France – Concarneau (En)

Concarneau is a walled city and one of the most visited places in Brittany. The city has two distinct areas: the modern city on the mainland and the medieval, walled city on a long island in the centre of the harbour.

Where to stay

We stayed in a motorhome area (47.879212, -3.920757 lat, long) in the city. The area is new and lacks existing services, but it’s a five-minute walk from the centre and the walled city. It’s free until 8 p.m., then you pay €6.80. We recommend it for its location for visiting this incredible city. We had a great night, and you can walk around the park.

What to see

We walked toward the centre and reached the port and a square with stalls and a market with an incredible selection of seafood. From the port, you have stunning views of the walled city.

Two small bridges lead you to the entrances to the walled city. The first thing you come across is the Governor’s Tower, which owes its name to its function as the military governor’s residence. At the beginning of the 18th century, a defensive projection was built at the base of the tower.

Vauban Street is the main street and is lined with charming houses, shops, and restaurants. Place Saint-Guénolé features a beautiful fountain and a church bearing his name. This street is also home to the Fish Museum.

Cobbled side streets lead to openings to the fishing port and steps that lead up to the walls. We walked along the walls overlooking the port, passing by the Mayor’s Tower, named after him in 1691, also known as the Munitions Tower because it was where gunpowder was stored. The original tower probably dates back to the 15th century. The tour ends at the Bell Tower, erected in 1906 to house the mechanism of the new clock.

We left this beautiful city and went to La Forêt-Fouesnant, a Breton village facing the ocean, known for its old port, its majestic granite church and its long sandy beach, which you can see in the next post!