The filming locations for *Commissaire Dupin* in Finistère: follow in his footsteps

It all begins 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 creates a Parisian police inspector who has been 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 more than forty countries. It has been so successful that German tour operators have developed entire sightseeing tours following in the commissioner’s footsteps, and every film shoot in Finistère generates a real local buzz.

What makes the series unique? It doesn’t just tell the stories of the investigations: it offers an authentic immersion in the wildest parts of Brittany, 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 a near-permanent filming location and has become inextricably linked to 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 feature as a backdrop to the investigations, symbolising historic Brittany.
• La Corniche (Katerine Wylie Boulevard): this is where the police commissioner’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 inspector’s real-life headquarters, where he drinks his coffee and puts the world to rights between investigations. Fans of the series can even order the famous ‘inspector’s entrecôte’ there.
• The town centre – with its narrow streets, market and quays – features 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 ports to market towns. This diversity within such a compact area makes it the ideal destination for a leisurely holiday: you don’t need to drive for two hours to experience a change of scenery.

Nature remains very much alive here. 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 who are easy to meet. 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

About twenty kilometres from Concarneau, the town of Névez is another favourite setting for Inspector Dupin, and this is no coincidence, as this is where 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, which are regularly captured on camera by the German production team.

The film crews are filming in Port Manech, at the confluence of the Aven and Belon rivers, as well as around the Glénan archipelago, which can be seen 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 world, 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.

L’Ar Men Du offers rooms that all look out onto 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 overlooking the sea. From the bar’s terrace, the view stretches as far as the Glénan Islands – the very same Glénan Islands that are 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 coastal path that runs the length of the Breton coast. Hikers will thus be able to 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 commissioner’s silhouette.

Staying at L’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 diary.

Pont-Aven, the town of painters

Immortalised by Gauguin and his famous school, Pont-Aven is the setting for the novel A Summer in Pont-Aven, one of Jean-Luc Bannalec’s early successes. The town, with its mills, art galleries and harbour on the River Aven, provides the perfect backdrop for stories with a bohemian atmosphere. It lies just a few kilometres from Ar Men Du, making it an ideal day trip from the Raguenez peninsula.

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 Commissioner Dupin’

Southern Finistère is the ideal base from which to explore the locations featured in the TV series Le Commissaire. Here’s how to plan a two- or three-day trip following in the footsteps of Georges Dupin.

Step 1: Arrive and settle in at Ar Men Du (Névez). Check in at the Pointe de Raguenez. In the evening, have dinner at the fine-dining 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, visit the police commissioner’s house on the Corniche, and have a coffee at L’Amiral. If you’ve read the novels, you’ll recognise every street corner.

Step 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 hidden coves and panoramic ocean views that capture the poetry of Dupin’s world.

© Noémie Lefèvre / Tourisme Bretagne

Discover Brittany as you’ve never imagined it before!

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 inspector’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: in the heart of the landscapes that inspired it all, facing a sea that never ceases to tell stories.

Book your stay at Ar Men Du and discover the Finistère of Commissioner Dupin.