Vannes

Vannes, prefecture of the Morbihan, stretches along the north shore of the Gulf of Morbihan. It succeeds the Gallo-Roman city of Darioritum, capital of the Veneti people. In the Middle Ages, it was a royal town under Nominoë, then the favourite residence of dukes John IV and John V. The Parliament of Brittany sat there from 1535 to 1553, then from 1675 to 1690.

The old centre is surrounded by well-preserved ramparts, at whose foot gardens have been laid out. Saint-Pierre cathedral dominates the quarter, which you walk among half-timbered houses, like those lining the medieval lanes. The town has about 55,800 inhabitants and is the natural starting point for exploring the Gulf of Morbihan and its islands, one of the region's main tourist attractions.

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