Department
Museums, galleries and heritage in Côtes-d'Armor
49 places to discover across Côtes-d'Armor.
Including Fort la Latte, Abbaye de Beauport and Château de la Roche-Jagu.
Towns to explore
Binic-Étables-sur-Mer · Dinan · Erquy · Fréhel · Guingamp · Jugon-les-Lacs · Lamballe-Armor · Lannion · Louannec · Paimpol · Perros-Guirec · Plédéliac · Plémet · Ploëzal · Ploubazlanec · Ploubezre · Plougrescant · Quintin · Saint-Brieuc · Saint-Quay-Portrieux
A Coastal Department Shaped by Art and Sea
Côtes-d'Armor, part of the Bretagne region, owes much of its cultural identity to the sea: fishing ports such as Paimpol and Ploubazlanec built fortunes and traditions around the Iceland and Newfoundland cod fishery, a history preserved at the Musée Mémoire d'Islande, run by local volunteers in Ploubazlanec.
The department's largest city, Saint-Brieuc, houses the Musée d'art et d'histoire de Saint-Brieuc, while the medieval town of Dinan combines half-timbered streets with two dedicated art venues, including the Musée Yvonne Jean-Haffen, the former home and studio of painter Yvonne Jean-Haffen.
Further west, the Pink Granite Coast around Perros-Guirec and Trégastel has attracted artists for over a century, drawn by the pink boulders and shifting Atlantic light — a landscape documented at the Maison des Traouïero in Perros-Guirec and exhibited at the Ancien presbytère in Trégastel.
Where to Find the Art: Lannion, Dinan, Paimpol and Beyond
Lannion concentrates several exhibition spaces within walking distance of one another: the Chapelle des Ursulines, a former chapel converted into a municipal gallery, and L'Imagerie, known for contemporary graphic art and illustration.
Dinan's old town is dense with independent galleries — Galerie La Question, L'art du coin de la rue, Galerie Esquina and Lapins des Mers — making the town one of the department's richest for gallery-hopping alongside its museums.
The fishing port of Paimpol has its own cluster of small galleries, including Lionel Le Calvez, Galerie Emergence and Galerie d'art Agnès Pormenté
Mathurin Méheut, an Emblematic Breton Artist
Born in Lamballe in 1882, Mathurin Méheut worked across painting, ceramics, illustration and decorative arts, becoming one of the defining visual chroniclers of Breton life, fishing communities and coastal landscapes. The Musée Mathurin Méheut in Lamballe-Armor is entirely devoted to his work, tracing his career from academic training to his mature style, marked by close observation of nature and maritime subjects.
Frequently asked questions
How much time should I plan to visit the main museums in Côtes-d'Armor?
Allow half a day for Saint-Brieuc's museum and museum-house visits like Yvonne Jean-Haffen in Dinan, and about an hour for smaller sites such as the Musée Mémoire d'Islande or the Ancien presbytère.
Which town has the highest concentration of galleries?
Dinan and Paimpol both offer dense, walkable clusters of independent galleries, making them ideal bases for a gallery-focused day trip.
Is the Musée Mathurin Méheut suitable for visitors unfamiliar with the artist?
Yes, the museum is monographic and chronological, offering a clear introduction to Méheut's career even for first-time visitors.
Are the smaller museums, like the Musée de l'art du collage, open year-round?
Many of the department's smaller and associative museums operate seasonal hours, typically reduced outside the spring-to-autumn tourist season, so checking ahead is recommended.
What is the best time of year to combine art visits with the coastline?
Late spring and early autumn offer good light along the Pink Granite Coast and fewer crowds, while still keeping most galleries and museums on their full opening schedules.
