Free walking tours in Vannes and what to see

Must-sees

Vannes is in southern Brittany, at the head of the Gulf of Morbihan. Its old town keeps much of its walls, and the stretch with gardens at its foot and the old wash houses by the water is the city’s best-known image. Inside, the streets are lined with colourful half-timbered houses, Place Henri IV and Saint-Pierre cathedral, with parts from different eras. La Cohue, the old covered market, now houses the fine arts museum.

The Porte Saint-Vincent opens the old town onto the harbour, with a tree-lined promenade leading to the gulf. From here boats leave for the islands, such as the Île aux Moines and the Île d’Arz, great for exploring on foot or by bike. The gulf and the nearby coast are full of megaliths: at Locmariaquer, the great broken menhir and the Table des Marchand dolmen form a site run by the Centre des monuments nationaux, and Carnac, with its alignments, is less than an hour away.

Free tours and guided visits

Civitatis has no free walking tours or guided tours of Vannes. What’s on offer are tickets for places in the surrounding area: the Locmariaquer megalithic site and the National Navy Museum in the citadel of Port-Louis, near Lorient. For the gulf, the usual options are the scheduled ferries and boat trips leaving from the harbour.

How long to spend

The old town, the walls and the harbour can be seen in a day. With two you can spend a whole day on the Gulf of Morbihan and its islands. If you are interested in megaliths, add another for Locmariaquer and Carnac, and if you have more time, the Rhuys peninsula or the citadel of Port-Louis.

Where to stay

Staying inside the walls or by the harbour is the most pleasant option: the old town, the restaurants and the boats are all within walking distance. Around the station, a few minutes’ walk from the centre, there are simpler, practical hotels if you arrive by train. To be closer to the water, Conleau and gulf villages such as Arradon have quieter accommodation, best with a car.