The magnificent medieval castle Château de Brest is the setting for the city’s maritime museum, which traces several centuries of the region’s naval history through paintings, maps, artifacts and a spectacular collection of model ships. It also displays famous 19th-century sculptures by Yves Collet of the gods Mars, Minerva and Neptune. During the visit of the castle-museum, which sits at the mouth of the harbor and the Penfeld River, you’ll tour both the interior and exterior of the castle, from the ramparts to the dungeon courtyard where you can see the Gallo-Roman foundations. The 17th-century fortifications were designed by the great French military engineer and architect Vauban.
