18 days in Raleigh & Brittany Itinerary

Known for its large number of megaliths, which simply means "big rocks," Brittany is famous for its 2,860 km (1,780 mi) of coastline and for its prehistoric menhirs (standing stones) and dolmens (stone tables)--sites that were used for burials and worship. You can see a large variety of seabirds while sightseeing along the ocean, as the region is home to colonies of cormorants, gulls, razorbills, northern gannets, common murres, and Atlantic puffins. The waters of Brittany attract marine animals, including basking sharks, grey seals, leatherback turtles, dolphins, porpoises, jellyfish, crabs, and lobsters. Brittany is widely known for the Breton horse, a local breed of draft horse, and for the Brittany gun dog. The region also has its own breeds of cattle that you can witness at area farms and open-air museums, some of which are on the brink of extinction: the Bretonne pie noir, the Froment du Léon, the Armoricann, and the Nantaise. The region has plenty of places to visit, namely a huge quantity of medieval buildings, including numerous Romanesque and Gothic churches, castles, and the iconic half-timbered houses visible in many villages, towns, and cities.