Auray travel guide

Visit Auray (Brittany, France)

Auray is a pretty town to the east of Vannes and on an estuary to the north-west corner of the Gulf of Morbihan.

Explore Auray

There are two, more or less separate, parts to the town:

The main town and the historical centre of Auray on the top of the hill
The port town of Saint Goustan, on the bank of the Auray River below.

Both will be visited as part of the same trip - see Saint Goustan for details and photos of the riverside highlights.

These two regions exist because in medieval times there was a castle on the hill to defend the town, and Auray port below. The two parts developed independently and soon merged into one larger town. The castle has not existed since the 16th century although the town that developed around the castle still remains.

Although the Saint-Goustan quarter of the town contains most of the highlights, Auray on the hill is a pleasant town with quite a few interesting features to be discovered. These include:

- the view from the belvedere (at the end of Rue de Belvedere) down to the river below and across Saint Goustan

- the Rue du Chateau that joins Auray to the river is a very pretty street with a sprinkling of art galleries to distract you

- the Church of Saint Gildas on Place Notre Dame has an interesting Renaissance style entrance and a very impressive 17th century altarpiece

There are several other small highlights to explore. These include the 18th century Town Hall, with its imposing belltower, on the Place de la Pompe and several small chapels.

Visit Auray tourist office to ask for the town map on which some of the churches, chapels and half-timbered houses are explained. Don't forget to take a look at the front of Auray tourist office: it is behind the 17th century facade of a small chapel.

Attractions nearby

Remember to also see the details and photos for Saint Goustan, which is in effect the port region of the same town of Auray (and the highlight of your visit here). Saint Goustan can be reached by crossing the lovely stone bridge.

The bridge was originally called the Saint Goustan bridge and was later renamed Pont Neuf, new bridge. It was built in the 13th century but rebuilt in the 15th and then the 18th century. There is a toll-house building on the edge of the bridge.

Just a few kilometres to the north of Auray you should visit Sainte Anne d'Auray, an important pilgrimage centre with several imposing religious monuments.

You can find more travel ideas in the Morbihan guide and the Brittany guide.