Musée du Filet

The Musée du Filet, more commonly called the Musée de la Pêche, is the fishing museum of Concarneau, one of the main fishing ports of Brittany. It is located in the Ville Close, the walled old town that sits on a small island in the harbour, joined to the shore by a bridge, in a building that was part of the old arsenal. The ramparts around it, which date mainly from the fourteenth to the seventeenth centuries and were strengthened by Vauban, give the place its character, and the museum fits its setting well.

The museum was founded in 1961 by local fishermen and enthusiasts, and it was the first in France to be devoted entirely to the history and techniques of fishing. It has since gained the official Musée de France label. Over 1,500 square metres of galleries hold a collection of more than twelve thousand items, including about twenty restored boats, large models, logbooks and archives. The material is arranged in three main sections. The first deals with coastal fishing and its tools, including nets, traps and lines, and how families lived from the sea. The second covers deep-sea fishing, including the long campaigns by ships from Concarneau to the Newfoundland banks for cod, and the tuna fleets that made the port prosperous. The third is a living aquarium with Atlantic species, so visitors can see the fish that the boats caught.

Concarneau grew rich on sardines and tuna, and its canneries and boatyards shaped the town. The biggest annual festival is the Festival des Filets Bleus, held every August since the early twentieth century, which began as a charity event to help the families of fishermen and now features Breton music, dance and costumes. The museum explains this history well, and you can see how fishing changed from sail and oar to engines and refrigeration.

A visit takes about an hour and a half. The museum is open daily for much of the year, with an admission charge, but check the current schedule. The building has a view over the harbour from the upper floors, and the museum's boats outside add to the atmosphere.

It suits families, maritime enthusiasts and anyone curious about Breton life. The Ville Close itself, with its shops and crêperies, is part of the visit, and the Musée de la Mer, the Concarneau Aquarium, the Place de la Liberté and the Vieux Port are close. Les Sables Blancs beach lies on the other side of the town.