BENODET

In the south of Brittany, where the Odet River meets the ocean, the town of Bénodet is a pleasant little seaside resort. Appreciate the charms of a town that offers all the benefits of coastal climates and beautiful natural settings... Relax and recharge your batteries at the thalassotherapy centre or stroll around the marina and make the most of the fine sandy beaches. Further inland there are magnificent walks and hiking trails to discover.

Bénodet has appealed to many an artist: Emile Zola, André Suarez, Eugène Boudin and Guillaume Apollinaire, to name but a few. Now it's your turn...

Bénodet's situation at the mouth of the Odet river has played a large part in shaping the city's history. Although the port is a 6th century construction, the city was an outer harbour for Quimper as far back as the Middle Ages - it was a crossroad for trade with Bordeaux, but also Spain, England and the Netherlands. Legend has it that the local fishermen hunted whales all the way to Newfoundland and thus discovered America prior to 1492.

The city's golden era only truly began in the 19th century because of its reputation as a seaside resort. Bénodet has always been a health and spa resort and generally a place of well-being, but it is also a place with a rich maritime history. The musée du Bord de Mer (or "Seaside Museum"), along with the Glénan achipelago, are sites that testify to the fich natural and historical heritage of the region.

Bénodet is a port city boasting two churches which are significant in architecture history.

Located in the harbour area, the Saint-Thomas church was established in the 13th century. With at first only a simple nave and clock-tower, it was modified in the 16th century. It was once again restructured in the 19th century with, this time, the usage of period elements. Historically, this church was a site of pilgrimage in the name of the "Bénodet Virgin".

Notre-Dame-de-la-Mer is a different matter; this 1968 church is an example of contemporary religious architecture which contrasts a great deal with the older buildings around it.