Kéréon street

The Rue Kéréon

The Quimper audio-guided tour has you take the Rue Kéréon, one of the most famous and most photogenic of the city, which leads to the cathedral.

The street of the shoemakers

The name of the Rue Kéréon comes from the Breton kere, in the plural kereon, which designates the shoemakers, in reference to the guild that took up quarters there. Smells of hides, hammer blows and noisy bargaining made the daily life of this flourishing industry of medieval Quimper. The street was then of earth, for lack of paving before the nineteenth century. Long insalubrious and winding, it knew important modifications of layout and appearance, notably after the terrible fire of 1762 which, in twelve days, destroyed several half-timbered houses. Today, lined with old dwellings, it offers a magnificent perspective on the spires of the Saint-Corentin cathedral.

What there is to see

The Rue Kéréon is one of the finest of Quimper, lined with old houses and offering a striking perspective on the spires of the cathedral. Its name recalls the shoemakers who worked there in the Middle Ages. Lively and photogenic, it is the emblematic thoroughfare of Old Quimper, to be walked slowly to appreciate its charm.

Practical information

The Rue Kéréon is in Old Quimper, connecting the Saint-Corentin cathedral to the rest of the centre. A commercial street, it can be walked freely on foot at all hours; its shops follow their own hours.

Where does the name of the Rue Kéréon come from?

From the Breton kereon, the shoemakers, a flourishing guild that worked there in the Middle Ages.

What does the perspective of the Rue Kéréon offer?

A magnificent view of the spires of the Saint-Corentin cathedral, at the end of the street.