Christmas
What to do in Brest during the Christmas holidays
The Christmas market on Place de la Liberté, Océanopolis, the cable car and the Capucins, the Petit Minou lighthouse in winter: our ideas for the 2026 Christmas holidays in Brest.
5 min read
The 2026 Christmas holidays run from Saturday 19 December to Monday 4 January 2027, for all three zones. In Brest, Christmas is spent between the market on Place de la Liberté, big indoor visits and the coast, superb when the Iroise Sea rises.
Christmas 2026 events in Brest
| When | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| December, dates to be confirmed | Christmas market | Place de la Liberté |
| All winter | Océanopolis, open during the holidays | Marina |
| All winter | Ateliers des Capucins, covered hall | Right bank, by cable car |
Océanopolis and the Capucins
Océanopolis fills a holiday day in any weather. The cable car flies over the Penfeld to the Ateliers des Capucins, a huge covered hall where you can wander in the dry.
Under cover in Brest
ActivityOcéanopolisBrest · 3 h 30 to half a dayIn Brest, Océanopolis turns half a day into an underwater journey: the new Tropical Pavilion, Breton ecosystems, otters, science experiments and the Cité des Océanautes.
MuseumMusée national de la Marine, BrestBrest · 2 to 2 h 30In the castle guarding the mouth of the Penfeld, the Musée national de la Marine tells the story of shipbuilding, the naval dockyard, great voyages and the French Navy. A spectacular site, but very hard to access in a wheelchair.
MuseumBrest Museum of Fine ArtsBrest · Not open to visitorsSeascapes, Breton painting, the Pont-Aven School, the Nabis, Symbolism and abstraction: the Brest Museum of Fine Arts holds about 15,000 works, but its building has been closed to the public since January 2025, for several years.
The coast in winter
The Petit Minou lighthouse and the Pointe Saint-Mathieu are twenty minutes away. In strong winds, the waves on the rocks are worth the trip: keep your distance.
Winter walks
LighthousePetit Minou LighthousePlouzané · 45 min to 1 h 30, more with a coastal walk or the beachA 26-metre tower linked to the land by a stone bridge, in service since 1848 and aligned with the Portzic to guide ships into the Brest roadstead.
LighthouseSaint-Mathieu LighthousePlougonvelin · 1 h 30 to 3 h, more with the memorial and a stretch of the GR34A 37 m tower lit in 1835, 163 steps, a white flash every 15 seconds and an exceptional view over the Iroise Sea, among the ruins of the abbey.
ViewpointPointe de KermorvanLe Conquet · 1 to 2 hours, longer with a lighthouse visit.A protected peninsula at the entrance to Le Conquet, with remarkable views over the Iroise Sea, Les Blancs Sablons, the Pointe Saint-Mathieu and the offshore islands.
Where to stay in Brest
Stay in Brest
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Going further
Brest, in the journal
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