The city of the legendary King Gradlon was established at the meeting of the Odet and Steïr rivers (Quemper means confluence in Breton). Here in this valley dominated by Mont Frugy, the episcopal town of Quimper grew up around its imposing cathedral. If the cathedral and the remnants of the city walls still have a medieval atmosphere in Old Quimper, the banks of the Odet with their walkways and flower-lined bridges, which have inspired painters and poets alike, are the real living heart of the town. 

As you wander from one road or quay to another, you can admire a number of picturesque and storybook-like medieval houses alongside a number of more austere façades typical of the 13th century. 

The best way to explore Old Quimper is to head to the forecourt of the Saint-Corentin Cathedral via Rue Kéréon. Along the two sides of this commercial artery are a string of magnificent timber-frame and corbelled houses, dominated by the spires of the magnificent gothic building nearby. Built from the 13th century onwards, the cathedral was only completed in the 19th century.