You may be restricted to the school holidays but choosing the right dates in August can make a huge difference to your holiday.

The end of the August is one of the best school holiday times to visit Southern Brittany.

It is the time we enjoy the most and there are good reasons why:

Of all the weeks of the summer holiday, the last week in August is one of our favourites.

Still buzzy enough to be fun but with less crowds and less traffic, it allows one to properly enjoy the last of the summer.

This is the time we pack our towels and picnics and head out from Le Crann to either the beach, one of the islands or the Quiberon peninsula to enjoy a day out at the beach!

You don’t miss out on anything!

And there are also some of our favourite exhibitions and events:

• L’Art dans les Chapelles (The Art in the chapels) is the chance to explore, on 4 different driving tours,  our wonderful Blavet Valley region and hidden, seldom open chapels.

• L’art Chemin Faisant is a contemporary art trail through the artisan village of Pont Scorff.  Here you can discover hidden nooks and crannies (and some great local restaurants and bars)

• For horse lovers, the Haras National at Hennebont holds its equestrian show every afternoon in the beautiful grounds

• La Gacilly hosts the Festival Photo – the largest open air photo exhibition in France in this picturesque town, home also to Yves Rocher cosmetics.   Click here for more info:

No holiday is complete without the chance to immerse yourself in some true Breton culture.  And the Fete de l’Andouille is one of the best around.

The festival pays homage to the famous Breton sausage , the Andouille de Gueméné, and  is hosted during the last weekend of the summer holidays in nearby Gueméné-sur Scorff, a picturesque medieval town which oozes charm and character.

Okay, what is Andouille?

Wikipedia defines Andouille as:

” In France, particularly Brittany, the traditional ingredients of andouille are primarily pig chitterlings, tripe, onions, wine, and seasoning. It is generally grey in color and has a distinctive odor. Also, a similar sausage is available called andouillette, literally “little andouille”. Some varieties use the pig’s entire gastrointestinal system.”

As you can probably guess from this description, Andouille is not for the faint-hearted and not to most English tastes.  So unless you are of (an extremely) hardy disposition it is probably best to avoid.

So why should you go?

It is a chance to see some true Breton culture, with Gueméné-sur Scorff coming alive with Breton music, dancing, shows and gorgeous Breton costumes.

This delightful market town has a royal heritage with a beautifully renovated town centre.  It was the seat of the Dukes of Rohan from the 13th to 15th century. Sadly, the old castle was destroyed but the most remarkable entrance gates still stand.  You may even be able to see the remains of the castle used as building parts in the town houses.

Les Trois Marchands is one of Brittany’s oldest taverns and has been open since the mid 17th century.  We have not yet eaten here as every time we go, it is full.  However, Gueméné-sur-Scorff also hosts our favourite bar restaurant, Aux Sabots Rouges. And yes, thankfully there is food other than andouille on the menu if you want to eat !