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 Welcome to Douarnenez, the three-port town !

Come and discover a great place of Brittany maritime culture. Make the most of your visit to explore a few of the French Cornouaille jewels.

Douarnenez, meaning “the earth of the island” in French, offers an exceptional character that mixes the more diverse landscapes : the old town and its sloping alleys, the Port Rhu’s Ria and the Ile Tristan, the fair-sand beach of the Ris, the charm of the seaside resort of Treboul, as well as the paths along the coast, etc.

:: The fishing port

The activities linked to the sea are still very present in Douarnenez. Formerly the first sardine producer port, the port of Rosmeur is still particularly active. This port offers to the strollers the view of its colorful houses, and of its numerous anchoring boats.   Through a labyrinth formed by tiny streets and stairs, you will be able to join the town center and taste the famous “Kouign Amman” – a butter cake invented in Douarnenez in 1860.

:: Douarnenez and the “Epic of the sardine”

In the form of a walk with waymarks, the “Path of the Sardine” will make you discover the soul of Douarnenez and will make you understand its history – a history that is so tightly linked to the Epic of the sardine, going from the Gallo-Roman salting tanks to the actual port, passing by the tokens of the 19th century canning factories.

:: The Museum-Port

The Museum-Port gives a historical, geographical and ethnographic vision of navigation, and of the seamen’s world. The museum exposes maritime societies and cultures in Brittany and in the world. During the visit, you will first discover a museum on water that has been built on the water plan of the Port Rhu – a former coastal navigation port located in the heart of a nice Ria. Moreover, visiting the museum-port is also discovering a museum built inside a canning factory.

:: The Ile Tristan

This enchanting and multiple-faceted place is a land of dreams and legends. Indeed, according to beliefs, it is the place where the Round Table knight Tristan is said to be buried with his fiancée Iseult under two embracing trees. According to another myth, this island would be the visible part of the legendary town of Ys, built by King Gradlon for his daughter Dahut – a town known for having been the most beautiful city in the world, and for having been swallowed by the vengeful waves of the Devil. As a mysterious and wild island, the Ile Tristan offers wonderful views on Douarnenez and its bay. As the original cradle of the town, the visitor will be astonished to see such various landscapes and atmospheres (exotic gardens, orchards, woods, rocky coasts, cliffs, etc.). (Access only by foot with a guide depending on the tide schedule)

:: The historical site of the Plomarc’h

Walking on the cliffsides on the heights of Douarnenez, you will also discover the path of the Plomarc’h. As a place full of history, this old village of seamen-peasants still preserves treasures from the past like its wash houses, its seaman’s houses, and its garum tanks (a condiment of the past) that constitute nowadays one of the biggest Gallo-Roman industrial sites of Northern Europe.

:: Treboul, the charm of the seaside

This former fishing port transformed into a sailing port is a great place for water sports that stages famous competitions. As a former village that was connected to Douarnenez in 1945, the pleasant area of Treboul displays a labyrinth made up of narrow streets and alleys hinting at former times life. Come and walk along the bay and the beaches of Treboul where artists meet, and enjoy a while of relaxation in the thalassotherapy center !

:: The Douarnenez region

The area of Douarnenez consists in the gathering of the villages of Kerlaz, Le Juch, Pouldergat, and Poullan Sur Mer around the town of Douarnenez itself. Like a huge garden bordered with the sea, the Douarnenez region distinguishes itself thanks to its both maritime and  rural landscapes.

Quimper, Capital of Cornouaille

Quimper is the historical capital of Cornouaille and is 15 miles far from Douarnenez. This town is a beautiful medieval town located at the confluence of two rivers, the Steïr and the Odet. The old quarters of the historical center and its cobblestone streets immediately evoke the Middle Ages. Half-timbered houses as well as oriel windows line the main streets and squares. The embankments of the Odet River, which are punctuated with many bridges and footbridges, are the setting of very nice walks. Quimper is a town where arts and history prevail. You will thus have the opportunity to visit the magnificient Saint-Corentin Cathedral that has been entirely renovated. The building of this jewel of Gothic art spread over five centuries (from the 13th to the 19th centuries).

:: Quimper - A cultural town

≈ The museum of Brittany, which is situated in the former Palais des Evêques, gathers collections of archeological objects from the Finistère, as well as objects relating to housing and ways of life in the Gallo-Roman period. It also contains a collection of traditional costumes of the Finistère. ≈ The museum of the Fine Arts in front of the Cathedral, permanently exposes Breton or old paintings, as well as canvasses from the Ecole of Pont-Aven.  ≈ The museum of crockery recalls us that Quimper has been linked to this art for more than three centuries. Quimper is blessed to be among the few towns the name of which is linked to a particular craft or passion. The museum of crockery will thus be a good opportunity to admire more than 500 pieces and to travel through centuries. This journey will be full of patterns, shapes and colours. In so doing, you will thus be able to discover a real craft with its techniques and secrets.

Locronan : One of the most beautiful villages in France

Only five miles away from Douarnenez, this all-stone built village is far from being deprived of character. Locronan was a paramount place for the Celtic form of worship before becoming Christian in the 5th century. You will just have to make a few steps on the Grande Place which is edged by somptuous Renaissance granite houses to be under the impression of being in another epoch. As soon as the 15th century, the production of hemp blossomed all around Locronan’s area. This production became right away the ground for the development of a great industry that quickly made the little town prosperous. The fame of the sail canvasses produced by the manufactory of Locronan soon crossed borders and even oceans. Some people even assert that these canvasses were used on Christopher Columbus’s caravels. You will thus be able to discover this wonderful little town while strolling through the web made of tiny picturesque streets which are full of ancient houses and where litlle souvenir and antique shops flourish.

La Pointe du Raz : Challenging the Ocean

Having been classified as “Grand Site de France” by the French Government in 1989, the Pointe Du Raz is one of the most striking places on the Atlantic Coast where land and sea merge in an ultimate “fight”. Its bow shape that penetrates the sea of Iroise –  with a difference between the level of the sea and that of the earth that amounts to more than 70 meters – makes of the Pointe Du Raz one of the most emblematic places on the Breton granite coasts.

 

:: Contacts
COMMUNAUTE DE COMMUNES DU PAYS DE DOUARNENEZ
75, rue Ar Veret BP 225 29172 DOUARNENEZ Cedex France
Telephone:	+33 2 98 74 48 50
Fax:	+33 2 98 74 48 54
E-Mail :	ccdz@wanadoo.fr
Contact:	M. Christophe PODEVIN Animateur économique
	Tél : +33 2 98 74 49 14
	Fax : +33 2 98 74 48 54
	E-Mail : ccdz-eco@wanadoo.fr
CONSEIL GENERAL DU FINISTERE - CAPITAINERIE DU PORT
Le Port BP 432 29174 DOUARNENEZ Cedex
Contact:	M. Pascal PARENTY Commandant de Port
	Tél : +33 2 98 92 14 85
	Fax : +33 2 98 11 19 06
	E-Mail : capitainerie.douarnenez@cg29.fr

Creation date : 09/04/2006 - 21:40
Last update : 22/11/2006 - 16:43
Category : Douarnenez
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