Filming Locations for *Commissaire Dupin* in Finistère: Follow in His Footsteps

It all began with Jörg Bong, a German publisher with a passion for Brittany who divides his time between Frankfurt and… Névez, in southern Finistère. Writing under the pen name Jean-Luc Bannalec, he created a Parisian police commissioner who is transferred to Brittany as a disciplinary measure and who gradually discovers the mysteries, landscapes and cuisine of his adopted region.

The television series Kommissar Dupin has been broadcast since 16 April 2014 on the German public broadcaster ARD, and since 2018 on France 3. It is now broadcast in over forty countries. Its success has been such that German tour operators have developed entire sightseeing tours following in the inspector’s footsteps, and every film shoot in Finistère generates a real local buzz.

What makes the series unique? It doesn’t merely recount investigations: it offers an authentic immersion in Brittany’s wildest landscapes, amongst rugged coastlines, fishing ports, hidden manor houses and windswept islands. The locations are not merely backdrops; they are characters in their own right.

Concarneau: the beating heart of the series

If there were one place that epitomised Commissioner Dupin, it would be Concarneau. Since 2013, the ‘Blue City’ has been hosting film shoots on an almost permanent basis, and has become inextricably linked with the world of the commissioner. Designated a ‘City of Art and History’ and the third-largest town in Finistère, Concarneau brings together in a single place the very essence of Brittany: a fortified medieval town, a working fishing port and a seaside resort full of character.

The must-see spots in Concarneau

• The Walled City: the medieval ramparts regularly appear as a backdrop to the investigations, a symbol of historic Brittany.
• La Corniche (Boulevard Katerine Wylie): this is where the chief inspector’s house is located, instantly recognisable to fans of the series.
• The sailing school: transformed into a police station for the duration of filming, it houses the office of Dupin and his team.
• The L’Amiral café-restaurant: the chief inspector’s de facto headquarters, this is where he drinks his coffee and puts the world to rights between investigations. Fans of the series can even order the famous ‘chief inspector’s entrecôte’ there.
• The town centre: its narrow streets, market and quays feature in almost every episode.

The role of Commissioner Georges Dupin is played by the Swiss-Italian actor Pasquale Aleardi, who said he was immediately captivated by the beauty of the colours of Brittany – a light he says he has never seen anywhere else.

Within just a few kilometres, Finistère transitions from moorland to ria, from coastal woodland to white sandy beaches, and from fishing harbour to market town. This variety within such a compact area makes it an ideal destination for leisurely getaways: you don’t need to drive for two hours to experience a change of scenery.

Nature remains very much at the heart of the region. Nature reserves, estuaries and windswept headlands offer places to walk without encountering many people, especially in spring and autumn. Breton culture, meanwhile, is very much alive: markets, local festivals, and local producers within easy reach. Sharing a kouign-amann at a local bakery or buying dried seaweed from a market vendor – it’s these little moments that make the difference between an ordinary holiday and a trip you’ll remember.

© Poriel Thibault / Tourisme Bretagne

Névez and the Raguenez Peninsula: the untamed Finistère on screen

About twenty kilometres from Concarneau, the town of Névez is another favourite setting for Inspector Dupin, and this is no coincidence, as it is here that the author Jean-Luc Bannalec lives. This little corner of Brittany, nestled amongst moors, rocky outcrops and fine sandy beaches, offers landscapes of striking beauty, regularly captured by the cameras of the German production team.

The film crews frequently shoot in Port Manech, at the confluence of the Aven and Belon rivers, as well as around the Glénan archipelago, visible offshore from the Pointe de Raguenez. The Château du Hénan, a typical Breton manor house nestled amongst the greenery in Névez, also served as the setting for one of the episodes, offering that blend of nobility and mystery that fits perfectly with the inspector’s world.

The Ar Men Du hotel and restaurant: stay in the setting of Commissaire Dupin

At the end of the road, at the edge of the earth, on the Raguenez headland, stands the Ar Men Du hotel and restaurant. This charming three-star establishment is much more than just a place to stay: it offers a total immersion in the landscapes that inspired – and provided the backdrop for – the adventures of Commissioner Dupin.

The Ar Men Du offers rooms all overlooking the ocean, decorated in an authentic nautical style. Its gourmet restaurant, awarded a green star and a red star in the Michelin Guide, showcases local produce through creative and socially conscious cuisine, served in a dining room with panoramic views facing the open sea. From the bar’s terrace, the view stretches as far as the Glénan Islands – the very same Glénan Islands that form the subject of a new investigation by the inspector in one of the recent episodes.

