Roscoff

A gentle climate for tough sailors

In the historic heart, everything reminds us that the sea is a source of life. From the church to the grand houses, from the boats carved in stone to the towers of the old port, everything evokes the wealth tied to maritime trade. The spirit of privateers, smugglers, and merchants still hovers over the entrances of ornate cellars, flush with the street or the shore. It is still by the sea that the saga of the famous Johnnies began.

It is in the district of Roskogoz that the story of Roscoff begins. In the Middle Ages, the site is merely a harbor for Saint-Pol-de-Léon. A 15th-century calvary still testifies to the presence of the village. The silting of the port and repeated attacks from the English encourage the people of Roscoff to move further north, to the site of the current old port. It is there that the city began to thrive.

As early as the 16th century, merchants, captains, and privateers left their marks in stone as signs of their wealth. Near the port, built on land reclaimed from the sea, these granite residences and the church rise today, nestled in its garden. From then on, Roscoff continuously expanded further east. The tip of Bloscon, near the Sainte-Barbe chapel, was fortified in the 18th century.

In the early 19th century, the Johnnies also turned to the English Channel. They crossed it to sell the famous pink onions from Roscoff in England. In the second half of the 20th century, a new deep-water port was constructed. It now accommodates the operations of cross-channel ferries, as well as fishing activities. Roscoff continues to improve its maritime infrastructure. Near the biological station, a European-renowned research center, businesses dedicated to harvesting and processing seaweeds are developing. The site is now one of the largest seaweed production centers in Finistère.

Not to be missed

• The Roscoff Onion Festival (late August)
• "Roscoff Celebrates its Heritage" as part of the European Heritage Days (mid-September)

Must-sees

• The house known as "Mary Stuart" (listed)
• The old port, built of granite in the 17th century
• The Maison Forte (16th century) and the turret or "échauguette" (late 16th century)
• The fully restored Church of Notre-Dame-de-Croas-Batz (polychrome decorations), its ossuaries, and its enclosure (listed Historical Monuments)
• The collection of granite houses built by the wealthy shipowners and merchants of the 16th century (finely carved dormers, flush cellar entrances, ornate gargoyles...)
• The six residences listed as Historical Monuments
• The Sainte-Barbe chapel (17th century) located at the top of a rock

To download

• Brochure "Discovering the Heritage" (.pdf)
• Children's game booklet

Nearby

• Saint-Pol-de-Léon, Historic City
• Morlaix, Historic City in a Country of Art and History
• The island of Batz
• The Château du Taureau
• The village of Ménéham
• Maritime connection to England, Ireland, and Spain

Contacts

Roscoff Tourist Office, Côte des Sables, Parish Enclosures

Tel: 02 98 61 12 13

www.roscoff-tourisme.com/

Roscoff Town Hall

Tel: 02 98 24 43 00

www.roscoff.fr/

Petites Cités de Caractère