Description:

The town of Saint Brieuc is named after a Welsh monk Brioc, who brought Christianity to the region in the 6th century.  Brioc  established an oratory in the town, on the site of what is now the 'Fontaine Saint Brieuc', and became one of the seven founding saints of Brittany.

 Saint Brieuc is now the administrative capital, the Prefecture (prefet), of the Cotes d'Armor department and is a thriving working town.

Saint Brieuc  is in the Cotes d'Armor Department in south Brittany and covers an area of 21.88 km².

The town is located by the English Channel in the Bay of Saint Brieuc and is the major urban area on the Emerald Coast.  Saint Brieuc has two rivers running through it, the Gouët and the Gouedic and is set within two very deep valleys spanned.

Saint Brieuc has markets in the town centre every Wednesday and Saturday.  For all other groceries there are 7 supermarkets in the Saint Brieuc area.

Saint Brieuc is well known as a great shopping area and has a busy pedestrianised shopping centre with over 300 shops.   The key shopping areas can be found in the Rue Marechal Foch and the Rue Fardel and Rue Quinquaine which can both be found around the cathedral.

The town also has a shopping mall 'Les Champs' with 30 shops which was opened in September 2009.

Saint Brieuc contains all the facilities and services you would expect from a large town.  There are numerous schools, doctors, dentists, a hospital, banks and a train station.   

You can also find a theatre, an exhibition centre, a cinema complex, a bowling alley, an icerink and two swimming complexes.  There is also a good indoor childrens softplay centre 'Whoopi'.

 The town has some excellent restaurants and bistros.   Try one of the many bars or cafes on Place du Chay which is lively both night and day.

Many visitors come to Saint Brieuc simply for its excellent shopping and sporting opportunities.

The towns main attraction is the 15th century 'Cathedral of Saint Etienne'.  The cathedral is heavily fortified and has a main entrance with 100 feet high towers and slits for weapons to be fired.  Inside the cathedral features a 18th century altarpiece.  

The main event in Saint Brieuc is 'Les Nocturnes' held in the evenings in July and August and celebrates traditional Breton, blues and world music in public locations throughout the town.

Worth a visit:

• Climb the small hillock 'Tertre Aubé' and marvel at the views of the surrounding valley
• Visit the 'Musee d'Art et d'Histoire' and learn about the history of the Côtes d'Armor region
• Have a picnic and relax in the Grand Park
• Walk along one of the walking circuits available from the Tourist Office - 'Patrimonie' or history, 'Nature' for wildlife, 'Guilloux' traces the writers life and 'des Ponts' for travel

The town is particularly proud of its women's football team which is one of the best women's teams in France.  The town has excellent sporting facilities including several large capacity stadiums including excellent Swimming, Squash, Karate and Shooting centres.

Saint Brieuc, placed in the centre of the Bay of Saint Brieuc, is an ideal setting for sports such as Sailing, Kayaking, Kitesurfing and Swimming.   

Popular land based sports include Hiking, Golf and Horseriding.  Cycling is very popular in the region and Saint-Brieuc has been along the route of the Tour de France on several occasions as well as being home to the BMX World Cup champion 2007.