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The ancient land of Brittany is formed of rocks that are among the oldest in the world, and here lived some of the first permanent settlers in France – the stone-age peoples who erected the massive standing stones (menhirs) and burial chambers (dolmens) which are to be seen in many parts of the province. The most splendid are the gigantic alignments of menhirs near Carnac, the earliest of which were raised about 7,500 years ago.

The ancient Celtic words Armor and Argoat are used to describe the two faces of Brittany: Argoat meaning "land of the woods" – the word for the interior; and Armor meaning "land of the sea". Much of the forest that once covered the Argoat has been felled to make way for farmland or to build boats for this race of seafarers, but inland Brittany can still offer the visitor vast areas of unspoilt and peaceful countryside.

A large area around the Monts d'Arrée in the north west is now the Armorique Regional Nature Park. Surviving forests include the Forêt de Paimpont – interesting not only for its wildlife but also for its legends. It is said that this is the ancient Forest of Brocéliande, steeped in legends of Merlin, King Arthur and Sir Lancelot, as well as rich in Druidic associations.
 
 
 
 
Brittany's jagged and deeply indented coastline, the Armor, is over 750 miles long. There are important naval bases at Brest and Lorient. Fishing ports range from Concarneau and Lorient, two of the most important in France, to numerous small harbours with fleets of little boats. Many Bretons work on large modern trawlers or tunny boats, while others are involved in inshore fishing, bringing in among other things the delicious lobsters, scallops, crabs and other shellfish for which Brittany is well known.
 
   
 
Perhaps the most important influence that the Argoat and Armor have had recently on the lives of the Bretons is the prosperity brought by tourism – any number of small towns and villages have been tidied up and made more attractive with municipal displays of flowers, paved areas for pedestrians, neat traffic-calming schemes, cleaner public buildings and tasteful painting schemes. Even the large roundabouts are individually designed to look attractive with designs in stone and the abundant use of flowers. Indeed, there are flowers everywhere in Brittany – the Hortensia (Hydrangea), the Geranium in all its vivid colours and Petunias in abundance.

Visitors from all over Europe are attracted by Brittany's many miles of smooth golden sand, its dramatic cliff scenery, its ancient forests, pretty towns and villages, its history, its culture, the friendliness of the Breton people – and the ease of driving on the many beautiful and often little-used roads. There is a timeless charm that this ancient province offers to all its visitors.

The weather is also a major factor - alone of the Départements of Brittany, Morbihan enjoys a truly mild and gentle climate, thanks to the effects of Gulf Stream. There is less rain in Morbihan over the year than there is in Provence! The following map shows the temperature pattern: