Brittany is celebrating its Celtic roots at its annual Celtic Festival from August 6th to 15th. The Celts have a rich, much treasured, and increasingly honored cultural tradition. Spread out through Brittany, throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, down into Spain, in Louisiana and in Mexico, these are a proud people. And their traditions of music and dance are varied, exciting and inspirational.
Every year, groups gather at Lorient in southern Brittany for the biggest Celtic celebration in Europe. The Celtic Festival lasts from August 6th to 15th, but there are exhibitions and events in the town until the end of the month celebrating this great culture.
During the festival you can hear the accordion, the harp, bagpipes and the wonders of the human voice singing traditional songs. Dancers whirl in their Scottish kilts or their huge circular skirts, the Irish go through their glorious River Dance-style routines. There are big names here, like The Cranberries who perform on the opening day, and names of young up-and-coming performers like the Breton singer Clarisse Lavanant.
It's a colorful important event, rightly celebrated in Celtic Brittany.
For more information
Celtic Festival: www.festival-interceltique.com (in French)
Information on Brittany
How to get there:
By air:
From the U.S.A. you will have to fly via Paris to any of the following regional airports in Brittany:
Aeroport de Lorient 02 97 87 21 50 www.lorient.aeroport.fr
Aeroport Brest - 02 98 32 01 00 www.brest.aeroport.fr
Aeroport Nantes- 02 40 84 80 00 www.nantes.aeroport.fr
Aeroport Rennes - 02 99 29 60 00 www.rennes.aeroport.fr
Aeroport Quimper- 02 98 94 30 30 www.quimper.aeroport.fr
For air travel: Compare prices
By train from Paris:
The train journey from Gare Montparnasse in Paris to Lorient takes 3 and a half hours.
Book on www.raileurope.com
By ferry from the UK: Brittany Ferries goes from Plymouth to Roscoff in Brittany and from Portsmouth to Caen in Normandy.
Brittany Ferries: Tel.:00 44 825 828 828.
www.brittany-ferries.com.
Image: Celtic Festival, Lorient, Brittany ©Delfikprod
Glad to see your blog. How are the Manx getting along?