Paris1972-Versailles2003

There you go , a lot written on Quimper but not really a post on its public transports! I see them all the time, did tried once the train there, and always by car. However, I know many take public transports and the visitors do it a lot for some reason… Therefore, let me tell you a post on the public transports of Quimper!

Why Quimper? well is one of my favorite cities of my lovely Bretagne, right up the alley from me in Finistére dept 29 and after so many visits, feel right to do one on its public transports; at least in a general overview hoping to help those who needs it. Hope it helps.

As said , we always come by car, except once by train on a business trip. Quimper has an excellent public transport network, with a great gare or train station with TGV connection to Paris-Montparnasse and  TER regional trains all over the area, as well as a great bus terminal or gare routiére next door with buses to nearby towns and far away like Paris! on Flexbus and Ouibus who have stops here. The local bus network is QUB. The closest airports are in Lorient or Brest, however, the local little airport has begun some flights out and worth a look.  And do not forget the Celtic’Train or little train taken in front of the Cathedral. A good way to see the city in a hurry!

Ok so let’s get started on the public transports of Quimper!

The QUB network is the public transport network of the Quimper Bretagne Occidentale urban community, of which Quimper is a greater part. It consists of 10 urban lines, 34 presto lines (mainly school), 17 suburban lines (including 2 complementary), 3 Sunday lines ( including 1 on Sunday evening), and an evening service, Qub Noz, comprising 2 evening lines which serve Quimper from Monday to Saturday. A park-and-ride facility north of Quimper has been made available to travelers wishing to park their car outside the city center, to continue their journey by bus. This park and ride is linked to the city center by bus line B via the Croix des Gardiens arrêt/stop.

The 10 urban lines and the 17 suburban lines serve Briec, Ergué-Gabéric, Guengat, Locronan, Plogonnec, Plomelin, Plonéis, Pluguffan, Quéménéven, Quimper, Landudal, Langolen, Edern and Landrévarzec. 3 new features have been introduced: the Connexity circular line (C 1 and C 2 in opposite directions on the same route) connecting the major centers in the center and south of Quimper, the QUBCity electric minibus line looping around the city center and the shuttle to the airport . In September 2021 (this month), line 9 will see the light of day in order to simplify the journey of line 1. The new line 9 will be structured as follows: Place de la Tour d’Auvergne-Kerfeuteun-Cité administrative-Bécharles-Gourvily and the new Kerlic clinic which is due to open in spring 2022. The “IlliQo” lines A and B are the main axes of the network. Correspondence poles at the “Rue du Parc” and “Resistance” stops will allow travelers to access quick and easy connections with other lines.

Complementary lines 1, 2 and 3 complete the transport offer. These lines are offered with a frequency of passage every 30 minutes. Every 30 minutes during peak hours and every 60 minutes during off-peak hours, lines 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 complete the network and guarantee a network of neighborhoods and the territory.  A minibus for the peri-urban towns of Guengat, Locronan, Plogonnec and Plonéis. These lines are called 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. Single ticket cost 1.40€ ,and the book of 10 tickets cost 10.50€.

The QUB network: http://www.qub.fr/

The Quimper Bretagne Occidentale gov webpage on bus transports: https://www.quimper-bretagne-occidentale.bzh/225-bus-et-cars.htm

The Quimper Cornouaille airport at Pluguffan is 10 minutes from the city center. It offers three daily flights from Monday to Friday, one flight on Saturday and three on Sunday between Quimper and Orly airport . The airport also serves London (London city) and Figari.  An airport shuttle from the QUB network connects Pluguffan airport and Quimper city center. Departures for Paris at 6h35, 10h55 and 18h, as well as arrivals at 10h10, 17h15 and 21h35 are guaranteed by reservation from Monday to Friday for the airport shuttle at tel +33 (0) 2 98 95 26 27 or by email: agencequb@keolis.com

The Quimper airport: https://www.quimper.aeroport.bzh/accueil

There is a very good train station and easy transport to Paris Montparnasse passing by my main stations of Auray and Vannes. This I can attest is a good ride. Several daily connections are provided between Quimper and Paris Montparnasse. The duration of a trip is 3h30. The train station, located on Place Louis Armand. The train station is well serve by the Quimpérois taxis are parked in front of the station forecourt awaiting passenger pick-up; coach buses of the BreizhGo network departing from the bus station located in the extension of the SNCF station; Buses of the QUB network of which X lines serve the SNCF station; and The QUB City shuttle, 100% electric and free.

