A Visit to Locronan and Quimper, France

Last year, we visited the charming village of Locronan and the city of Quimper. I had long wanted to visit Locronan, a town that dates back 2,000 years, and is rich in Celtic history and lore. Whenever I saw photos of Locronan, I was drawn to its old, grey granite buildings, its beautiful simplilcity, things that I knew I would love once I finally got there. And I was right…

Locronan is located in the Finistère department of Brittany, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Rennes and about the same distance from Dinan. We decided to visit Locronan and Quimper on our way to see our friends in Piriac-sur-Mer. While the two are most definitely not on the way to the Pays de Loire, where Piriac-sur-Mer is located, we had rented a car and we wanted to make good use of it.

We found the roads in Brittany to be well-maintained and not overly busy. Many of the highways are two-lanes, making road trips relatively stress-free. With our handy GPS guiding us, we found Locronan easily. Upon arrival, we parked our car at the lot that lies just on the outer edge of town.

This map shows just how easy the town is to navigate, and it can easily be seen in an hour or two. Take your time though, as we did. It’s well worth a long and liesurely stroll. We spent the better part of late afternoon and early morning there, so we were able to see the town in varying shades of light, to this aspiring photographer’s delight.

As we entered the town, we came upon this charming restaurant. It was closed at the time, and at first we were disappointed, but then realized it simply meant that we have to come back and visit another time.

We then walked down the “main” street of the town, me stopping every few feet for a photo. How could I not?

The Eglise de St Ronan, dating back to the 15th century, is one of the most interesting churches I’ve seen in my travels with its two very different looking facades.

While there is not a lot to do in terms of cultural activities, it is perfection for those of us who love taking long strolls and dozens of photographs. As the light changed throughout the day, the sun cast light and shadows over the old stones, turning them from grey to pink to rose and gold.

Moss, and little bits of green foliage, seem to grow everywhere in Brittany. The mixture of new life against the ancient stone add to the charm of these old walls. One can only see these treasures when moving slowly, observing the twisted vines and delicate flowers everywhere, be they on the steps of a church or peeking out from under a door that seems to have not been opened for a very long time. What lies behind it, I wondered? A secret garden with a very old bench, perhaps? Or an open space that looks over a little stream? Maybe a small yard with a lovely old potting shed? I would like to find out one day.

Locronan is home to about 800 people, but we found the streets empty when we were there. The only exception was a cat who waltzed about, rubbing itself on blocks of old stone, clearly not having a care in the world.

We did find, unsurprisingly, some people in the little chocolaterie, where we stopped to buy a basket of handmade chocolates for the friends we were visiting the following day.

Indeed, the town was even more beautiful than I imagined and I appcreciated that the old buildings were still being used as shops and restaurants, unlike the “tear it down and build another” attitude we often see here in the U.S. It’s something I see regularly about France, in that half-timbered and stone houses built centuries ago are still occupied, ever as strong and stable as they were long ago. I especially enjoyed this little scene – with its bright blue door and shutters, the metal horse head, and the vine that ran from one end of the building to the other.

I remember the smell coming from the boulangerie, its loaves of freshly baked breads and mouth-watering croissants inside, the Gateaux Breton and kouign amann too …. I wish I could go back this instant!

Even the administration buildings were charming. Here, we found the local tourism office and municipal museum topped with grey-tiled roofs, so characteristic of this region.

We stayed less than 5 minutes from the town, offering us the chance to come back in the morning. We had the pleasure of experiencing this incredible town in late afternoon and just after the sun rose, and I couldn’t say which I found to be more beautiful.

The next time we come, we will make sure to stop for a nibble at this charming creperie …

The information below is taken from my original post on Quimper, which can be found here: https://talesfrombrittany.com/a-day-in-quimper-bretagne-france/

About 20 minutes from Locronan lies Quimper, Brittany’s capital city. Quimper is a large city for Brittany, with about 67,000 inhabitants (as of 2015). This lovely city has two rivers running through it, the Steïr and Odet, that feed into the coast just 15 km away. There is a plethora of cultural activities to choose from, including 6 museums including a magnificent Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Breton history, and the museum of Faience. Quimper has been known since the late 1600’s for its faience and it took quite a bit of willpower not to bring home a suitcase full of these hand-painted treasures.

There are numerous concerts throughout the year, and for the last 90 years, every July, is the Fete de Cornouaill. This beloved, week-long celebration attracts about 250,000 visitors annually. The festival will be held next July, to the pleasure of so many who love to hear the traditional music and see people dancing, just as they have for generations. Find more information here https://www.brittanytourism.com/matching-what-i-want/culture-and-heritage/brittanys-main-events/festival-le-cornouaille/

Standing tall inside the city center is the Cathedral de Saint Corentin, the chancel dating back to the 13^th century, the nave and stunning stained windows from the 15th century.

Also in city center is a large, open square, reminiscent of so many European cities. Numerous shops, restaurants, and cafes welcome travelers and locals alike.

We spent a good hour walking about the medieval streets, admiring the old buildings and their brightly colored shutters.

The narrow streets were easy to navigate and not overly crowded. This little street was my favorite in the city…

We were blessed with perfect weather, and the skies were a shade of blue that I like to refer to as “Brittany blue”. While there are those who say the weather is horrible in Brittany, I beg to differ. There is nothing quite like that bright blue Brittany sky.

This little patisserie seemed to have been taken out of a storybook…

I’m very happy to have visited these delightful places in la Bretagne. Though very different, Locronan and Quimper both offer something for everyone and I highly recommend visiting both.

Restaurants in Locronan:

Au Coin du Feu http://coindufeu-locronan.com/

Comptoir des Voyageurs https://www.comptoir-des-voyageurs.fr/

To see in Quimper:

Cathedral de Saint Corentin https://travelguide.michelin.com/europe/france/brittany/finistere/quimper/cathedrale-st-corentin

Musee des Beaux-Arts de Quimper http://www.mbaq.fr/

Street views with map https://travelguide.michelin.com/europe/france/brittany/finistere/quimper/rue-kereon

Restaurants in Quimper https://theculturetrip.com/europe/france/articles/10-amazing-restaurants-in-quimper-brittany/

Thank you for taking time to read my blog. Please comment below if you would like to visit Locronan and/or Quimper one day.

Amy, from Tales from Brittany