French Language School Trip to Brittany

This beautiful region is awash with varied port and market towns, combined with the traditional countryside villages. 

The city of St Malo offers a good base from which to explore the area and has a number of attractions itself. The towns of Cancale, Fougeres, Dinan, St Lunaire all have something to offer from castles to oyster farms, and not forgetting the a visit to the popular island of Mont St Michel. 

ST MALO

This ancient walled port city is full of history and culture with many narrow streets and bustling squares, not forgetting sandy beaches. It also has a wide number of attractions for groups to practise their language skills in. In the Grand Aquarium discover life under the ocean waves and be surrounded by sharks and giant turtles in the underwater viewing tunnel, dive to the depths of the ocean in the Nautibus! The aquarium has nine themed areas  with interactive commentary in French or English.

The mini-train in will take your group for an unforgettable visit through the fortified city taking in its highlights in fun style! They’ll discover St Malo's bay with the biggest spring tides in Europe, the lanes, ramparts and more through French or English commentary.

A 10-15 minute boat ride can be enjoyed to take your group across the bay to the town of Dinard, avoiding the need for a coach as you’ll be 5 minutes from the centre of Dinard which is also home to a hydroelectric dam that generates 10% of Brittany's electricity! 

FORT LA LATTE

Only around a 30 minute drive from St Malo lies this wonderful castle made of pink sandstone looking out over the sea. Be transported back to the fourteenth century with original curtain walls, towers, drawbridges and dungeons. See the castle's weaponry, and explore the medieval gardens too.  

MONT SAINT MICHEL

The Mont-Saint-Michel is one of Europe’s most unforgettable sights and is popular with our groups. Set in the mesmerising bay where Normandy and Brittany merge, the island draws the eye from great distances.

The Benedictine abbey atop the mount has always been the main attraction for pilgrims and tourists alike. It is reached via the steep winding village street lined by museums, restaurants and shops. The abbey’s powerful architecture dates mainly from medieval times. 

We recommend a full day visit to allow for travel time and also allowing for the tidal changes on which your visit is dependant.

CANCALE

The first thing that’s springs to most people’s minds when mentioning Cancale is ‘oysters.' Visit the Oyster farm where these delicacies have been cultivated in this attractive fishing village for hundreds of years. La Ferme Marine is a family company where students can see the farmers at work and visit an exhibition of shellfish from around the world; there’s also some very nice shell-inspired jewellery in the on-site shop (Mid Feb- End October). The town of Cancale also offers breath-taking views over the St Michel’s bay and scenic walks around the coast.

In between St Malo and Cancale lies L’Atelier du Verre (glass-studio) which is open from Tuesday to Saturday where students can see the impressive glow blowing in process and take a look around the exhibition of works created for free.

FOUGÈRES & CASTLE

The main reason to visit Fougères is to see its magnificent castle, one of the finest fortresses in Europe, but this little town also has a lovely medieval district and a lively Saturday-morning market where groups will love spending time purchasing some traditional food and gifts and even speaking a little French. Catch the mini train for a fun 45 minute sightseeing trip around the town.

At the castle there is a regular programme of guided visits, events and workshops for primary and secondary students to introduce castle, its architecture, the history of the Marches of Brittany, as well as the town, its medieval quarter and more.

DINAN

One of the most attractive and best preserved small towns in Brittany, Dinan’s 3km-long ramparts, half-timbered houses, beautiful port and cobbled streets filled with craft shops, galleries and cafes’ are all worth seeing, especially the old town.

On Thursday mornings a market fills the town square where groups can interact with the locals selling cheese, meats, clothes, flowers and more.

Climb the 40m high Tour de l’Horloge for great l views over Dinan and the surrounding area – you can see as far as Mont St Michel on a clear day. 

DOMAINE DE LA BOURBANSAIS- ZOO AND CHATEAU

Not too from from Dinan and open all year round students can visit this château or the zoo, or both. As well as the usual zoo animals they’ll discover some rare and unusual ones too. There are also two shows to see at the park: hunting with birds of prey and the “Fidèle meute”, or faithful hounds, a demonstration in which 50 French tricolour hounds take part. From April to September educational activities at animal feeding times are offered to visitors by the zoo keepers who will be able to tell you stories about each animal or talk to you about life in the zoological park in French or English.

The Château was built in the 16th century on the site of a former Gallo-Roman villa, this former residence of members of the Parliament of Brittany - renovated in the 18th century - is one of the region’s most beautiful chateaux.

APPLE AND CIDER FARM -LA FERME DE
L´HERMITIÈRE 

Visit the orchard of 6000 apple trees in the Normandy countryside of “La Manche”. It is a family business from father to son for 6 generations!

A video film and a guided tour show students what is necessary to produce a high quality cider. 

Live 1200 years of the cider story in Normandy in the museum thanks to a unique collection. Staff can speak to school groups in French or English about the technical progresses of cider production which were carried out at the farm and today’s modern means while also preserving the tradition.  

The farm is approximately 90 mins from St Malo but passes Mont Saint Michel so these could be combined if the tide times are in favour.

COBAC THEME PARK AND AQUA PARK

Split into two, the theme park is open selected from April to September and the Aqua Park from June to September. A combo ticket is available or it is possible to visit just one outside of the summer holidays.  The theme park rides are aimed at younger teenage children, whereas the Aqua Park is aimed at everyone and offers a great day out only 45 minutes from St Malo.