trees are firmly attached to safety harnesses.
PLANETARIUM
One of the biggest planetariums in the whole of Europe is found at Parc de Radome, Pleumeur-Bodou. The Planetarium de Bretagne transports you on a journey into the stars. The universe passes in right front of your eyes as you lie back in comfortable seats and stare up at the huge 360 degree domed ceiling. Some shows are in English and there are specific ones for children or adults. Most shows last about 50 minutes. You should check in advance for program and times, as you need to arrive 15 minutes before the show begins.
ISLANDS OF BRITTANY
The coast of Brittany is littered with small, lovely islands; day trips from many cities in the region are easy to book. Île de Sein has great family-friendly restaurants. There is a shipwreck museum on Île Molène, why not bike ride around some of them or visit the chapels on Île aux Moines?