City guide
What to do in Quimper: the complete guide
The Cathédrale Saint-Corentin, the old town, the banks of the Odet, the Breton museum, Locronan and the Pointe du Raz: what to do in Quimper, the capital of Cornouaille.
6 min read
Quimper is the capital of Cornouaille, and the Breton city that keeps the most of its culture: costumes, faience, music and crêperies. Its old centre is easy to explore on foot, between the Odet and the Steïr.
The Cathédrale Saint-Corentin
Its two spires tower over the city. Inside, notice that the nave is not aligned with the choir: an offset that intrigues every visitor. King Gradlon, on horseback between the two towers, watches over the square.
The old town and the banks of the Odet
On Rue Kéréon, the overhanging houses are home to faience shops and crêperies. Small flower decked footbridges cross the Odet, and Mont Frugy, just opposite, offers a view over the roofs and spires.
What to see in Quimper
Heritage siteQuimper and its cathedralQuimper · A full dayThe capital of Cornouaille, where three rivers meet, around a 92-metre Gothic cathedral whose choir is out of line with the nave.- MarketHalles Saint-FrançoisQuimper · 1 to 2 hoursOpened in 1847 on the site of the former Saint-François convent, the Quimper covered market welcomes local produce every day in the heart of the town.
FestivalFestival de CornouailleQuimper · Half a day to a weekThe Festival de Cornouaille in Quimper: Breton dance, music, costumes and language. The 2026 edition was held from 20 to 26 July; the 2027 dates are still to come.
The Musée départemental breton
In the former bishops’ palace, at the foot of the cathedral, it displays costumes, headdresses, furniture and faience from all over Brittany. The Musée des Beaux-Arts is closed for renovation.
The Festival de Cornouaille, in late July
Every year, in late July, Quimper hosts one of the oldest Breton festivals: concerts, fest-noz and a big costumed parade through the streets.
The markets of Quimper
- MarketMarché bio de KerfeunteunQuimper · 1 to 2 hoursOn Friday afternoons, organic producers and traders gather in the car park of the Kerfeunteun community centre, in Quimper, from 3 pm to 7 pm.
- MarketMarché de PenharsQuimper · 1 to 2 hoursPenhars market in Quimper, on Wednesdays, Maison Pour Tous de Penhars.
- MarketMarché du BradenQuimper · 1 to 2 hoursOn Sunday mornings, the Braden market sets up on Place Victor-Schoelcher, in Quimper: food and clothes, from 7 am to 2 pm.
- MarketMarché du SteïrQuimper · 1 to 2 hoursOn Wednesdays, the Steïr market sets up its stalls along the river and around the Saint-François covered market, right in the centre of Quimper.
Around Quimper
Locronan, one of the most beautiful villages in France, is twenty minutes away. Pont-Aven, Concarneau and its walled town, Douarnenez and the Pointe du Raz are less than an hour away. In season, boats sail down the Odet to Bénodet.
Less than an hour away
VillageLocronanLocronan · 2 hours to half a day, a full day with a hike or DouarnenezLocronan lines up granite mansions, cobbles, a Gothic church and art workshops around an almost untouched square, the legacy of a town made rich by sailcloth and the Troménie.
VillagePont-AvenPont-Aven · Half a day minimum, a full day with the museum, the Bois d’Amour and the galleriesPont-Aven brings together a river, mills, flowery footbridges, galleries and the memory of Gauguin, in a small town that has become one of Brittany’s great places for art.
Heritage siteVille Close de ConcarneauConcarneau · An hour and a half to two hoursA fortified islet set in the middle of Concarneau’s harbours, ringed by granite ramparts, pedestrian and still lived in.
ViewpointPointe du RazPlogoff · 1 h 30 to 3 h, depending on the route and the time you spend.One of Finistère’s great panoramas, a Grand Site de France, with cliffs, the Raz de Sein strait, La Vieille lighthouse, the Île de Sein and the vast Atlantic.
Where to stay in Quimper
Stay in Quimper
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Going further
Quimper, in the journal
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