Concarneau Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Concarneau

Konk-Kerne

Concarneau's harbour and centre

Flag	Coat of arms

Concarneau

Location in France

Concarneau

Location in Brittany

Country

Quimper

Concarneau

Concarneau Cornouaille Agglomération

Area

41.08 km² (15.86 sq mi)

Population

(2021)

20,607

• Density

501.63/km² (1,299.22/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+01:00 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+02:00 (CEST)

INSEE/Postal code

29039 /29900

Elevation

0–36 m (0–118 ft)

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Concarneau (pronounced Kon-kar-NOH) is a lovely town in Brittany, a region in northwestern France. Its name, Konk-Kerne in the Breton language, means "Bay of Cornouaille". Concarneau is located right next to the beautiful Baie de La Forêt (Forest Bay).

This French town has two main parts. There's the modern town on the mainland. Then there's the amazing medieval Ville Close. This "Closed City" is a walled town on a long island. It sits right in the middle of the harbour.

Historically, the old town was famous for building ships. Its strong walls were built way back in the 14th century. Today, the Ville Close is a popular spot for tourists. It has many restaurants and shops. You can also visit the fishing museum there. A bridge connects the Ville Close to the modern town. At the other end, a small ferry takes you to the village of Lanriec.

Fun Events in Concarneau
- Celebrating Breton Culture
Concarneau in Books
Concarneau's Economy
- New Industries and Tourism
People of Concarneau
- Breton Language in Schools
Sports in Concarneau
Famous People from Concarneau
Town Partnerships
Images for kids
See also

Fun Events in Concarneau

In August, Concarneau hosts a big yearly party. It's called the Fête des Filets Bleus. This means "Festival of the Blue Nets." The festival is named after the traditional blue fishing nets. These nets were used by Concarneau's fishing boats.

Celebrating Breton Culture

The festival celebrates the culture of Brittany. It also includes other Celtic cultures. Many towns in Brittany have such festivals. But the Filets Bleus is one of the oldest and biggest. Over a thousand people join in, wearing traditional clothes. Many more come to watch and enjoy. In 2005, the festival celebrated its 100th year!

Concarneau in Books

Concarneau was the setting for a famous book. It was written by Belgian mystery writer Georges Simenon. The book is called Le Chien jaune (The Yellow Dog). It was published in 1931. The story features his well-known detective, Maigret.

Concarneau's Economy

For a long time, fishing has been very important here. Catching tuna is a big part of it. Concarneau is one of the largest fishing ports in France. The company Les Mouettes d'Arvor is one of the last traditional canning factories in town.

New Industries and Tourism

Since the 1980s, other industries have grown. These include building boats. Summer tourism has also become very popular. The Ville Close helps separate the busy working port from the peaceful yacht basin.

Concarneau

People of Concarneau

People who live in Concarneau are called Concarnois (for boys and men) and Concarnoises (for girls and women) in French. In 1959, Concarneau became bigger. It joined with the nearby area of Lanriec. As of 2021, the town has about 20,607 people.

Breton Language in Schools

In 2008, a small number of children went to bilingual schools. In these schools, the Breton language is taught along with French.

Sports in Concarneau

The town has its own football (soccer) club. It is called US Concarneau.

Famous People from Concarneau

Some well-known people have connections to Concarneau:

Michel Desjoyeaux, a famous navigator (sailor)
Samantha Davies, also a talented sailor
Guy Cotten, who started a clothing factory
Stéphane Guivarc'h, a French footballer. He won the FIFA World Cup 1998 with the French national team.