| LOCRONAN, a short way from the sea on the minor road that leads down from the Crozon peninsula, is a prime example of a Breton town that has remained frozen in its ancient form by more recent economic decline. From 1469 through to the seventeenth century, it was a successful centre for woven linen, supplying sails to the French, English and Spanish navies. It was first rivalled by Vitré and Rennes, before suffering the "agony and ruin" so graphically described in its small museum (Mon–Sat 10am–1pm & 2–6pm; €3). As a result, the rich medieval houses of the town centre have never been superseded or surrounded by modern development. Film directors love its authenticity, even if Roman Polanski, filming Tess, deemed it necessary to change all the porches, put new windows on the Renaissance houses, and bury the main square in mud to make it all look a bit more English. Today Locronan is once more prosperous, with its main source of income the tourists who buy wooden statues carved by local artisans, pottery brought up from the Midi and leather jackets of less specified provenance. This commercialization should not, however, put you off making at least a passing visit, for the town itself is genuinely remarkable, centred around the focal Église St-Ronan. Be sure to take the time to walk down the hill of the rue Moal, where the lovely little stone chapel of Nôtre-Dame de Bonne Nouvelle holds some surprising modern stained glass, and a wooden statue of a depressed-looking Jesus. Simply to park on the outskirts of Locronan costs €2.50, though at least your ticket remains valid for a full year. The tourist office adjoins a local history museum (Mon–Sat 10am–1pm & 2–6pm; tel 02.98.91.70.14). The one hotel, du Prieuré, on the edge of town in 11 rue du Prieuré (tel 02.98.91.70.89, www.hotel-le-prieure.com; €55–70; closed mid-Nov to mid-March), is not particularly attractive, but offers well-equipped rooms and has a good restaurant.
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