Euroguides - essential for visitors and travellers to Europe - France - Côtes d'Armor

Paimpol (Breton: Pempoull) is a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in Brittany in northwestern France.

It is a tourist destination, especially during the summer months when people are attracted by its port and beaches.
Blue and white striped-jumpers are immediately visible in the streets and are seen to reflect not only their pride in all things to do with the sea, but also in their région, Brittany.

The town centre leads from the port down to the coast, through cobbled streets filled with restaurants, cafés and bars. The town centre includes the Quartier Latin. It was at La place du Martray that Pierre Loti chose to put the house of Gaud, the heroine of his novel Pêcheur d'Islande. The attractions of the town are also a major theme of Guy Ropartz's opera Le Pays and Théodore Botrel's song La Paimpolaise.

Other popular tourist sights include: the Abbaye de Beauport dating back to 1202, and the chapels of Lanvignec, Ste Barbe and Kergrist. L'Île de Bréhat is a rocky archipelago 10 minutes by ferry from the coast next to Paimpol. It is made up of two large islands connected by a bridge, and numerous smaller ones.

Other places of interest in the area include the Moulin de Craca and Circuit de falaises in Plouézec, as well as Pors-Even and the Tour de Kerroc'h in Ploubazlanec.

The Monument to Théodore Botrel in Paimpol is by Pierre Charles Lenoir.

The monument aux morts has sculpture by André César Vermare.

Tourists are well catered for with regular events such as the Tuesday morning street market, night-markets, and "Mardi du port" - where tourists can enjoy diverse world music beside the port.

Paimpol is also home to the bi-annual "Fête des chants de marin" (sea shanty festival) which attracts thousands of visitors over three days in August.