Vieux Quimper (Old Town)
The medieval core of Quimper — a tangle of pedestrianised lanes between the cathedral and the Odet river — is one of the best-preserved old towns in Brittany, its corbelled half-timbered houses leaning gently toward each other as if sharing a secret. Rue Kéréon is the showstopper street, but the real pleasure is getting lost in the alleys off it.
Rue Kéréon and Its Neighbours
Rue Kéréon (named after the shoemakers' guild that once lined it) is the spine of the old town, a cobbled pedestrian street of 15th- and 16th-century timber-frame houses painted in rust, ochre and slate blue. At its northern end it opens onto the cathedral square; at its southern end it meets the Odet.
Branch off onto Rue des Gentilshommes or Rue du Sallé to find quieter stretches where local boutiques and crêperies operate in ground floors that have been selling things since the Middle Ages. The carved wooden corbels on the upper storeys are worth craning your neck to study.
Along the Odet
The Odet river forms the southern boundary of the old town, and the quays — Quai du Steïr and Quai de l'Odet — offer a lovely flat walk between weeping willows and flower-draped bridges. The Pont Médard is particularly photogenic, framing a view back toward the cathedral spires.
In summer, kayak rental is available near the Pont de Cornouaille, letting you explore the Odet from water level — a completely different perspective on the cathedral and the medieval roofline.
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