What to see in Quimper ?

Quimper draws its character from this dual identity: a Breton city through to the paved back alleys, but also capital of Finistère with genuine urban life. The Saint-Corentin cathedral overlooks a medieval centre where Breton still appears on shop signs, and the half-timbered houses of the Terre-au-Duc quarter are anything but a reconstructed backdrop. It's a city that lives for its residents first, which gives it a rare density.

The best window for visiting Quimper lies between May and September, with a peak of activity during the Festival de Cornouaille in July—book well ahead if you're staying locally. Two days suffice to explore the city on foot, the only truly coherent way through the centre. Don't concentrate your stay on HB Henriot pottery factories without exploring the Saint-François market halls, where the city reveals a far more interesting everyday life.