Douarnenez

France

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Douarnenez, town, Finistère département, Bretagne (Brittany) région, northwestern France. It lies at the mouth of Pouldavid Estuary on Douarnenez Bay of the Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the city of Quimper.

Douarnenez is associated in Breton folklore with the legendary city of Ys, which was believed to lie beneath the waters of the bay, and also with the medieval story of Tristan, lover of Iseult, for whom the island astride the estuary is named. Tristan Island was formerly named Saint-Tutuarn Island for the priory founded there in 1118. The Church of Ploaré in Douarnenez has a Gothic steeple (1548–86), and the chapels of Saint-Michel, Sainte-Hélène, and Sainte-Croix date from the 16th and the 17th century. Douarnenez, once an important fishing port, is now in decline. Fish canning and processing have developed as related activities; other industries include engineering and packaging. Tourism, based on the yachting harbour, has developed as a key feature of the local economy. Pop. (1999) 15,827; (2014 est.) 14,483.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.