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The walk starts from the car park in front of the Léon Goraguer School at Moulin Vert (north-west district of Quimper).
Access by bus routes 4 and 5.
(S/E) Head towards the River Stéïr, heading north-east, go round a lovely children’s playground and follow the river upstream. Continue to the weir and cross it.
(1) Leave the path on your right and head uphill opposite towards the community gardens (book box), then turn right to descend towards the Promenade du Manoir des Salles.
(2) Ignore the metal footbridge opposite and continue to the left, following the river for about 1 km.
(3) Pass another wooden footbridge on your right, spot the Manoir des Salles (16th century) amongst the trees and continue along the river. Look out for a small island in the river known as ‘l’île aux veuves’ and continue to a grassy area with trees on your left , where you can see a wash house and two fountains (the only remaining features of a former 15th-century manor house), before reaching a roundabout. Go round it on the right and continue along Rue Henri de Bournazel. Pass an old level crossing, ignore Rue Jean-Baptiste Colbert on your right and reach some blocks of flats on the right.
(4) Turn right into a passageway between the blocks of flats (car park sign) and arrive at a new footbridge over the Stéïr. Cross it and continue downriver for about 500 metres, keeping the river on your left and the pay-and-display car park on your right. Pass a small footbridge on your left, go past a children’s playground and walk round the early years centre.
(5) Leave the banks of the Stéïr and turn right onto the Venelle du Moulin au Duc. This leads onto Rue du Chapeau Rouge. First turn right then left and continue along the Venelle du Pain Cuit, which merges into the Venelle de la Gaze. You’ll come out onto Rue Laënnec, where you turn left and, a few metres further on, turn right onto the Venelle du Poivre. This turns at a right angle and leads into Rue René Madec. Turn right, then left near the entrance to the Monoprix shop to cross the river.
Head right towards the traffic lights, cross the road and take the bridge known as the Pont Pissette. On your right, you’ll see the confluence of the Odet and the Stéïr (Quimper, or ‘Kemper’ in Breton, means ‘confluence’).
Turn right, passing a memorial to General de Gaulle, then head to the traffic lights to cross the road and reach the former Tourist Office building, part of which has been converted into a ‘coach operators’ reception centre’.
(6) Walk past this building, cross the esplanade and take the steps leading to the Promenade du Mont Frugy, a wooded hillside overlooking the town. This wide tarmac path initially climbs to the left (signposted ‘pedestrians only’). At the first bend, leave the wide path to your right and continue straight ahead. The tree-lined path leads to a flight of steps on the right.
(7) Turn right, climb the few steps and then continue along the wide footpath. Stay on the upper part of the Frugy and ignore all the turnings to the right or left (there are a few views of Quimper through gaps in the trees). You’ll come to a gate followed by a series of steps leading down to Rue Haute at the traffic lights.
(8) Cross the road, turn right opposite a restaurant, then left into Place du Stivel. Continue along the pedestrianised Rue Jean-Baptiste Bousquet, which runs alongside the Musée de la Faïence. The Romanesque church of Locmaria and its cloister, situated on your left, are well worth a thorough visit. Enter the former priory through a porch, walk through it and turn right at the back of the restaurant Le Prieuré to reach a one-way street.
Walk past the medieval garden and continue along the street to the left. When it bends to the left, take the path on the right which runs alongside the Odet and leads to the Poulguinan Bridge, the last bridge over the Odet, built in 1974.
(9) Follow the path leading to this bridge and cross via the secure pedestrian crossing. At the end of the bridge, head down to the left onto the towpath, pass under the bridge and follow this wide, well-maintained path, which features information boards (offering a view of the Locmaria neighbourhood you have just passed through).
Head north-east until you reach a footbridge about 800 metres away, then cross it (offering a lovely view of the river and the cathedral’s spires).
(10) Continue left along the Allée du Locmaria, which runs alongside the river, until you reach the first bridge. Cross this bridge opposite the Courthouse and turn left onto the Quai de l’Odet. Carry on past two notaries’ offices. At a bus shelter, look out for a gate leading into a small public park. Cross the road and enter the park, which has a children’s play area
(11) On leaving the park, continue along Rue Joseph Halleguen until you reach Venelle de Kergos, which you follow to the left. Turn right onto Rue Louis Hémon and, at the junction with Rue du Palais, turn left. The street curves to the right and passes between a car park on the left – where the statue of La Tour d’Auvergne stands – and the gendarmerie on the right.
Go round the Théâtre de Cornouaille on the left, then cross the large esplanade diagonally. On your right, you’ll see a lovely garden in front of the Médiathèque des Ursurlines. Walk round it on the left and pass the former buildings of the 118th Infantry Regiment to reach the traffic lights on Rue de Falkirk, with the Church of Saint-Mathieu slightly to your right. Cross the road and turn into Rue du Chapeau Rouge.
(12) Turn left into the Chapeau Rouge shopping arcade, which continues as Venelle de la Providence. Turn left to cross the large Providence car park, following the designated pedestrian routes. You’ll come to the Cinévile cinema complex; go round it on the right.
(13) Climb the metal staircase to pass under the bridge of the old railway line (future greenway) and reach Rue Abel Villard. Cross it at the pedestrian crossing, follow it for a few metres to the left, then turn right into the first street on the right. Continue along this street until you reach Rue du Cosquer, which you follow to the right until you reach a roundabout.
(14) Cross over to the right onto the small, newly created concrete esplanade by the banks of the Steïr (with chairs, a small table and even a deckchair); continue along the pavement, then turn right onto the path that runs behind the houses and arrive at the Moulin Vert plain, where an eco-grazing area with sheep has been set up.
(15) Turn left and head back to the car park (S/E).
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