Concarneau (Breton: Konk Kerne, meaning Bay of Cornwall) offer some fascinating contrasts, a bustling fishing port, the charm of a walled town, enclosed by granite ramparts and the facilities of a holiday resort and water-sports centre.
The town has two distinct areas: the modern town on the mainland and the medieval Ville Close, a small and very well-fortified old city with narrow cobbled streets located a few metres offshore on an irregular rocky island in the centre of the harbour, which is connected to the modern town by a drawbridge and at the other end a ferry to the village of Lanriec on the other side of the harbour. Devoted to tourism with many restaurants and shops aimed at tourists, it does get very crowded in high summer at tourists flock to the ancient streets, taking thousands of photographs in an attempt to capture the feel of this ancient fishing town; otherwise it’s a real delight. However restraint has been shown in resisting the worst excesses of souvenir shops.
As you enter Ville Close, you will find the Musée de la Pèche (open daily: mid-June to mid-Sept 9.30am–8pm; mid-Sept to mid-June 9.30am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; €6), which provides an interesting insight into the traditional life Concarneau shared with so many other Breton ports, illustrating the history and practice of catching whales, tuna – with dragnets the size of central Paris – herring and sardines. In the courtyard is “Commandant Garreau”, a lifeboat built in 1894, whilst beside Tour du Major, a trawler “Hémérica”, decommissioned in 1981, is moored, climb aboard and relive the hardships of the fishermen.
The ramparts, very akin to the citadel at La Palais on Belle-Île, were constructed by Vauban during the 17th century. However the history of the island dates back more than a thousands years, some saying that it was the site of a priory founded by King Gradlon of Quimper.
Guided tours of Ville Close are available on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, in the off- season at a cost of 4, 50€ per person. Cyrille Maguer, your guide, will explain the history of the fortifications during your tour which includes a visit to “La Tour du Major (15th- century)” and the traders’ houses dating from the 17th century as well as giving you an insight into the lives of the seamen and merchants of that era.Should you wish to avail yourself of this guided tour, please contact Cyrille:
Cyrille Maguer
1 bis, chemin de Poulgao
Tel. 02 98 50 58 23
E-mail : cyrille.maguer@neuf.fr
http://cyrille.maguer.free.fr
The town boasts that it is a “Ville Fleurie”, and flowers are very evident inside the walls, where climbing roses and clematis swarm all over the various gift shops, restaurants and Crêperies. If you walk to the far end of the central pedestrianized street and pass through a gateway (Porte du Passage) to the shoreline, you can sit and watch the passing fishing boats. In summer, however, the best views of all come from the walkway on top of the ramparts, however as there are no railings; a walk along the ramparts is TOTALLY UNSUITABLE for young children. Open daily from 15th April until 31st October, admission is FREE except between 15th June until 15th September when there is a small charge; €0.80. Please note that access to the ramparts may be prohibited during adverse weather conditions and during Fête des Filets Bleus.
Between the 15th and 19th August the town holds the annual Fête des Filets Bleus (Festival of the Blue Nets). The festival named after the traditional blue nets of Concarneau's fishing fleet, is a celebration of Breton and pan-Celtic culture. Such festival can occur throughout Brittany but the Filets Bleus is one of the oldest and largest attracting in excess of a thousand costumed participants: Velvet dresses, the rustle of Satin, the lightness of laces, the sparkle of Pearls and embroidery. This is Bretagne’s finery at its best, add to this the sound of the bagpipes and bombards, the drum rolls and you know the Filets Bleus are back.
Your next port of call has got to be the harbour, especially Port de Pêche where you can have a guided tour with Simon Allain, a former fisherman. You will see the unloading of different species of fishes and crustaceans, visit canneries, have the opportunity to climb onboard a trawler that has just returned to port and visit the fish auction (La Criée), an experience that should not be missed. Contact Simon at:
22, quai criée (100 m from the Tourism Office)
Tel : 02 98 50 55 18 – 06 22 63 20 24
E-mail : simon.allain@wanadoo.fr
www.alassautdesremparts.fr
Tours are arranged, depending on the visit of your choice: 9:30, 10:30 am, 5:00 and 9:30 pm. We consider the best time is 5:30 pm.
Another way to see Concarneau is onboard the “Little Train”, a 40 minute tour that takes in the harbour, Ville Close and much of the resort area. Along the promenade you will have a beautiful view on the Glenan islands. A paper commentary is a available in English, German, Italian and Spanish
Concarneau was also the setting for Belgian mystery writer Georges Simenon's 1931 novel Le Chien jaune (The Yellow Dog),featuring his celebrated sleuth Maigret.
Situated high above the town on the right bank of the Moros River is Château de Kériolet (Kériolet meaning in Breton house of the light or sun house), a true jewel of the architecture of the 19th century.
With its origins dating back to the 15th century, the Manoir de Kériolet was modified by the diocesan architect Joseph Bigot at the end of the 19th century for the Russian Princess Zenaïde NARISCHKINE-YOUSSOUPOV, who financed the construction of this superb neo-gothic building for her second husband, Count Charles of CHAUVEAU, aide de camp to Napoléon III, who she met in Paris.
When she died in 1893, her will bequeathed the Château to the Department of the Finistère. However, this legacy came with some very specific conditions: all had to remain in the same condition as at the time of her death. Another clause insisted that she was to be buried in Russia with her ancestors, which was done. In return for these conditions being met, she gave the estate of 45 hectares, the Château and the exquisite collections of Earthenware, Chinese Porcelain, Bassinoires, Jewellery and Tapestries she had collected.The Department converted the estate into a museum between 1893 and 1957.
In the course of the 20th century, the Château had many owners including the great-grandson of the princess, Prince Félix Youssoupov (famous in European History as the instigator and one of the assassins of Rasputin), who returned to France in 1948 and claimed that the will had been disrespected, taking the opportunity to reclaim the Château. Ten years on, having decimated the collections, he claimed that the Château was too much of a burden to manage and that it was ugly. – over the next few years it became a ruin, being left open to the wind, the gardens pillaged and the chapel dismantled by the mayor of Beuzec-Conq with the white granite being sold to build a new house in Concarneau. 1987 saw the coup de grace for the Château, a hurricane with 220 km/h winds. Windows were blown in, the roof was ripped off, floors collapsed,it was now an abandoned ruin.
Today, it is in the care of LA FONDATION DU PATRIMOINE and listed in L'Inventaire Supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques.
Open everyday 10.30 am - 1 pm / 2 pm - 6 pm, except Saturday afternoons, June to September. Admission 5€
