Historic Stays in Quimper and Locmaria

Hôtel Ginkgo - SPA Biloba is the historic address in Quimper, rated 8.6 from about 530 reviews. It is set in a listed character building within the priory of Locmaria, the district that cradled Quimper faience, close to the Henriot workshops and the faience museum. Rooms and suites are spacious and contemporary, some with views of the Odet, and the hotel has spa facilities, a rare extra in a heritage building. The riverside path leads into the old town in a short walk. For couples who want character, calm and a spa at the end of the day, it is the clear choice.

Brit Hotel Quimper Sud Climatisé, rated 7.8 from about 540 reviews, is not a historic building, and it is listed here as a practical alternative rather than a heritage stay. Its air-conditioned rooms open directly outside, there is free WiFi and secure parking, and the hotel has a dining room and bar, a terrace and a meeting room. It accepts pets, which helps travellers with a dog. It sits on the south side of Quimper, so you will need a car or a bus to reach the cathedral and the old streets, but it makes a simple base for touring southern Finistère.

The choice between the two is clear once you know what each offers. Hôtel Ginkgo puts you inside the historic fabric of the city, in a listed building beside the oldest church in Quimper, and adds a spa and river views. Brit Hotel Quimper Sud trades charm for convenience: secure parking, air-conditioning and easy access to the main roads towards Bénodet, Concarneau and the Pointe du Raz. Couples and culture lovers should pick Ginkgo; drivers on a tight schedule, business travellers and travellers with pets will find Brit Hotel easier. In July, during the festival, both fill quickly.

Quimper's heritage is compact and walkable. Saint-Corentin Cathedral, with its slightly angled nave and 19th-century spires, dominates the old town, where the streets around Place au Beurre and Rue Kéréon are lined with half-timbered houses. Across the river, Locmaria's Romanesque priory church is the oldest in the city, and the faience workshops still paint plates and bowls by hand. The Musée des Beaux-Arts holds strong Breton painting, and the Musée départemental breton covers local costume and furniture. Mont Frugy, the wooded hill on the riverbank, gives the best view over the spires.