The hotel is also situated on the GR34, the famous customs officers’ path that runs the length of the Breton coast. Hiking enthusiasts can thus explore on foot the coves, moors and rocky headlands that give this part of Finistère its charm, imagining, as they round a bend in the path, that they might catch a glimpse of the inspector’s silhouette.

Staying at the Ar Men Du means choosing to fully embrace the Dupin experience: the ever-present sea, the shifting light of southern Finistère, Breton cuisine at its most refined, and the gentle sensation of having stepped into the pages of a crime novel.

Other filming locations in Finistère worth exploring

Finistère is a vast region, and the inspector’s adventures have taken him all over it. Here are some other iconic places to add to your travel itinerary.

Pont-Aven, the town of painters

Immortalisée par Gauguin et sa célèbre école, Pont-Aven est le cadre du roman Un été à Pont-Aven, l’un des premiers succès de Jean-Luc Bannalec. La ville, avec ses moulins, ses galeries d’art et son port sur l’Aven, offre un décor idéal pour les intrigues à l’atmosphère bohème. Elle se trouve à seulement quelques kilomètres de l’Ar Men Du, ce qui en fait une excursion naturelle depuis la presqu’île de Raguenez.

Quimper, the capital of Finistère

As the departmental capital, Quimper and its prefecture have been the setting for several film scenes. Saint-Corentin Cathedral, the banks of the Odet and the historic centre lend a more urban and institutional feel to the inspector’s investigations.

© Lamoureux Alexandre / Tourisme Bretagne

The Crozon Peninsula

Further north, the rugged Crozon Peninsula has also provided the setting for some episodes. Its vertiginous cliffs, deserted beaches and ‘end-of-the-world’ feel fit perfectly with the atmosphere of Bannalec’s novels.

Trégastel and the Pink Granite Coast

In 2017, the episode Bretonisches Leuchten (Breton Light) took the inspector to Trégastel, in the Côtes-d’Armor, on the spectacular Pink Granite Coast. The episode inspired thousands of German viewers to discover this part of Brittany.

The Glénan Islands

On a clear day, from Ar Men Du, you can see them on the horizon. The Glénan archipelago, off the coast of southern Finistère, is the setting for the inspector’s latest investigation. These wild islands, surrounded by turquoise waters, are one of the most beautiful settings for an investigation the author has ever devised.

© Out Studio / Tourisme Bretagne

Plan your trip ‘in the footsteps of Inspector Dupin’

Southern Finistère is the ideal base for exploring the filming locations of Le Commissaire. Here’s how to organise a two- or three-day trip following in the footsteps of Georges Dupin.

Stage 1: Arrive and settle in at Ar Men Du (Névez). Settle in at the Pointe de Raguenez. In the evening, dine at the gourmet restaurant overlooking the sea. Let the light of the setting sun over the Glénan Islands set the mood.

Step 2: A day in Concarneau (17 km) Explore the Ville Close, find the inspector’s house on the Corniche, and have a coffee at L’Amiral. If you’ve read the novels, you’ll recognise every street corner.

Stage 3: Pont-Aven and Port Manech Spend the morning in Pont-Aven strolling along the River Aven and visiting the art galleries. In the afternoon, head to Port Manech on foot (or by car) to take in the beauty of the estuary and the cliffs of the wild coastline.

Bonus: The GR34 from Ar Men Du, Put on your walking shoes and set off to explore the coast from the hotel. The customs officers’ path reveals the secret coves and panoramic ocean views that capture the poetry of Dupin’s world.

© Noémie Lefèvre / Tourisme Bretagne

Discover Brittany like you’ve never imagined!

Commissioner Dupin has given Brittany something rare: international exposure fuelled by an author’s sincere love for his adopted region. By choosing to live in Névez and set his investigations there, Jean-Luc Bannalec has transformed southern Finistère into a living backdrop for his novels, and the television series has gone on to turn these landscapes into a legend.

Following in the Commissioner’s footsteps means rediscovering Brittany through a loving and attentive gaze – that of a man who has made it his literary playground. And to enjoy this experience to the full, there is no better place to stay than the Ar Men Du hotel and restaurant: at the heart of the landscapes that inspired it all, facing a sea that never ceases to tell stories.

Book your stay at the Ar Men Du and set off to explore Commissioner Dupin’s Finistère.