Église Notre-Dame de Kroaz-Baz

The church at the heart of Roscoff's old town is dominated by a Renaissance bell tower of unusual elegance for northern Brittany. The tower rises over the granite rooftops in carved tiers, decorated with lanterns and pinnacles that owe more to Loire Valley architecture than anything local.

Inside, the church is relatively plain but has some fine maritime ex-votos — model ships and offerings from fishermen who made it home safely. The square in front is a good starting point for a walk through the old quarter, with 16th- and 17th-century merchant houses nearby.

things to do sight
A story
The ornate Renaissance bell tower was built in 1545, funded largely by merchants who had grown rich on the linen and onion trade with England. The tower is a rare example of pure Renaissance architecture in Brittany, a region that otherwise stuck stubbornly to its own Gothic and Flamboyant traditions.