Until the 16th century, Douarnenez was a busy commercial centre exporting local cloth, but its greatest period of prosperity was in the 19th century as it became one of the major centres of the sardine industry. The quaysides would be buzzing with activity from the canning factories, shipbuilding and over 800 sardine fishing boats working out of Rosemeur Port.
Today, Douarnenez is well-known amongst leisure sailors for the Maritime Festival, taking place every two years. In this video with English subtitles Sébastien Rannou, a joinery teacher, gives us a guided tour. He visits Douarnenez and Pont-Croix, the shipbuilding yards and Skellig fishing boat, the Plomarc’h and strolls along the stunning rocky coasts.