A bit of history I like on this seafarer town tell us that Penmarc’h was one of the most prosperous cities in Brittany in the 14-15C, fishing was very lucrative. The large harbor which served as a port to Penmarc’h is that of Kérity, protected by the rocky islets of the and which formed a safe anchorage in deep water. It was the main center of the maritime activity of Penmarc’h in the 15-16C, the sailors of Penmarc’h practiced a cabotage which leads them to Normandy and in England, and the Spanish border, their ships also frequent the Picard, English, Welsh and even Irish ports. From the beginning of the 16C, they even went to Lisbon, San Lucar (Avant-Port of Cadiz) and Seville. The city traded hemp, canvas, cattle and grains with the Spanish ports of Galicia and Asturias. But the greatest profits probably came from the trade in tinctorial plants such as pastel and garance, the work of flax and hemp. Between 1520 and 1539, each year there are an average of 20 arrivals of Penmarc’h ships discharging wine, wheat, salt and merlus from the Cap Caval dryeries, and later pastel, and loading herring for the return. In 1556, King Henri II granted the privilege of Papegai to the Arquebusiers de Penmarc’h, even if the city was then under the seigniorial domination of the Barons du Pont. The decline of the port of Penmarc’h begins to decline around 1500 with the discovery of important benches of cod off the coast of Newfoundland which especially benefited the Ports of the Manche, The town reconnects with prosperity during the second half of the 19C after two centuries of economic slump. It owes it to the boom in sardine fishing and the development of the préservation industry The end of the 19C was marked by the construction of the Eckmühl lighthouse, 60 meters high and whose lighting carries on average at 100 km. The first Penmarch lighthouse was built at the Pointe de Penmarc’h, in the Saint-Pierre district, between 1831 and 1835, and was in service from 1835 to 1897, date of the commissioning of the Eckmühl lighthouse on 17 October 1897. Due to its peninsular situation particularly exposed to storms, several rescue stations were created on the territory of the town of Penmarch: that of Kérity opened on November 25, 1868 the rescue station of Saint-Guénolé was created in 1889, and the Saint-Pierre rescue station was founded in 1901, The America, a trawler converted into an auxiliary patroller jumped on a mine deposited by the German submarine UC-36 (KL Gustav Buch) on March 24, 1917 before Penmarch. US transport Covington was torpedoed by a German ship on July 1, 1918 at 130 miles off Penmarch. Several other ships were sunk in front of Penmarch: the Berwind (a civilian boat chartered by the US Navy and responsible for supplying the allies in coal, the Lake Placid transporting flour, both sunk by the sub German sailor U88; the war patrol; Château Laffite, sunk by the German submarine U84; etc. on June 20, 1940, a nazis armored column entered Penmarc’h, at 12:30 pm , and they installed a radar station in the old lighthouse. In early May 1944, the Field Marechal Erwin Rommel, inspector of the Atlantic Wall, passed checks in Saint-Guénolé. The nazis troops left Penmarch on August 4, 1944.
The town of Penmarc’h on its heritage : https://www.penmarch.fr/patrimoine-et-culture/
The town of Penmarc’h on the phare (lighthouse) d’Eckmuhl : https://www.penmarch.fr/bouger-sortir/culture-et-loisirs/le-phare-deckmuhl/
The local pays Bigouden tourist office on the Eckmuhl lighthouse : https://www.destination-paysbigouden.com/en/what-to-see-and-do/history-heritage/phare-d-eckmuhl-1503823
There you go folks, a nice walk to be able to see some wonderful coastal towns of my Brittany with stunning views and leisure living at its best, you will love Penmarc’h. Enjoy the walk, the best way to see a place, no different here. Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Penmarc’h !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, andn many cheers to all !!! This is Penmarc’h !!!
Once again looking back into my vault found me older paper pictures that should be in my blog, after all, this is my life’s history ! This is on historical Penmarc’h, a wonderful city in to visit anytime. This is a coastal town ,very nice in our region of course ,and off the beaten path area that should be visited again,eventually, Again, I take this opportunity to offer me and you this new post. Therefore, here is my take on this is Penmarc’h !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The town of Penmarc’h is in the Department of Finistère no 29, in my lovely region of Bretagne, and in my belle France. The most southwest town of the Bigouden country. It is located at the southern end of the Bay of Audierne.The town also includes the port hamlets of Saint-Guénolé, Saint-Pierre and Kérity. Due to its geographic location, Penmarc’h is the starting point for several underwater telephone cables, serving North America and Africa The town of Penmarch is located 30 km from Quimper, 29 km from Brest, 96 km from Lorient, and 124 km from my house, It is serve by departmental road 785 (my way), going from Pleyber-Christ to Pointe de Penmarc’h, as by the RD 53 going from Loctudy to Saint-Guénolé, also passing through the town of Penmarch. The tourist route “Route du vent solaire” or the sunny road goes from Pointe du Raz to Saint-Pierre (Penmarc’h) along the bay of Audierne for a scenic route tour.
