247 Properties for sale in Morbihan, Brittany, France
Morbihan
With everything from prehistoric sites and medieval towns to stunning coastlines and mouthwatering seafood, the department of Morbihan in southern Brittany has plenty to suit all tastes. It is perhaps most famous for the Carnac stones, a collection of megalithic sites which predate Stonehenge, and the Gulf of Morbihan, a natural harbour on the coast. Morbihan, which means small sea in Breton, is named after the enclosed stretch of sea along its coastline and it is the only French department whose name is derived from the Breton language.
CAPITAL: VANNES - Located at the mouth of the Rivers Marle and Vincin, Vannes is twinned with the town of Fareham in the UK. The name Vannes comes from the seafaring Celtic people Veneti, who lived in the Brittany peninsula which in Roman times formed part of an area called Armorica.
Access from UK
By air: Rennes, Brest, Dinard and Quimper
By train: Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Rennes then regional services to Vannes
By road: Vannes is 631km from Calais
Climate
Average annual temperature: (Lorient): 8.2ºC/15.8ºC
Average annual rainfall: 950.9mm
Average annual sunshine hours: 1,827.2
Highlights
Morbihan is home to the Plus Beau Village of Rochefort-en-Terre, which sits high above the River Arz. When he bought the local château in 1907, French-born American painter Alfred Kotz encouraged residents to decorate their homes with geraniums. The tradition still continues and the flower-bedecked houses have resulted in numerous awards for the most beautiful village in bloom. According to legend, the Gulf of Morbihan has as many islands as there are days of the year, but in actual fact there are between 30 and 40. Plenty of fresh seafood including crab, lobster, oysters and scallops, while crêpes and galettes – sweet and savoury pancakes with a variety of fillings – are popular throughout the Brittany region.