#brittany

#brittany

According to Christian Louboutin, there are three parts of France where locals proudly claim their regional identity before their national one: the Basque Country, Corsica, and Brittany. The latter, a rocky peninsula on France's northwestern coast, is where the shoe magnate's family is from. "I love the Breton climate, which is very garden-friendly," he says. "And the pride that the people take in their culture and traditions."

For many travellers, France begins and ends with Paris, Provence, or the French Riviera. Yet venture west and a very different France emerges, one shaped by Celtic roots, dramatic coastlines, diverse local cuisine, and a fierce sense of regional identity. Brittany ( La Bretagne) is a world unto itself, where land and sea shape daily life, and it should be the location for your next French holiday.

When you first walk into the heart of Pont-Aven, you're greeted by a natural soundtrack of the River Aven that runs through the centre, tumbling over large boulders along its way towards the sea. One hour northwest of Vannes, it's a microcosm of so many elements of a Breton town, with its harbour of sailboats, charming huddles of granite dwellings and surrounding woodlands framing the scene.

In total, 104 residents were welcomed into emergency shelters, with some 120 homes dangerously close to the flames.

While one reader, Camilla Bunt, warned that in Normandy and further up the coast, 'the climate is barely warmer than the UK', for others this was a benefit.