Making the most of Brest
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
Free Shuttle service to the town center, the maritime museum and Océanopolis sea world. 1.5 km from town. Brest is a rather hilly town.
Some webcams.
Gateway to the hilly terrain of Brittany's charming Argoat area, Brest lies on the most northerly of Brittany's three Finistere peninsulas. It boasts one of Europe's finest natural harbors designated by Cardinal Richelieu as France's major naval base as long ago as 1631.
Heavily bombed in the last war, Brest is today a clean modern city, but one cherishing ancient maritime traditions - witness its 15th-century chateau and medieval Tour Tanguy.
The Musée de la Tour Tanguy houses a collection of dioramas that depict the city of Brest on the eve of World War II. The Musée de la Marine de Brest contains exhibits which outline Brest's maritime tradition. There is also an aquarium, the Océanopolis marine center.
Océanopolis. This giant aquarium has 3 thematic pavilions (polar, tropical and temperate) that offers a discovery of the world's oceans. Located at the Moulin Blanc port
Nearby places
The area surrounding Brest offers dramatic and windswept cliffs and beaches.
Food and shopping
Rue de Siam: A bustling street lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. It's a great place to experience local life, do some shopping, and enjoy Breton cuisine.
Money
Euro
Staying connected
Local emergency number: 112
Opening Hours and
Most shops, businesses, information services, museums and banks in France stay open all day. The exceptions are the smaller shops and enterprises, which may close for lunch sometime between 12.30pm and 2pm. Basic hours of business are from 8 or 9am to 6.30 or 7.30pm Monday to Saturday for the big shops and Tuesday to Saturday for smaller shops (some of the smaller shops may open on Monday afternoon). You can always find boulangeries and food shops that do stay open, however, on days when others close – on Sunday normally until noon.