Museums & Art Galleries in Brittany

At the tip of Pointe de Penhir, the Germans built a bunker system on the remains of an old French military fort. Known as the Kerbonn Battery, the museum is situated in one of the bunkers. A small museum, the Musée Mémorial de la Bataille de l’Atlantique de Camaret tells the story of the Battle of the Atlantic, for which this part of France with its naval bases at Brest and Lorient played an important role. Photographs and maps track the losses at see of both civilian and military ships. The museum is a tribute to the many sailors who lost their lives at sea during WWII.

The Musée de Préhistoire de Carnac is housed in an old rectory with a collection of over 7,000 artefacts from many of the megalithic sites in the area – one of the richest museums for megalithic culture. A handful of display that deal with the various aspects of everyday life, but the museum has a greater focus on the development and significance of funerary architecture, from the early dolmens to the later, more complex passage tombs. A few galleries explore the Iron Age and Roman  periods.

Housed in a former cannery on the Port-Rhu, the museum claims to be the most maritime museum in France. The museum’s collections, a national reference collection, numbers over 10,000 objects, many of which are displayed in over 28000 m², either permanently or temporarily. Near the museum, objects include items of port infrastructure, including historic piers and pontoons. Here larger historic boats are moored. The museum has some 280 boats of all sizes, from around the world, including a dugout canoe from Guinea-Bissau.

After WWII, the French Navy took control of the Keroman submarine base. In 1997 they left the base and since then it has become a popular cultural attraction in Lorient. Visitors can take guided tours of this the largest military fortress in Europe, as well as explore the submarine museum and go inside one of the flagship submarines of the French Navy. Launched in December 1960, and active between 1964 and 1989 the S-645 submarine is now in dry dock. A range of interactive exhibitions explore the importance of the craft and what life was like for the sailors who live on board.

Besides serving as an information point and a ticket office for guided tours of the Carnac stone alignments, the Maison des Mégalithes also has a series of exhibitions outlining the history and understanding of the megalithic tradition in southern Brittany. The viewing platform on top of the building is a viewing platform that gives a better view of the alignments than you will get at the fence.

A tourist information point and a museum that serves as an introduction to the nearby concentration of megalithic structures nearby. Besides basic information on what there is to see, the centre has an exhibition space and a shop that sells souvenirs and good selection of books. An extensive permanent exhibition explores the lives of the Neolithic communities who made the megalithic monuments; allow between 45 minutes and an hour. Numerous activities for children and adults are hosted, as well as the opportunity to join guided tours. A 7 km self-guided walking tour takes around to 2 hours from the centre.

In a bunker of the Graf Spee naval artillery battery command post two brothers have created a well reviewed WWII museum that focusses on the memories of our forefathers. Through the use of interactive displays, documents, photographs and artefacts from the period, visitors of all ages are immersed into this dark period – the history of Brittany and what life was like in the bunker. Only 10% of the bunker with its five levels is above ground. This was a garrison for 25 soldiers, defending Brest harbour. As one of the largest bunkers in the area, its calibre and size made it one of the most powerful battery in the Finistère Départment. Allow for an hour and a half for your visit.

In 2019 the two principal museums of the city of Saint-Malo closed their doors. Planning was well under way for a major new maritime museum. To be housed within the city walls in the historic building of the former Ecole nationale supérieure maritime – the Hydro, as it is to be called, is scheduled to open in 2028. The museum will focus on the maritime and port history of the city, and its links to the sea. In the lead up to the opening, various temporary exhibitions will be erected around the city.