Finistère is Brittany’s most westerly department and shares its borders with theCôtes-d’Armor and Morbihan departments. Its préfecture (administrative town of the area) is Quimper and sub-prefectures are Brest, Châteaulin and Morlaix. This department is wide of 6,733 square kilometres and has 840,600 inhabitants (Bretons) in total. Due to its situation along the English Channel (north) and the Atlantic Ocean (south), many things involve the sea (numerous fishermen and sailors, traditions referring to the sea, etc.). The nature is gorgeous in the Finistere department, as in the whole Brittany region. You will find numerous fine sandy beaches as well as parks or nature reserves.
Overview
Brittany is a very sought-after region amongst Brits and the Finistere department is not an exception to the rule. The name “Finistère” was chosen due to the department’s geographical location - at the land’s end - and comes from the Latin language (Finis Terrae). Breton people have a particular culture. Even if Finistere belongs to France, they still keep their own identity and retain their own traditions (dances, songs, gastronomy). Of course Brittany does not benefit from a very warm climate like the Languedoc or Provence regions, but the wonderful landscapes will easily make you forget this drawback! Finistere is an authentic and original department that you will enjoy discovering.
Finistere Immobilier & Property Market Trends
Property prices in the Brittany region are neither the highest nor the lowest ones amongst all the French regions. Housing prices in Brittany are still under the national average for this region. Of course if you want to buy a property along the coast, it will be more expensive than in the inland.
Buying a property in Finistere is really accessible: it costs about €1,757/ square metre. You will pay around €8.66 / square metre / month to rent a house or apartment. Most properties in the Finistere department are detached houses (73%) and 47% of the accommodation are 5-room properties or more.
The Finistere department is a great place to look for bargains! If you like renovating houses, you will be pleased in this department as it is easy to find cheap ancient houses to renovate. We advise you to pay attention to the location where you buy a property, as some villages or towns are not well-linked to the main Breton towns.
To get updated info about housing prices in the Dordogne, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.
5 Reasons to Buy a Property in Finistere
The Brittany region does not have the greatest climate of France, but has many other assets on offer: an outstanding nature, an interesting cultural heritage, etc.
· Strolls and tours: thanks to more than 5,000km of marked-out tracks, you will be able to discover Finistere’s heritage by foot, car, riding a horse or a bike, etc. Just make your choice!
· Sights: the Batz and Ouessant islands are located just a few miles away from the Finistere department. Batz - at the north of the department, close to Roscoff - is only 2 miles long and 1 mile wide. The îles d’Ouessant et de Batz are very calm areas where nature has been preserved. The great climate, sandy coves, as well as the greenery and rocky cliffs make of these islands the perfect places to go if you want to relax and be in harmony with the nature.
· Cultural heritage: you will find plenty of museums, castles, lighthouses and parks in the Finistere department. These monuments or areas will allow you to discover the history of this particular zone (to avoid repetition) - where the sea has an essential role. We advise you Daoulas’ abbey, the Domaine de Trévarez(Trévarez’s field), Batz’s and Ouessant’s lighthouses, etc.
· Fauna and flora: Finistere’s natural heritage is very rich and worth a visit. The department has more than 2,500 hectares of natural areas, including dunes, forests, archeological sites, etc. The Armorique Regional Natural Park and thePointe du Raz are the most famous ones. There are also Aquariums and wildlife parks for instance.
· Breton lifestyle: as a part of Brittany, the Finistere department is deeply influenced by the regional culture. Let’s discover Breton beautiful dances, songs, games and gastronomy (crêpes, galettes - buckwheat pancakes - cider, seafood dishes, etc.). The locals are renowned for being very welcoming and will be glad to explain you their special culture.
Local Property Market: 5 Popular Towns
· Brest property: rapidly rebuilt after World War II, Brest lost some of its historical legacy as it was destroyed. But this town has still places of interest, such as – for instance – a castle nowadays hosting a museum, an annual festival about Breton culture and a massive drawbridge (Pont de Recouvrance).
· Concarneau property: both modern and traditional styles coexist in this town. The Ville Close (medieval town) - located on an island in the harbour - is very active thanks to its touristy assets. Fishing has an essential role in Concarneau as its harbour is one of the biggest of France.
· Morlaix property: there is a great viaduc in Morlaix, as well as several interesting museums and a botanical garden. The bay is really beautiful, the château du taureau is located on a small island in this bay.
· Quimper property: Finistere’s major administrative town is very pretty. You will find there many very interesting monuments dating from the Middle Ages. In the medieval town (Vieux Quimper), there are numerous shops, restaurants and half-timbered houses. Singers and bagpipers often make shows in the evening for the greatest delight of the tourists.
· Roscoff property: with a strategic location along the coast in the north of the Finistere department, Roscoff is famous for its ferry port. But there are also an exotic garden, a beautiful church and an Aquarium for instance.
Property Styles and Architecture in Finistere
· Breton chaumières: these typical properties are very sought-after as they have a strong character. The main features of a chaumiere are the following ones: a thatched (made up of wheat, rye or reeds) and sloping roof, narrow rooms, as well as a long and rectangular shape. Local materials - such as stones, wood and clay - were used to built these Breton chaumières.
· Longère houses: these properties are typical of Brittany’s rural architecture. From these Longere houses, we often have an outstanding view on the Breton countryside. Of a rectangular shape, its rear facing the dominant winds, built in granite and with thatched or slated roofs, the Breton longere house can be found almost everywhere in the Brittany region, but also in Normandy and Aquitaine.
· Coastal houses: especially located in northern Brittany and in the Finistere department, these properties have very small windows and very few openings. Often cut in two parts, the windows of such a house evoke embrasures. Most of them are surrounded with special mouldings. The doors of the coastal houses are low and narrow.
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