The BreizGo network is good for all public transports in Bretagne/Brittany: https://www.breizhgo.bzh/itineraires-et-horaires/trouver-mon-itineraire

The SNCF train stations on Quimper: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gare/fruip/quimper

The TER Bretagne train stations on Quimper: https://www.ter.sncf.com/bretagne/gares/87474098/Quimper/prochains-departs

And the city of Quimper webpage on public transports: https://www.quimper.bzh/646-transports.htm

There you go folks, nice and easy ways to get to beautiful Quimper; worth the detour indeed. Hope the post can be useful for most, and of course any questions let me know ok.  And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!

Well, here is another find that went thru the holes in my previous posts on Auray, which are many. One of the fun moments of updating older posts ,is to find these gems to tell all. I have visited, walked, sightseeing, you name it and darn do not know why not written a post on the Castle of Auray before; well is in ruins but you get the story and the views are awesome! Hope you enjoy it as I.

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The Château d’Auray is located in Auray , and in my beautiful Morbihan dept 56 of my lovely Bretagne. It is in a very steeply area by the Loc’h river (see post) confluent of the Auray river that ends in the Atlantic Ocean, From its ruins above you get a wonderful view over the lower town or port Saint Goustan and even more romantic at night, The best for us is to walk from upper town place de la République down on a narrow street , rue du Belvédére at the end you arrive at the top of the castle ,Another walk is down rue du Château and turn right at the end to see the castle ! Great!

The first castle of Auray whose presence is mentioned in 1096 protects a ford on the Loc’h river, and the port of Saint-Goustan. The latter is rebuilt from 1201 for Duke Arthur I of Brittany. The most important event here and in Brittany and France for that matter happened during the War of Succession of Brittany, At this time the castle was taken successively by the English and French parties. On September 29, 1364, with the Battle of Auray, Jean IV de Montfort (for Bretagne) besieged the castle and put an end to the claims to the Duchy of Brittany of his rival Charles de Blois (for France) who was killed; the place of his death, Kerblois in the town of Brec’h, is marked by a Calvary. (see post).

According to medieval chronicles, between 1,800 and 2,900 English soldiers(sided with Brittany) face 3,500 or even 4,000 French combatants. Extremely violent, the struggle turned to the advantage of the former, thanks to the ingenious use of the rear guard. During the pass of arms, the Count of Blois lost his life. His challenger, Jean de Montfort becomes Duke of Brittany. While it settled the question of succession, the Battle of Auray did not mark the end of the conflict between the French and the Bretons. The castle will change owners twice more, until 1487 and a final victorious siege of the king’s men.

The castle of Auray was then the place of stay of several dukes of Brittany. François I of Brittany married Isabelle of Scotland there on October 30, 1442. It is in the same place that Guillaume de Blois or de Bretagne was detained in 1448, as a hostage of the submission of the Counts of Penthièvre. The treaty of reconciliation between the duke and his adversaries then gave him back a freedom that he had been waiting for, for 28 years, in successive prisons. In 1477, the secret correspondence between the duke François II and the king of England having been delivered to the king of France Louis XI, the duke had the traitor arrested, who confessed his crime; he was tried in Nantes, then locked up in the castle of Auray, sewn into a bag and drowned at night in the moat!

Subsequently, the castle of Auray was no longer maintained and falls into ruin. Its moat was auctioned after 1546, following the decision of King François I to cede all the vacant lands of the Duchy of Brittany, and the demolition of the ruins was decided by King Henry II, but the king’s prosecutor imposed that the wall on the river side is preserved, and it still exists. Its stones were given in 1558 by the king to the monks of the Sainte-Croix Abbey of Quimperlé, owner of the island of Belle-Île, to build the fort Palais in order to ensure its protection against the English pirates, the rest of the materials were auctioned in 1559.

A rue Neuve or new street was created on September 6, 1560 on the northern moat. A few years later, the street is completely lined with houses and was called as today , the rue du Château or castle street. In addition to a few half-timbered houses, the street is lined with beautiful residences adopting limestone, a noble material in vogue in the 17C and 18C.  In 1633, the Sisters of Saint-François de Nantes settled in Auray to run a girls’ school. A few years later, the construction of their vast convent , known as des Cordelières , and the Chapel of the Eternal Father (see post) ended up transforming the castle. Today, there are some remains of the castle on the right bank of the Loc’h river, such as a round tower known as the “Talus tower” and three buttresses which supported the main building of the castle, as well as two ramps leading down to the Port Saint Goustan.Nice

