www.tourisme-vannes.com. A bustling city on the Golfe de Morbihan, Vannes takes its name from the ancient Celtic Veneti people, who held out against the Romans after most of the rest of Gaul had been conquered. The Breton hero Nominoë established the first capital of the united Breton kingdom here in the 9thC, and the Act of Union annexing Brittany to the French crown was signed in the ancient covered marketplace, La Cohue, in 1532.

The liveliest corner of town is Vieux Vannes, clambering up the hillside behind the port. Encircled by listing, half-timbered buildings, the Cathédrale de Saint-Pierre dates back to the 13thC. Though La Cohue (opposite the cathedral) prefers not to call itself a museum, it does house Vannes’ fine arts collection, space for temporary exhibitions and displays covering the history, wildlife and industries of the Golfe de Morbihan. For something more colourful, the Aquarium de Vannes, at Pare du Golfe (5 km S of the town centre), presents 600-plus species of marine life. Boat trips from the gare maritime nearby set sail around the Gulf.