Paul Gauguin’s Travels & Guide to Brittany 

From Copenhagen to Oceania, with a Stop in Brittany Along the Way

We’ll start close to home, in Copenhagen: The failed stop on the journey

When Gauguin lost his job in France in late 1883, he decided to stake everything on art. This brought the French-Danish family to Copenhagen in November 1884, where they settled into a ground-floor apartment on Gammel Kongevej. Here in Denmark, Gauguin tried his hand unsuccessfully as a traveling salesman, and the Copenhagen chapter of his life was quickly marked by deep poverty and exhausting family strife.

The Breakup and the Journey to Oceania

After just half a year in the Danish capital, his journey took a dramatic turn. In May 1885, he left Copenhagen and his family to return to France. This break marked the beginning of his search for the primitive and unspoiled—an artistic journey that first took him to the artists’ colony in Brittany and later culminated in his famous exile in Oceania and Tahiti. Mette Gauguin remained in Denmark, where she ended up bearing the full responsibility of being the sole provider for their five children.

Guide to Brittany—From the Wild Coast to the Artists’ Footsteps

Brittany: Where the Land Ends and the Adventure Begins

When you travel into Brittany, in many ways you leave behind the streamlined France. The regional name in Breton is Breizh, and the historical name for the area, Armorica, literally means “the land by the sea.” It is a region shaped by Celtic myths, rugged granite coasts, wild Atlantic winds, and a deep, unshakable pride. For artists like Paul Gauguin, Brittany was not just a geographical stop; it was a mental refuge. After his chaotic and impoverished stay in Copenhagen, Gauguin sought out Brittany’s rugged, unspoiled landscapes to rediscover a primal and primitive spirit in his art.

Brittany stretches like a mighty peninsula into the Atlantic, and the region offers everything from pink rock formations in the north to mysterious, legendary forests in the inland countryside and dramatic fortified towns that have withstood centuries of sieges. It’s a region to be experienced with all your senses—from the taste of briny oysters to the sight of monumental lighthouses defying the waves.

What to See? The Must-See Highlights

1. Côte de Granit Rose (The Pink Granite Coast)

On Brittany’s northern coast, particularly around Perros-Guirec, you’ll find one of Europe’s most wondrous natural phenomena. Here, the passage of time and the erosion of the sea have shaped the massive granite cliffs into soft, surreal sculptures in shades of pink and ochre. The contrast between the pink cliffs, the turquoise-green sea, and the white sand is breathtaking and has attracted landscape painters for centuries.

2. Pont-Aven: In Gauguin’s Footsteps

For the art-loving traveler, Pont-Aven in southern Finistère is the very heart of the journey. It was in this small, idyllic riverside town that Paul Gauguin founded the famous Pont-Aven School in the 1880s. The town’s unique light, traditional Breton costumes, and dramatic natural scenery inspired him to break away from Impressionism. Today, you can stroll along the river, visit the outstanding art museum, and feel the creative spirit that still permeates the many galleries.

3. The Pirate Town of Saint-Malo and the Medieval Gem of Dinan

To the northeast, Saint-Malo’s mighty granite walls rise directly from the sea. The city was once notorious as the home of royal-sanctioned pirates (corsaires). A walk along the wide defensive walls offers a spectacular view of the Atlantic’s powerful tides. Just a short drive away, set slightly inland from the coast along the Rance River, lies Dinan. It is one of France’s best-preserved medieval towns, with half-timbered houses, steep cobblestone streets, and a fairy-tale atmosphere.

4. Mégalithes de Carnac (The Carnac Stones)

Further south, in Morbihan, the landscape changes character. Here you’ll find one of the world’s most important prehistoric monuments. Over 3,000 standing stones (menhirs) stretch in straight rows across the landscape, erected by Neolithic peoples long before the Egyptian pyramids were built. A sense of mystery hangs thick over Carnac, as researchers still debate whether the stones were astronomical calendars, religious temples, or something else entirely.

Where to Stay? Bases for Your Trip

Brittany is large, and the weather changes quickly. It may therefore be advantageous to split your stay between two bases to get the most out of both the north and the south:

The Gastronomic Journey: Cider, Crêpes, and the Calvados Confusion

You can’t write about Brittany without mentioning the food. The region’s signature dish is the thin savory pancakes, galettes, made with buckwheat flour and filled with everything from local ham and cheese to fresh langoustines. They’re traditionally washed down with local, dry apple cider, served in small earthenware bowls (bolées).

Although many people associate the apple brandy Calvados with Brittany, travelers should be careful not to get their facts mixed up. Calvados is, in fact, the signature drink of the proud neighboring region of Normandy. But don’t despair: Brittany has its very own, excellent apple brandy called Lambig (or Fine de Bretagne). It’s distilled from your favorite Breton cider and aged in oak barrels, and it tastes just as heavenly—if not more so—after a meal at a local harbor tavern.

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The journey continues: Which neighboring regions should you explore?

When your Breton adventure is coming to an end, and you’ve followed in Gauguin’s footsteps to the very end, the peninsula is the perfect springboard for exploring France’s other historic regions:

• Normandy: History, half-timbered houses, and authentic Calvados
  Right on the border between Brittany and Normandy lies the iconic monastery island of Mont Saint-Michel. Although the island is technically located in Normandy, the Bretons consider it almost their own. As you continue further into Normandy, you’ll encounter rolling green hills, dramatic white chalk cliffs at Étretat, historic World War II landing beaches, and the fairy-tale half-timbered villages of the Pays d’Auge. This is where you should stop at the local distilleries to taste authentic, barrel-aged Calvados.
• Pays de la Loire: Royal Castles and Wild Rivers
  To the south, Brittany borders the Pays de la Loire region. Here you’ll find, among other things, the city of Nantes, which was historically the capital of Brittany and the seat of the Breton dukes. If you follow the Loire River inland, the gateway to the Loire Valley—also known as “the Garden of France”—opens up. The region is world-famous for its hundreds of Renaissance castles, strung like pearls along the riverbanks and surrounded by some of France’s most elegant vineyards.

Whether you’re drawn north by Normandy’s apple orchards or south by the castles of the Loire Valley, Brittany serves as the ultimate, dramatic centerpiece of a grand tour of France.

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