FOOD AND DRINK
Crêpes – or the savoury galettes – are the champion of Breton cuisine, and while a paper-thin pancake might not sound fi lling, one with ham, egg and cheese will soon change your mind! As well as being responsible for
much of the country’s dairy and vegetable production, Brittany is also renowned for its incredible seafood – particularly mussels, oysters, lobster and langoustines. Pastry-lovers must try the Kouign amann, a caramelised concoction of fl aky dough, butter and sugar – or guilt-free Plougastel strawberries. As for a local tipple, try Breton apple-based spirits or the region’s cider, particularly a Kir Breton: cider with a dose of blackcurrant liqueur!
Bénodet and charming harbour towns like Audierne or Concarneau. In these towns, a 30m2
seaview apartment on
a complex with pool starts at around €105,000. Unsurprisingly, inland rural
locations off er far better value: €50,000 buys a mid-terrace one-bedroom home with private garden in Ruffi ac, a 73m2
end-terrace stone
property with garden north of Fougères, or a ground-fl oor studio in Loudéac. If you’re brave enough to
take on a renovation project, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Brittany, where €25,000 can buy a rural ruin, a run-down townhouse or a barn with land. The question of cost- eff ectiveness depends on how much professional help you’ll need – builders are in demand. For those looking to self-
build, avoid a terrain de loisirs as these plots can only be used
for camping and temporary structures – even motorhomes might not be allowed. Building plots are terrains constructibles or terrains à bâtir, ideally with water and electricity already in place (viabilisé). A €50,000 budget gives you a choice of 500m2
plots within 20 minutes
of the coast or 8,000m2 inland. Beware any property that is
listed as viager, as it will come with a sitting tenant!
TRANSPORT The region’s four airports (Rennes, Lorient, Brest and Quimper) off er everything from budget airlines to direct fl ights to London City, boosted by Nantes airport to the south, which has a huge range of international fl ights and airlines. Given Brittany’s geography, ferries are also a good option, particularly from Roscoff and St-Malo, with routes to the UK, Ireland
“If you’re brave enough to take on a renovation project, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Brittany, where €25,000 can buy a rural ruin”
The marina at the fortifi ed town of Vannes, capital of Morbihan
WHY WE MOVED HERE
Writer of the food blog pardonyourfrench, Audrey Le Goff explains why she
returned to Brittany aſt er 12 years in Canada. “I was born and raised
in Larmor Plage, Brittany, a beautiful small town on the coast of Morbihan. When I was 21, I fell in love with a Canadian and followed him to Ontario. “Aſt er 12 years together in
Canada, we moved back to my hometown in March 2022 because I had always missed France, and two years of Covid lockdowns in Canada reinforced our desire for a big change of life. In terms of work, my blog could be written in Canada or
Oh-so-chic Belle-Île-en-Mer is one of the more exclusive, and expensive, options 26 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS: September/October 2023
France, but I was really ready to move back here. “We never considered moving
anywhere other than Brittany. I am very attached to living by the ocean, due to the slower way of life and the Breton culture. We rented an apartment for nine months as the property hunt was much harder than anticipated – a lot of Parisians leſt the city for Brittany during the pandemic. “Thankfully, we eventually
found an apartment in Lorient, 10 minutes from the ocean, but the coastline is also pretty saturated with holiday rentals, so locals are having a hard time fi nding aff ordable housing. We feel very lucky to have found our place, and we’re now enjoying this new chapter in Brittany.”
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© SHUTTERSTOCK
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