Quimper

The Cathedral of Saint-Corentin, a Gothic masterpiece with its twin spires, rises over the heart of town. Dogs are not allowed inside, but the forecourt and the surrounding Place Saint-Corentin are reached on the leash, at the start of the cobbled lanes.

Old Quimper lines up its half-timbered houses along pedestrian lanes and the banks of the Odet and Steir, crossed by flowered footbridges. It is all walked on the leash, among shops, creperies and the covered market, in one of the most intact medieval centres in Brittany.

The Locmaria quarter, downstream on the Odet, is the cradle of Quimper faience, with its Romanesque church and enclosed medieval garden. You wander here on the leash along the river and through the garden; the workshops and the faience museum can be visited, with dogs kept out of the interiors.

Mont Frugy, a wooded hill rising straight above the centre from the south bank of the Odet, is climbed by shaded paths. The walk up is done on the leash and rewards with a fine view over the cathedral spires and the town's roofs.

The Jardin de la Retraite, a botanical pocket tucked behind the ramparts in the heart of town, blends exotic plants, palms and shaded corners. This peaceful haven is visited on the leash, a cool stop a stone's throw from the busy lanes of old Quimper.

Just under an hour from Quimper, the Pointe du Raz plunges its cliffs into the Atlantic at the tip of Cornouaille, a wind-battered protected site. The heathland paths are walked on the leash; on the nearby beaches of Benodet and the bay, dog access is often restricted in summer and allowed off-season.