Tourism in Quimperlé

Just 19 minutes from Entre Terre et Mer, at the gateway to Finistère, lies the town of Quimperlé.

Anchored in the Cornouaille region, this town is steeped in history. Take an adventure through its maze of picturesque streets and discover the breadth of its past with visits to its historic monuments. Audio guides available.

Situated at the confluence of three rivers – the Isole, Ellé and Laïta – the pretty town of Quimperlé, which has been designated a “historic town”, opens its doors to the south of Finistère. In the heart of the town, you’ll find monuments that bear witness to many different eras: the circular Sainte-Croix abbey church, a medieval bridge, a 15th-century architectural ensemble and the Jesuit-style Ursuline chapel. Like a promise of a journey back in time, a visit to Quimperlé is punctuated by the passage from the lower town to the upper town.

The whole Quimperlé region is brimming with historic sites: chapels, fountains and megaliths. One of the region’s major sites is the Maison-Musée du Pouldu, where Paul Gauguin and his painter friends settled in 1889 and decorated the place from wall to ceiling. The Manoir de Kernault, meanwhile, is set in 31 hectares of parkland, where four orchards are home to over 100 different varieties of apple. Last but not least, the remains of the former Cistercian abbey of Saint-Maurice, located on the banks of the Laïta River, are a delight to visit and soak up the unique atmosphere.

Here are some ideas for visits in the area:

• the banks of the Laita river (which rises in Quimperlé)
• the sandy beach of Le Pouldu
• the Douaniers trail
• Belon oysters: enjoy oysters at the Port du Belon (Jacky’s)