Port of Roscoff is a small, quiet port, situated on the Brittany coast in Western France, around 24kms from Morlaix. Port of Roscoff is an ideal gateway to the Brittany region, the rest of France and the whole of Europe. Roscoff town is a quiet fishing village set within the beautiful region of West Brittany.
Port of Roscoff is a small, quiet port, situated on the Brittany coast in Western France, around 24kms from Morlaix. Port of Roscoff is an ideal gateway to the Brittany region, the rest of France and the whole of Europe. Roscoff town is a quiet fishing village set within the beautiful region of West Brittany.
Port of Roscoff is a relatively young port, opened in 1973 in an attempt to revitalize the economy of Brittany region. Ferry links with Plymouth in England and Cork and Rosslare in Ireland promote tourism and encourage trade between Ireland, Southwest England and Brittany. Almost all of the activity in Roscoff is confined to the old port and the rue Gambetta. The other parts of Roscoff are mainly residential roads and streets. The centre of Roscoff is some distance from the port and the SNCF station, which has maintained the traditional character of the old town.
Roscoff History. Roscoff has a proud history. WhenMary Queen of Scots came to France in 1548 to marry Francois, son and heir of Henri II, she landed in Roscoff. The young pretender, Bonnie Prince Charlie, landed at Roscoff in 1746 after being defeated at Culloden. An amusing story is that Henri Olliveir took onions from Roscoff to England in 1828, which launched a classic French image and an onion trade that flourished until 1930s.
Roscoff Attractions. At the far end of Rue Gambetta is the Notre-Dame-de-Croas-Batz, a sixteenth-century church featuring flamboyant Renaissance belfry with a protruding stone cannon and sculpted ships. Should you stand at the side you can see rows of bells hanging one above the other in galleries as if on a wedding cake. Beyond the Notre-Dame-de-Croas-Batz church, at Rock Roum, is the grand Thalassotherapy Institute. Roscoff also has a stunning coastline and beautiful beaches. The most beautiful beach in Roscoff is the Laber beach, about a kilometre away, surrounded by exclusive hotels and apartments.
Fishing is still main activity at the Old Harbour, together with low-key pleasure trips over to the Ile de Batz, an island that almost seems approachable by foot. However, the narrow pier, stretching over 300 or 400 metres towards the island, suddenly drops off into the rocky sea. When the tide is in you can find good vantage points at the Pointe de Bloscon and at the fisherman's white chapel, Chappelle Ste-Barbe. The tide goes out a long way and dictates the embarkation points for boat trips. For dining, Roscoff's fishing quay has many seafood restaurants.
