Statsraad Lehmkuhl visits Brest March 28 - 30, 2026
Brest lies as far northwest in France as it is possible to go. The Brittany peninsula reaches out into the Atlantic Ocean where the Bay of Biscay meets the entrance to the English Channel.
The city is well sheltered in the bay known as the Rade de Brest, inside the narrow strait called the Goulet de Brest. The strait is only two kilometres wide, and the tidal current flowing in and out of the bay can reach speeds of 4–5 knots. Sailing ships approaching the harbour often had to wait outside at Camaret-sur-Mer if the current was against them.
Naval base
Brest has long been one of France’s most important ports. Today it is one of the country’s main naval bases, together with Toulon on the Mediterranean coast.
The city was originally established as a fortress in the Middle Ages. It later grew around the naval base founded there in 1631.
Completely destroyed
During the Second World War France was occupied by Nazi Germany, establishing a submarine base and a shipyard in the city.
After the Allied landings in Normandy in June 1944, securing French ports became crucial so that equipment and supplies could be brought ashore, Brest being one of them. Allied forces reached Brest on 7 August, and on 25 August the city was attacked.
The fighting was intense, and when the German general Ramcke surrendered Brest on 19 September, large parts of the city had been destroyed.
A university city
After the war Brest was rebuilt and is today an important university city. The French Naval Academy is located here.
The city is also a centre for marine research, through the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer) and the French Polar Institute.
Today Brest has a population of just over 140,000. In addition to jobs connected to defence, research and education, many people work in shipping and the service sector.
The proximity to the sea influences the climate. Summers are relatively cool, and the city receives about 1,230 millimetres of rainfall each year, most of it between late autumn and early spring.
Average maximum temperature in April: 13.9 °C
Average rainfall in April: 92 mm