"Concarneau revisited" Concarneau by ranger49

Concarneau Travel Guide: 34 reviews and 120 photos

A fortified island city in a Harbour

As well as being a major commercial and fishing port Concarneau is now also a world famous centre for the scientific study of marine life and makes an important contribution to the understanding of evolutionary and ecological processes.
But its oldest attraction is the walled city that sits on a small island immediately off-shore, reached across a small bridge and two great portals.

Inhabited since pre-historic times, in the early years of Christianity, when monks from Wales came to Bretagne. a monastery was established there around which fishermen and their families settled.
The small community was protected from invaders and pirates by primitive defences made from high sided ditches topped by railings of wood until massive, granite ramparts were built in the 14th century. Further fortifications were completed by my old friend Vauban 300 years later.

Inside the walls

The town grew but experienced cycles of prosperity, decline and recovery in successive centuries as the result of wars, developments in trade, the introduction of fish canneries and the sardine disaster of the early 1900’s when this popular and profitable catch all but disappeared from the waters of Brittany.
Two world wars brought further problems including the Occupation.
But with diverse industrial developments, including ship building and repairs, and tourism - like a Phoenixthe city rose again.

Les Canons de La Venus in the courtyard

Forty years separated my first visit in 1966 when our family group had 4 young children in tow and my main memory is of going to a large Patisserie/Tea Room in the harbour area not far from the entrance to the old city. We chose our pastries and selected a particularly yummy looking one my infant nephew.To our astonishment the assistant then spoke to us in English with a very pronounced Welsh accent to advise us that the pastry we had chosen for the baby contained a lot of alcohol!
It turned out she had attended a Summer language school in Barry, South Wales and ended up with us all sitting together talking about Wales!

That was a lovely sunny day -but it was grey, cool and rainy when we returned in 2006. It was a Public Holiday for May 8 -Victory Day. Impressions of that visit - were of more tourists, and more smartened up gifty shops, ice cream bars, souvenirs. Because of the rain we spent quite a long time in the Museum of Fishing and then, in light drizzle at a free open air concert and felt there was still more to discover about Concarneau.
Soon a beautifully sunny and warm day in October 2009 we made our third visit. There were hardly any visitors , lots of shops and restaurants weree closed. Some we were told until Easter 2010, others would open for Toussaint and Christmas.
It seemed strange walking up the almost deserted, silent rue de Vauban, the main shopping street but we stopped to read the new information boards, walked the ramparts, had lunch in the sunshine and a little shopping for the grandchildren.

Last visit to Concarneau: Oct 2009
Intro Updated Oct 22, 2009
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Reviews (9)

Flowers in the Fortress Things to Do (5)

Ville Clos the old city of Concarneau is some times referred to as a Ville Fleurie. Colour and fortresses do not always... more travel advice

Markets Shopping (2)

A daily market is held every morning in the large Market Hall- Halle, seen at back right in the picture. AS well as the... more travel advice

Time for a run-through before people arrive - Concarneau

Occasional free concerts Things to Do (5)

There is an large open space in the old town at the end of the main street , just before you get to the ferry stage,... more travel advice

Regional products and boutiques Shopping (2)

There are plenty of shopping opportunities in this small area - even on a day when most of the shops were closed!... more travel advice

Transportation (1)
On foot and by ferry boat

Restaurants (1)
We didn't order the political harangue!

Comments (7)

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Pawtuxet Jan 16, 2012 at 5:52 AM

Wonderful page filled with personal insights and terrific photos. Love the story about the restaurant. Don't you love it when rude people are effectively shut down? Markets look intrigueing... I'm not only a shopper but love studying how people do things, advertising, displays, signage, all sorts of details which form the daily culture.
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gwened Jan 8, 2012 at 6:50 AM

I was just there yesterday afternoon coming from Quimper. Lovely indeed nice page you have hommage to my Bretagne now....cheers
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Maryimelda May 14, 2011 at 11:21 PM

Some people can be really intrusive, which nobody appreciates when they are trying to enjoy their lunch. Another lovely town Barbara, I only wish I could have enough time to see them all.
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diosh Jul 5, 2010 at 11:11 AM

We watched the off-loading of the huge tuna here. Lovely town.
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johngayton Mar 26, 2010 at 3:43 PM

Hi Barbera. Tx for the Roscoff revisit. Nice page here. I really must make some time for a proper Brittany visit. Cheers, John.
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balhannah Mar 8, 2010 at 1:16 AM

Had to smile about the woman at the Restaurant, obviously, she had more than enough of him! Nice photo's & tips of another pretty french town.
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ATLC Jun 20, 2008 at 2:13 PM

ah, I've been here too. But I didn't write anything about it, so it seems. Lots of Bretagne pages you have!