Discovering the Musée National de la Marine

Brest's maritime vocation is nothing new. Like Toulon, Brest was chosen by Richelieu to develop the French war fleet. The arsenal was built in Brest on the orders of Louis XIII, who set up shipbuilding workshops, the Marine, which was then royal and is now national. Under Colbert, Minister of the Navy from 1669 to 1683, Brest reached its apogee. It became France's main naval arsenal, with new defences, buildings (prison, commercial), docks, etc.

Brest proudly asserts its maritime facet with its commercial port (number one in France for ship repairs), its marina and now its national naval museum.

Housed in Brest's medieval castle, miraculously untouched by war, the museum traces 17 centuries of history. In a way, it is the heir to Brest's marine treasures. As early as 1826, the first floor of the museum housed a workshop of sculptures from Brest's arsenal. These collections were transferred to the château's Paradis Towers in 1958. The museum also moved into the dungeon in 1985. Subsequently, the museum underwent a series of refurbishments to accommodate permanent exhibitions, a shop and a visitor centre.

In several rooms with exposed stone walls, a rich collection of objects relating to the naval period is on display, all recalling the construction of the site, memories of the penal colony, emblematic post-war ships and nuclear submarines.

Visitors can also see models of ships at various stages of construction. The final touch is in one of the museum's largest rooms, where majestic statues dating back to the reign of Louis XIV are on display, including a bust of La Pérouse.

It also contains all the anecdotes about the expedition of Jean François de La Pérouse, who set sail from Brest harbour in 1785 for four years... and never returned. The two famous frigates, La Boussole and l'Astrolabe, were tragically shipwrecked. Thanks to excavations, it was possible to bring together objects (kitchen utensils, a wheelhouse bell, etc.) that can now be admired in the museum.

More modern and recent rooms evoke contemporary history with submarine interiors and models. At the end of the visit, a film recounts the history of Brest - from its destruction to its reconstruction - and the daily life of the convicts.

As part of the museum, the Château de Brest is a fortress, probably the oldest witness to the city's construction. Historically, the building was completed by Vauban in the 17th century and was listed as a historic monument in 1923. Today, the château houses the Préfecture Maritime, part of the Musée National de la Marine and the Strategic Oceanic Force Command. The heritage is incredible and bears witness to the great naval period. You can visit both the underground passageways and the ramparts. There is an uninterrupted view of the harbour, the Penfeld and Recouvrance.