Audierne (French pronunciation: [odjɛʁn]; Breton: Gwaien) is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.[3] On 1 January 2016 the former commune of Esquibien merged into Audierne.[4]
Audierne
Gwaien | |
|---|---|
 Audierne harbour | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Audierne  | |
  Audierne  Audierne | |
| Coordinates: 48°01′30″N 4°32′26″W / 48.025°N 4.5406°W | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Brittany |
| Department | Finistère |
| Arrondissement | Quimper |
| Canton | Douarnenez |
| Intercommunality | Cap Sizun-Pointe du Raz |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Gurvan Kerloc'h[1] |
Area 1 | 18.37 km2 (7.09 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[2] | 3,697 |
| • Density | 200/km2 (520/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 29003 /29770 |
| Website | www |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
The town lies on a peninsula at the mouth of the Goyen river and for centuries was a fishing village, with a wide sandy beach. Visitors can take a boat from Audierne's port of Esquibien to the Île de Sein.
The harbour, formerly important to the local fishing industry, is now essentially a yacht port. Remaining of the fishery is an oyster farm, in which the delicacy can be bought. Along the harbour stretches the town's main shopping area with its cafés, bars and restaurants, crêperies, boutiques, estate agents and holiday agencies, the town hall, the tourism office, and the regional bus stop. On Saturday mornings there is a farmers' market, which serves as a meeting place for natives and tourists alike.
History
editThe battle of Audierne Bay, which took place on 23 August 1944, was an engagement between German and Allied naval flotillas. Three Allied warships, which had already established control off the coast of Brittany and were lurking off Audierne south of the invested fortress of Brest, intercepted and sank eight German vessels of an armed convoy. This was the conclusion of Operation Kinetic, which was an allied operation aimed at intercepting shipping and hindering German forces besieged at Brest.
International relations
editAudierne is twinned with Penryn in the United Kingdom and Hattingen in Germany.
Population
editInhabitants of Audierne are called Audiernais.
| Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 5,749 | — |
| 1975 | 5,474 | −0.70% |
| 1982 | 5,003 | −1.28% |
| 1990 | 4,657 | −0.89% |
| 1999 | 4,082 | −1.45% |
| 2007 | 3,860 | −0.70% |
| 2012 | 3,742 | −0.62% |
| 2017 | 3,692 | −0.27% |
| Populations of the area corresponding with the commune of Audierne at 1 January 2020. Source: INSEE[5] | ||
Gallery
edit-
Yacht port -
Goyen
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
- ^ "Populations légales 2021" (in French). The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. 28 December 2023.
- ^ Commune d'Audierne (29003), INSEE
- ^ Arrêté préfectoral 16 October 2015 (in French)
- ^ Population en historique depuis 1968, INSEE
External links
edit
- Official website (in French)
- Base Mérimée: Search for heritage in the commune, Ministère français de la Culture. (in French)
- Mayors of Finistère Association Archived 2021-03-18 at the Wayback Machine (in French)
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