Things to see here are Saint-Nonna Church, dedicated to Saint Nonna, and his sculptures of ships on her facades. Chapelle de la Madeleine and his fountain. In Saint-Guénolé Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Joie. In Kérity : Sainte-Thumette Church, 16C. In Saint-Pierre: Eckmühl lighthouse (see pic), old-lighthouse, and Sémaphore also the Chapelle Saint-Pierre. At the tip or Pointe de Saint-Pierre see the old Penmarc’h lighthouse, since 1995, it has been hosting the “Maritime Discovery Center”, which receives three to four temporary exhibitions per year. There is also a shop, bringing together many books on the lighthouses. A building located between the current lighthouse and the old one hosts an old SNSM (Société nationale de sauvetage en mer ) rescue canoe, dating from 1901, Papa Poydenot. It is the last sail and navigable avirons rescue canoe, restored by the association of the same name.
A bit of history I like on this seafarer town tell us that Penmarc’h was one of the most prosperous cities in Brittany in the 14-15C, fishing was very lucrative. The large harbor which served as a port to Penmarc’h is that of Kérity, protected by the rocky islets of the and which formed a safe anchorage in deep water. It was the main center of the maritime activity of Penmarc’h in the 15-16C, the sailors of Penmarc’h practiced a cabotage which leads them to Normandy and in England, and the Spanish border, their ships also frequent the Picard, English, Welsh and even Irish ports. From the beginning of the 16C, they even went to Lisbon, San Lucar (Avant-Port of Cadiz) and Seville. The city traded hemp, canvas, cattle and grains with the Spanish ports of Galicia and Asturias. But the greatest profits probably came from the trade in tinctorial plants such as pastel and garance, the work of flax and hemp. Between 1520 and 1539, each year there are an average of 20 arrivals of Penmarc’h ships discharging wine, wheat, salt and merlus from the Cap Caval dryeries, and later pastel, and loading herring for the return. In 1556, King Henri II granted the privilege of Papegai to the Arquebusiers de Penmarc’h, even if the city was then under the seigniorial domination of the Barons du Pont. The decline of the port of Penmarc’h begins to decline around 1500 with the discovery of important benches of cod off the coast of Newfoundland which especially benefited the Ports of the Manche, The town reconnects with prosperity during the second half of the 19C after two centuries of economic slump. It owes it to the boom in sardine fishing and the development of the préservation industry The end of the 19C was marked by the construction of the Eckmühl lighthouse, 60 meters high and whose lighting carries on average at 100 km. The first Penmarch lighthouse was built at the Pointe de Penmarc’h, in the Saint-Pierre district, between 1831 and 1835, and was in service from 1835 to 1897, date of the commissioning of the Eckmühl lighthouse on 17 October 1897. Due to its peninsular situation particularly exposed to storms, several rescue stations were created on the territory of the town of Penmarch: that of Kérity opened on November 25, 1868 the rescue station of Saint-Guénolé was created in 1889, and the Saint-Pierre rescue station was founded in 1901, The America, a trawler converted into an auxiliary patroller jumped on a mine deposited by the German submarine UC-36 (KL Gustav Buch) on March 24, 1917 before Penmarch. US transport Covington was torpedoed by a German ship on July 1, 1918 at 130 miles off Penmarch. Several other ships were sunk in front of Penmarch: the Berwind (a civilian boat chartered by the US Navy and responsible for supplying the allies in coal, the Lake Placid transporting flour, both sunk by the sub German sailor U88; the war patrol; Château Laffite, sunk by the German submarine U84; etc. on June 20, 1940, a nazis armored column entered Penmarc’h, at 12:30 pm , and they installed a radar station in the old lighthouse. In early May 1944, the Field Marechal Erwin Rommel, inspector of the Atlantic Wall, passed checks in Saint-Guénolé. The nazis troops left Penmarch on August 4, 1944.
