Concarneau Things to Do

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walled city or ville close,fortress walls nicely done, a must see in the area
the ville close, or fortified city ,only 380 meters on its longest stretch and 100 meters on it average widest point.

Inside you can see the cannons from the ship Venus now on displayed, get up on the tour du gouvernor, The belltower or Beffroi done in 1906 on the old guard post lookout, that can be seen from outside and nice quaint from the inside, and of course the ramparts, (this time close due to the windy weather Jan 2013).
See the granite houses along rue Vauban, very nice architectural insight into the area and its inhabitants.

Its a nice place to be anytime like going back in time with all the modern conveniences !!)

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a wonderful museum with the history of fishing ,canning and boating in the area that was and still is very important.The whole thing started in 1961 when an association was created to maintained the trade known to all.

you will have a very good understanding of fisherman life and the economic importance to the area, very educational and historical place, a must to visit. Good for the entire family, in winter is close, but do come back.

the museum is open from april to october every day from 10h to 12h30 and 14h to 18H
April to June, September from 10h to 18h
July and August from 9h to 19h
admission is 4,50€
It has a very nice boutique inside with plenty of nice things.

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done in the 15C. Concarneau had a chapel hospital. It was dedicated to the holy trinity. Its two halls could welcome several sick men and women. The halls gave direct access to the chapel, and from their bed could do their daily routines, it was to care for the homeless ,however by the 19C the hospital was in ruins. Only remained the wooden door facing rue Vauban. We can today admire the door in pillars and cap in stones and on top the blason or idenity shields of the founding lords. To the right of the door, there is a modest statue of St Guénolé done in 1954.

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nice beaches here even if when I have visited its been the winter. There are several here such as Plage de la Cornouaille, Gréve de kernous, des dames, Rôdel,porzou,and the best sables blancs.
where you have a wonderful hotel of same name that not stay yet but looks quaint and nice enticing to try it right on the beach
http://www.hotel-les-sables-blancs.com/fr/index.php

as well as a nice camping ground with nice mobile homes for rent for the whole family.
http://www.camping-lessablesblancs.com/Default/30-les-alentours/307-les-sables-blancs-a-concarneau.html

a bit south at Cabellou you can have a nice beach and camping grounds such as
http://www.le-cabellou-plage.com/
It is ready for folks with impaired mobility and there is a sandy road to the lookout of along the coast of Saint-Jean and Saint-Laurent.

It is a nice place in summer months to give a try. The views over the city of Concarneau and the harbor are sublime even in winter.

This is a biological marine station and inside a museum of natural history of the region , a wonderful place right next to the bay , another wonderful place to see in town

general admission is five euros and times are
Feb 01 to Mar 31 : 14 h - 18 h
Apr 01 to June 30: 10 h - 12 h et 14 h - 18 h
july 01 to August 31 10h - 19 h
September 01 to sept 30 : 10 h-12 h et 14 h- 18 h
October 01 to December 31 : 14 h - 18 h
closed in January

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Walking the ramparts provides an excellent way to get an overview of the old citadelle with great views around the town and the harbour.
It is a relatively easy walk with some steep steps and uneven ground in parts with a few unprotected "drops" where Health and Safety have not yet intervened.
We saw familes with young children and a push chair. So with care and determination it should be accessible to most visitors. The full circuit can be done in two separate sections.
There was no charge but I understand that a small charge is made in high season - perhaps partly to control the numbers of visitors walking the ramparts at the same time.

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Ville Clos the old city of Concarneau is some times referred to as a Ville Fleurie.
Colour and fortresses do not always go hand in hand but here, on an October day, there was enough to justify the name.
Starting with the colourful display of flags above the ramparts, wall baskets along the entrance and in the inner courtyard flowers can be seen throughout your tour of the town.

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There is an large open space in the old town at the end of the main street , just before you get to the ferry stage, that is available to community groups for public performances and meetings.
On a cold and rainy day in May 2006 we had forgotten that it was the 8th - what in the UK was known as V.E. Day but in France is Victory Day, a Public Holiday commemorating the end of the war in Europe in 1945.

It was being used by the local branch of a world peace organisation who were putting on a concert whilst circulating a Petition for signature and information about the organisation. They bravely carried on in spite of some heavy showers and gave a cracking performance - particularly the female vocalist.