The city of Auray on its heritage: https://www.auray.fr/Ma-ville/Patrimoine/Les-monuments-historiques

The Morbihan dept 56 tourist office on Saint Goustan district of Auray : https://www.morbihan.com/accueil/decouvrir/le-morbihan/les-incontournables/saint-goustan-port-d-auray

This is a nice sight to see in a wonderful must see area of Auray, Saint Goustan, If not for the romantic ruins of the castle , the views over the river basin are gorgeous and recommended , especially at night, Hope you enjoy the post as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

Moving right along in my updating of older posts in my blog. Well, did find some places not really told you about out and need to do so more. This is the case of the new text and older pictures for the Chapelle Sainte Hélène and the Hôtel de Ville of Auray. Namely, Saint Helene Chapel and the City/Town Hall of Auray. Hope you enjoy the reading as I

Better known as the Chapelle de l’hôpital or hospital chapel, the Chapelle Sainte-Hélène chapel is one of the oldest monuments in Auray showing 1465. This Hôtel-Dieu or hospital was built in 1651. Like all Hôtel-Dieu, it communicated with a chapel in order to allow patients to hear services from their beds. In 1674, at the request of Pierre Le Gouvello de Kériolet, Counselor in the Parliament of Brittany, the Augustines arrived in Auray. They were hospital nuns. On several occasions, the chapel was transformed into a hospital room to accommodate wounded soldiers and sailors, or victims of the frequent epidemics of the past. In the 19C, the Augustinians and the sick were more numerous , it is necessary to enlarge the chapel.Inside, the furniture and woodwork date from the 19C.

In the archives of the city of Auray, the old Hôtel-Dieu or hospital appears in 1609. Two prosecutors run it and must give an account of their management when they leave office. they are forbidden to receive foreigners into the jurisdiction. The doctor, appointed by the city, must visit the hospitals free of charge twice a week. The building includes a room for men, one for women, a bakery, a kitchen, a lean-to, an attic. On November 17, 1794, the Augustines, hospital nuns of Vannes, signed a contract with the town of Auray to take care of the sick. Another building will be added. In 1904, a new hospital was built . It will be replaced by the new hospital center on the Pratel site in 1970, now part of the Bretagne Atlantique Hospital group.

The Sainte-Hélène Chapel is open Mondays and Thursdays from 9h to 12h and from 14h to 17h30 and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9h to 12h. and from 14h to 18h, This Chapel contains beautiful 18C carved stalls from the Chartreuse de Brec’h, a 19C altarpiece and woodwork, Saint Hélène, invoked in this chapel, is the mother of Emperor Constantine, the first Roman Christian emperor. Tradition says that she discovered the cross of Christ during a trip to Palestine. This is why we represent it with a large cross and we invoke it to find lost objects. The chapel is located at 8 Rue Clémenceau, upper town of Auray.

The City/Town Hall of Auray is located at the Place de la République. This was the first mayor’s office I was service to renew my French passport and my French identity card. This is the Hôtel de Ville in French.

In 1742, the town of Auray expressed a wish to build the city/town hall next to the covered market or halle. First plans are designed in 1772 at the French East India Company. These were reworked in 1775 . These plans provided for the joining of the building to the covered market and to the audience of the senechaussee, seat of the municipal assembly, which preexisted on the square. The construction was carried out from 1776 to 1782. A campaign to consolidate the belfry was carried out in 2013. In 1907, a building was built as an extension of the covered market, a building which, until 2006, housed the district court. and an Italian theater. The building is constructed from Taillebourg limestone. Its style is typically French , and is inspired by the city/town hall of Rennes, in particular for its belfry.

The facade on the square, roof and belfry, 18C.  Among the paintings exhibited in the Council Chamber, are the portrait of King Louis XVIII by Jean-Louis Fouqueur after Gérard, canvas and its listed carved wooden frame, 1823. The death of Grégoire, Greek patriarch by Hugues Fourau, canvas and its listed wooden frame, 1826. Portrait in Half-body of the Emperor Napoleon III by Paul Cellier after Wintherhalter, canvas, 1863.

The city of Auray on its heritage including the above: https://www.auray.fr/Ma-ville/Patrimoine/Les-monuments-historiques

The Bay of Quiberon tourist office on Auray: https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/auray

There you go folks, a dandy combination of new and old, government and religious/charitable in historical, architecturally stunning Auray. This is in my beautiful Morbihan and lovely Bretagne, of my belle France. Thanks for stopping by and reading me since November 2010!

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all!!!