France: Where to Camp in France - The North Coast: Part 2

The coastline of Brittany is even longer than that of Normandy (discussed in part one of this article). It twists and turns over a full 750 miles and borders both the English Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. Brittany is a region steeped in history with many links and involvements in early British History. Following invasions and alliances the Bretons, the ancient people of Brittany, took political influence in the North of England and in Scotland.
There is a wealth of things to see in Brittany. There are ancient stone megaliths with strange orientations a famous example of which are the Carnac Stones. The formation includes over 3,000 stones planted in the earth is long perfectly straight lines over 6000 years ago. The area also has ancient earth mounds which are now known to be graves, as well as stone tombs. Often when driving through Brittany you will notice at road junctions and cross roads stone sculptures and crosses depicting the crucifixion of Christ. These are known as Calveries and are common throughout the region.
The region is rich in chateaux and fortified towns: one of the major ports, Saint Malo, is an ancient walled city and was once a home of the French pirates.
The northern coast is known as the Côte de Granit Rose, literally the coast of rose coloured granite. This rock outcrop which extends about 20 miles is one of two to be found in Europe, the other being in Corsica. Apart from these locations the rock has only ever been found in China.
The people of Brittany, the Bretons, are Celtic in origin and have much in common with the Welsh, with the Celtic languages of both having strong similarities.
Cider is the traditional drink along with mead which is made from fermented honey.