Quiberon

Quiberon Kiberen
The beach at Quiberon
Coat of arms
Quiberon
Location within Brittany region Quiberon
Coordinates:
Country	France
Region	Brittany
Department	Morbihan
Arrondissement	Lorient
Canton	Quiberon
Government
• Mayor (2008—2014)	Jean-Michel Belz
Area1	8.83 km2 (3.41 sq mi)
Population (2008)2	5,049
• Density	570/km2 (1,500/sq mi)
INSEE/Postal code	56186 / 56170
Elevation	0–33 m (0–108 ft) (avg. 15 m or 49 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

Quiberon (Breton: Kiberen) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in western France.

It is situated on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon. It is primarily known as a seaside resort for French tourists during summer, and for its history of sardine production.

History

Quiberon seen from Spot Satellite

During the Seven Years' War the bay was the site of the Battle of Quiberon Bay between the French and British fleets. In the French Revolution, in July 1795 Quiberon was used by French Royalist exiles, with assistance from the British, as the base for a failed invasion of Brittany (traditionally a royalist area). The invasion was defeated by the Revolutionaries under General Lazare Hoche.

In the 19th century, Nicolas Appert, a chemist, developed a technique that permitted the sterilization of food. Thanks to this process, Quiberon became the leading harbour for sardine fishing and the production of canned sardines in France. Many families from the Finistère département migrated to Quiberon for the fishing season (May to October). When the men put out to sea, the women worked in the sardine can factories.

The railway between Auray and Quiberon was inaugurated in 1882. It deeply changed Quiberon's way of life. Fishing, canning and the exploitation of seaweed has been replaced by tourism. At that time, some famous people went to Quiberon for a stay, including the writers Gustave Flaubert and Anatole France, and the actress Sarah Bernhardt. The year 1924 was important for the peninsula because it was classified as health resort. Now, the main resources for Quiberon come from tourism.

During the Second World War, fr at the narrow isthmus (see photo) was occupied by the Germans and incorporated into the Atlantic Wall. It housed various blockhouses, but was mainly used by the infantry. In July 1944, 59 resistance fighters were tortured and buried alive there. A Cross of Lorraine mounted on a stone pillar, with a plaque listing the names of the fighters stands there in memory of them. Although the fort is still of military importance (as a training base), a gallery (tunnel) where the bodies were discovered can be visited.

Monuments

Statue of Lazare Hoche

• Église Notre-Dame de Locmaria, 19th century chapel
• Prehistoric site
• Museum of History and traditions : La maison du Patrimoine
• Musée de la mer (Museum of the sea)
• Monument to the Battle of Quiberon between the Revolutionaries and Royalists

Transport

• Quiberon railway station has a summer train service to Auray, which offers connections to Paris and other places in France.
  • Gare de Saint-Pierre-Quiberon
  • Gare de Kerhostin
  • Halte de L'Isthme
  • Gare de Penthièvre
  • Halte Les-Sables-Blancs

From September to July a bus service operates between Quiberon and Auray.

Quiberon Aerodrome is open all year and accessible by private aircraft. The hard runway is 775m long and the tower staff speak both English and French on the radio.

Demographics

Inhabitants of Quiberon are called Quiberonnais.

Twinning

Quiberon is twinned with:

• Looe, Cornwall, UK
• Kempten, Bavaria, Germany, since 1971 (initially with the municipality St. Mang)
• Le Grand Bornand, Haute-Savoie, France, since 1997
• Josselin, Morbihan, France

Use in popular culture

Quiberon is the home of a professional Quidditch team operating within the fictional Harry Potter universe. The Quiberon Quafflepunchers team members players wear shocking-pink robes.

See also

• Communes of the Morbihan department
• Battle of Quiberon Bay

References

• Mayors of Morbihan Association (French)
• INSEE commune file

External links

• City website (French)
• Tourism Office website (French), (English)
• TV Quiberon 24/7 WORLD (English)
• French Ministry of Culture list for Quiberon (French)
• Map of Quiberon on Michelin (English)
  • Quiberon webzine (French)