Brest Bretagne airport — Brest, France

Brest Bretagne Airport, identified by the code BES, serves Brest at the far western tip of Brittany, in the French department of Finistère, whose name literally translates to 'end of the earth.' Sitting 325 feet above sea level, the airport runs two runways to handle regional and domestic French traffic along with a smaller number of international routes. Brest itself has functioned as a major French naval port for centuries, its deep natural harbor making it one of the most strategically important coastal cities on the Atlantic side of France. Heavily rebuilt after suffering severe damage during the Second World War, the city today mixes military, maritime, and academic activity, home to a large university population alongside its naval base. BES connects this remote corner of Brittany to Paris and other French cities, since the peninsula's distance from the capital makes rail travel considerably longer than for most other regions. Brittany's rugged coastline and maritime culture draw a steady stream of visitors through this gateway each year.