France’s most westerly region, Brittany boasts beautiful beaches, lush countryside and laidback towns with medieval castles and half-timbered buildings. The capital Rennes has the most oddly-angled of the latter alongside grand public buildings.

To the north, fishing village Cancale is famous for oysters, and the walled port town of St Malo has ferries to England, while Ireland is served by charming Roscoff. Between them lie many of Booking.com’s Brittany hotels by the beach, and the beautiful, pink granite cliffs near Perros-Guirec.

Inland, Morlaix’s cobbled streets and wood-clad houses are spectacularly dominated by a 19th-century viaduct. Dinan Castle overlooks the riverside town below, as does the incredible medieval castle in Fougères.

Facing the Crozon peninsular are Douarnenez with its pretty port, and the university town of Brest whose history is inextricably linked to the sea. Quimper to the south-west has a beautiful old town, and its river joins the sea at exclusive Benodet, home to one of southern Brittany’s sandy beaches. More are near Lorient, while Quiberon beach, on a rugged peninsular, is popular with locals.

Nearby Carnac has some of the prehistoric megaliths for which Brittany is known, while picturesque Auray is on a bend in a river opening into the Gulf of Morbihan whose undulating coastline continues to the colourful, walled city of Vannes.