- Cancale
French commune
nomcommune=Cancale
native_name=Kankaven
caption=The fishing port of Cancale
x=61
y=75
lat_long=coord|48|40|37|N|1|51|02|W|region:FR_type:city
région=Bretagne
département=Ille-et-Vilaine
arrondissement=Saint-Malo
canton=Cancale
insee=35049
cp=35260
maire=Maurice Jannin
mandat=
intercomm=Saint-Malo
alt moy=45 m
alt mini=0
alt maxi= 56 m
hectares=1261
km²=13
sans=5203
date-sans=1999
dens=413
date-dens=1999Cancale ( _br. Kankaven; Gallo: "Cauncall") is a commune in the
Ille-et-Vilaine department inBretagne in northwesternFrance .Demographics
Inhabitants of Cancale are called "Cancalais".
As of the
census of 1999, the town had a population of 5203.
The estimate for 2007 was 5293.Tourism
Cancale lies along the coast to the east of
Saint-Malo . It is a picturesque fishing village popular with visitors many of whom are drawn by its reputation as the «oyster capital» of Brittany. Though a small town it is well served by a large number of restaurants, many specialising in seafood. When not eating one can sit and watch the bustle of this busy little town with many stalls selling crustaceans of all types.There is a pleasant coastal path which permits a circular walk from the town to the
Pointe du Grouin with views across the bay towardsMont Saint Michel .Eugène Feyen painted Cancale and the inhabitants with the oyster-picking Cancalaises for several decades around 1865–1908.Vincent van Gogh wrote that "Eugène Feyen is one of the few painters who pictures intimate modern life as it is really, and does not turn it into fashion plates".Oysters
History has it that Louis XIV had his oysters brought to
Versailles from Cancale. Centuries later, the farming of oysters is still a major activity in the port and there are oyster beds covering about 7.3 square kilometres easily seen from the pier at the harbour. These beds harvest about 25,000 tons of oysters each year.ee also
*
Communes of the Ille-et-Vilaine department External links
* [http://www.ville-cancale.fr Official website] fr icon
* [http://www.bklein.de/brittany/cancale.php Cancale] Information and images en icon
* [http://www4.culture.fr/patrimoines/patrimoine_architectural_et_mobilier/sribzh/main.xsp?execute=show_document&id=MERIMEEIA35003564 Cultural Heritage] fr icon
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