The commune

The written history of Douarnenez begins around 1118 when, according to a charter dated 1126,^[4] Robert de Locuvan, Bishop of Cornouaille, donated the Island of St Tutuarn and the lands belonging to it to the Abbey of Marmoutier. As a result, a priory was built on the island. In the 14th century, the island became known as Tristan.^[5]

The hamlet which grew up at today's Port of Rosmeur was originally part of the parish of Ploaré. It did not become a commune in its own right until 1790. In 1945, Douarnenez was expanded to include Ploaré, Pouldavid and Tréboul.^[5]

Fishing port

The fishing history of Douarnenez goes back at least to Gallo-Roman times when, as archeological finds demonstrate, fish were salted along the cliffs of Plomarc'h. In the late 18th century and the years before the French Revolution, sardines became the driving force for the local economy; the fishing industry was based on their harvest and, later, processing. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were huge fishing and canning activities at the port. The strikes in the 1920s in favour of better working conditions for the factory women or Penn Sardin were the main reason why Douarnenez became one of the first communist municipalities in France. Today, the canning trade continues, although most of the fish are brought in from other ports. Douarnenez is still a centre of boat building and repair work.

Railways

Douarnenez owes much of its prosperity and expansion to the construction of railways at the end of the 19th century, which provided services for passengers and goods, connecting the port to other markets. from the end of the nineteenth century. From the railway station at the centre of Tréboul, the SNCF operated a service to Quimper.^[6] The route began operations in 1884. In the mid-20th century, many former passengers had shifted to privately owned vehicles and passenger trains were discontinued in 1972. Goods traffic and shipping by rail continued until the railway was closed in 1988. The old line has been converted into an 18 km (11 mi) cycling and walking track, providing an excellent means of discovering the surrounding countryside.

The so-called Youtar^[7] was a small-gauge railway out of Dounarnenez to Audierne via Pont-Croix. Inaugurated in 1894, it was shut down in 1936 during the Great Depression. It was reopened during the Second World War and was finally closed after the war in 1946. The old track between Audierne and Pont-Croix has been converted into a footpath along the River Goyen.

Sport and activities

Douarnenez is a haven for water sports enthusiasts. In addition, there are facilities for horse-riding, tennis, walking, cycling, petanque and golf, all within a short distance of the town.^[10]

Local culture and events

Since 1986, Douarnenez has organised maritime festivals every two years. These festivals attract all types of traditional sailing, with competitors from the four corners of the earth. In 2004, a record year, there were almost 2000 sailing ships, 17,000 sailors, and 30 participating countries.

Douarnenez also has a full programme of annual festivals and events featuring regattas, local folklore, cinema, carnévale processions, gastronomy, and sports. Details are available from the local tourist office. Tourism continues to prosper in Douarnenez. The 91,400 visitors in 2009 represented an increase of 2.87% since 2005.^[11]

Since the late 20th century, there has been a revival of Breton culture. The Bagad de Douarnenez is a Breton music association that performs with bagpipes and other local instruments. The Douarnenez film festival is partially inspired by the Breton revival, and specialises in films from minorities.

Gastronomy

One of the main attractions in Douarnenez are the numerous independent small restaurants and crêperies around the town. Most specialise in seafood, usually offering fish soup, shellfish, crab, lobster, prawns, sardines, mussels, and the catch of the day. Douarnenez's traditional buttery cake, kouign amann, has become famous throughout France and beyond. Breton cider can be drunk either alone or in a kir breton, a cocktail consisting of cider and cassis.

At the covered market or les Halles, open every morning, a wide variety of fresh fish and seafood are sold. In addition, a selection of crêpes or thin pancakes are prepared, which can be ordered with either sweet or savory fillings. The local canning factories continue to produce an ever more extensive range of sardines, which are on sale everywhere.

Transport and access

Douarnenez is about five and a half hours' drive from Paris via Rennes, Lorient and Quimper. Quimper is the best served destination for air and rail connections to the region.

From Quimper, there are high-speed trains to Paris (4 hours) and to other parts of France.

Quimper airport,^[15] about 20 minutes by taxi from Douarnenez, has flights to Paris. Brest airport connects to Paris and Lyon, as well as to Birmingham and Southampton, England, and other destinations.

Douarnenez may be reached by sea although there are no regular passenger services. A ferry service ^[16] operates between Plymouth and Roscoff, the latter less than two hours from Douarnenez by road. Visitors arriving by pleasure boat will find berthing facilities in Douarnenez.

Regular coach service is available between Quimper and Douarnenez, taking about 35 minutes.^[17] Douarnenez has a number of municipal bus routes.^[18]

Sights

One way to visit Douarnenez is to follow the Sardine Route or Chemin de la Sardine. The latter is a guided walk through the town, where 19 panels (in French, English and Breton) at key points along the route explain its history and special connection with the sardine trade.

In the summer, boat trips from Douarnenez travel around the bay with views of the sea caves on the north coast. Visitors to the caves can take one of the trips from Crozon by small boats that take tourists inside the caves.^{[citation needed]}

At low tide, it is possible to walk across to Tristan Island which is now increasingly open to the public. The island has a harbour, a lighthouse, a walled garden, an orchard and an art gallery.

Surrounding area

The coast, stretching westwards to the Pointe du Raz and northwards to Crozon, is best visited on foot.^{[citation needed]} Signposted footpaths lead visitors to all the rocky inlets and headlands, providing sea views. A number of long, sandy beaches are located to the east of Douarnenez. A particularly popular spot is Locronan, a few kilometres from Douarnenez, which is a well preserved Breton village with a number of monuments. In addition, the historic city of Quimper has historic buildings, narrow streets, porcelain factories, and the bustle of the city centre.

Historical citizens

• René Laennec (1781–1826), doctor and inventor of the stethoscope
• Georges Perros (1923–78), writer