The town of Penmarc’h on its heritage : https://www.penmarch.fr/patrimoine-et-culture/
The town of Penmarc’h on the phare (lighthouse) d’Eckmuhl : https://www.penmarch.fr/bouger-sortir/culture-et-loisirs/le-phare-deckmuhl/
The local pays Bigouden tourist office on the Eckmuhl lighthouse : https://www.destination-paysbigouden.com/en/what-to-see-and-do/history-heritage/phare-d-eckmuhl-1503823
There you go folks, a nice walk to be able to see some wonderful coastal towns of my Brittany with stunning views and leisure living at its best, you will love Penmarc’h. Enjoy the walk, the best way to see a place, no different here. Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Penmarc’h !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, andn many cheers to all !!!
A bit of history I like on this seafarer town tell us that Penmarc’h was one of the most prosperous cities in Brittany in the 14-15C, fishing was very lucrative. The large harbor which served as a port to Penmarc’h is that of Kérity, protected by the rocky islets of the and which formed a safe anchorage in deep water. It was the main center of the maritime activity of Penmarc’h in the 15-16C, the sailors of Penmarc’h practiced a cabotage which leads them to Normandy and in England, and the Spanish border, their ships also frequent the Picard, English, Welsh and even Irish ports. From the beginning of the 16C, they even went to Lisbon, San Lucar (Avant-Port of Cadiz) and Seville. The city traded hemp, canvas, cattle and grains with the Spanish ports of Galicia and Asturias. But the greatest profits probably came from the trade in tinctorial plants such as pastel and garance, the work of flax and hemp. Between 1520 and 1539, each year there are an average of 20 arrivals of Penmarc’h ships discharging wine, wheat, salt and merlus from the Cap Caval dryeries, and later pastel, and loading herring for the return. In 1556, King Henri II granted the privilege of Papegai to the Arquebusiers de Penmarc’h, even if the city was then under the seigniorial domination of the Barons du Pont. The decline of the port of Penmarc’h begins to decline around 1500 with the discovery of important benches of cod off the coast of Newfoundland which especially benefited the Ports of the Manche, The town reconnects with prosperity during the second half of the 19C after two centuries of economic slump. It owes it to the boom in sardine fishing and the development of the préservation industry The end of the 19C was marked by the construction of the Eckmühl lighthouse, 60 meters high and whose lighting carries on average at 100 km. The first Penmarch lighthouse was built at the Pointe de Penmarc’h, in the Saint-Pierre district, between 1831 and 1835, and was in service from 1835 to 1897, date of the commissioning of the Eckmühl lighthouse on 17 October 1897. Due to its peninsular situation particularly exposed to storms, several rescue stations were created on the territory of the town of Penmarch: that of Kérity opened on November 25, 1868 the rescue station of Saint-Guénolé was created in 1889, and the Saint-Pierre rescue station was founded in 1901, The America, a trawler converted into an auxiliary patroller jumped on a mine deposited by the German submarine UC-36 (KL Gustav Buch) on March 24, 1917 before Penmarch. US transport Covington was torpedoed by a German ship on July 1, 1918 at 130 miles off Penmarch. Several other ships were sunk in front of Penmarch: the Berwind (a civilian boat chartered by the US Navy and responsible for supplying the allies in coal, the Lake Placid transporting flour, both sunk by the sub German sailor U88; the war patrol; Château Laffite, sunk by the German submarine U84; etc. on June 20, 1940, a nazis armored column entered Penmarc’h, at 12:30 pm , and they installed a radar station in the old lighthouse. In early May 1944, the Field Marechal Erwin Rommel, inspector of the Atlantic Wall, passed checks in Saint-Guénolé. The nazis troops left Penmarch on August 4, 1944.
The town of Penmarc’h on its heritage : https://www.penmarch.fr/patrimoine-et-culture/
The town of Penmarc’h on the phare (lighthouse) d’Eckmuhl : https://www.penmarch.fr/bouger-sortir/culture-et-loisirs/le-phare-deckmuhl/
The local pays Bigouden tourist office on the Eckmuhl lighthouse : https://www.destination-paysbigouden.com/en/what-to-see-and-do/history-heritage/phare-d-eckmuhl-1503823
There you go folks, a nice walk to be able to see some wonderful coastal towns of my Brittany with stunning views and leisure living at its best, you will love Penmarc’h. Enjoy the walk, the best way to see a place, no different here. Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Penmarc’h !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, andn many cheers to all !!! 
Paris1972-Versailles2003 