Walled medieval French cities had been constructed for protection and management in turbulent instances. Some guarded borders, others protected commerce or projected energy.
This text explores 14 of those, every with its personal function and legacy.
At instances it may be overpowering to step right into a city in France and stroll alongside stone ramparts which have stood for a thousand years…
Possibly it’s the sense of safety supplied by these large partitions, or the sound of footsteps on cobblestones, or the way in which slim lanes dart out like secrets and techniques from the partitions.
For me, it’s figuring out these fortifications have seen so many invasions, revolutions, sieges, or surrenders — all of historical past, in different phrases.
Within the Center Ages, France wasn’t a unified nation however a patchwork of rival fiefdoms, typically at conflict with each other. Add in exterior conflicts just like the Hundred Years’ Warfare, and cities wanted severe defenses. Partitions had been important for survival.
Additionally they projected energy and advised observers, “We matter”.
Right this moment, many of those once-defensive constructions are nonetheless standing and exploring them can really feel like strolling by way of a residing museum. France is house to a number of the most atmospheric walled cities in Europe, and whereas many partitions had been torn down in peacetime, many additionally survived.
14 Fortified cities in France
France will need to have hundreds of fortified villages, cities and cities, and I appear to be creating a weak spot for medieval navy structure. Ramparts and fortresses are visually putting, and a few are so intricate and complicated it is onerous to consider they had been constructed so many centuries in the past.
Listed below are 14 outstanding ones.
1. Aigues-Mortes (Occitanie)
The superbly straight partitions enclosing Aigues-Mortes, and to the left, the pink lagoon (OT – aigues-mortes)Aigues-Mortes is particular for a number of causes. It’s a kind of absolutely enclosed French medieval cities, with good ramparts, and in summer season, its salt marshes flip vivid pink as a result of Dunaliella salina algae, a surreal backdrop that pulls not solely curious vacationers (generally too many!) but additionally flocks of flamingoes.
It additionally occurs to be the oldest walled metropolis in France.
Constructed by Louis IX (Saint Louis) within the thirteenth century as a Crusader port, it isn’t onerous to think about him calling for staff to hurry up as he ready to move to the Orient.
It is a bit onerous to visualise now however this inland city was as soon as a port, earlier than the shoreline silted up and left it landlocked.
The thick sq. towers and arrow slits aren’t ornament: the Tour Carbonnière and Tour Constance had been two of the six towers and ten gates constructed to defend the city, and so they’ve by no means fallen (nor, in honesty, have they been severely besieged).
The superbly straight streets contained in the partitions had been designed to let troops march rapidly, or they may need made invasion simple if attackers breached the partitions. We’ll by no means know.
Right this moment, the previous Mediterranean gateway and toll station is a much-loved vacationer vacation spot metropolis in southern France, full of retailers and eating places and cafés, and surrounded by ramparts from which you’ll gaze on the wetlands of the Camargue (which it is best to positively get out and discover).
2. Avignon (Provence)
Avignon rampartsMost individuals affiliate Avignon with the Pope’s Palace, however it’s the ramparts that first protected the papal court docket when it moved right here within the 14th century.
The Avignon metropolis partitions are as outdated because the Romans, a first-century construct typical of the period. Nobody is definite of the precise location of the unique partitions however the perimeter was positively expanded over time.
With the arrival of the Popes, town grew and spilled over the partitions, requiring new ramparts. These not solely protected the palace, however held off floods from the mighty Rhône river.
The partitions had been funded by taxing salt and wine, and for those who look carefully, you’ll nonetheless see the initials of some 450 medieval stone carvers etched into the higher stones. (They had been at one level considered Masonic symbols however no, they had been merely initials and drawings of labor devices.)
Stretching for 4.3 kilometers, these ramparts, now protected by UNESCO, nonetheless encircle the outdated metropolis, pierced by seven gates. Inside, you’ll discover the Palais des Papes (extra fortress than palace) and a cluster of medieval streets.
Through the nineteenth century, Avignon virtually misplaced its ramparts when an anti-medieval motion needed to wash up town and degree a few of its much less engaging elements. However that was additionally the start of a motion to preserve nationwide monuments, so in the long run the ramparts had been saved.
After you have visited the Palais des Papes, you’ll be able to stroll alongside massive sections of the wall, starting on the well-known Pont d’Avignon (Avignon Bridge) and winding your approach to the leafy Rocher des Doms gardens, with a view over the Rhône.
3. Besançon (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)
You may see Besançon’s fortifications within the foreground on the left (photograph by Marc Perrey)Besançon could also be off the overwhelmed observe for vacationers, however it occupied a spot so strategic it was fought over for hundreds of years, with its first partitions erected below Roman rule.
But it surely wasn’t till Louis XIV captured the city from the Spanish in 1674 that the location reached its full navy potential.
Besançon turned French, and the king wasted no time appointing his star navy engineer, Vauban, to rework town right into a cornerstone of France’s japanese protection. He not solely needed to claim his management, however this area bordered the Holy Roman Empire and the king needed a visual image of French authority.
Begun below Spanish rule, the fortifications had been reimagined and accomplished by Vauban between 1678 and 1711. The result’s a shocking citadel that sits 100 meters above town, and it is simple to see how the fortifications adopted the lay of the land.
The Citadel was by no means examined in battle post-Vauban, as is the case with lots of his constructions, probably as a result of they appeared too impregnable for anybody to actually attempt.
Right this moment, the complete ensemble, together with 11 different Vauban websites or French walled cities, is protected by UNESCO. (If you would like to learn extra about this engineering genius, see my submit on Vauban on my Substack.)
The Citadel now homes a number of museums, together with a Resistance and Deportation Museum, a pure historical past museum, and even a small zoo. The ramparts supply sweeping views over town, the Doubs valley, and the Jura hills past.
4. Carcassonne (Occitanie)
Carcassonne is a metropolis in SW France, a kind of cities that conjure up fairy tales, with moody cobblestone streets and centuries-old fortifications. There’s a cause so many authors use it as a backdrop for his or her novels…
It additionally occurs to be Europe’s largest medieval fortified city, encircled by two rings of ramparts that stretch practically three kilometers, guarded by 52 towers.
Components of the fortifications are Roman, and others had been added within the thirteenth century, when France shored up its southern defences throughout its brutal campaign in opposition to the Cathars and rising tensions with Spain.
These weren’t symbolic partitions. With such improvements as double defenses, they mirrored cutting-edge navy technique. Invaders who breached the primary wall discovered themselves trapped within the lices, these naked area between the partitions, which managed entry. Essentially the most well-known of those is the twin-towered and really photogenic Porte Narbonnaise, the primary entrance we use in the present day to enter town.
By the 18th century, Carcassonne had misplaced its navy function and it was slowly deserted, its partitions crumbling. It is terrifying to suppose that the federal government practically demolished it within the 1800s, however for the alarm raised by native historian Jean-Pierre Cros-Mayrevieille. Dashing in to avoid wasting the day was architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, identified for restoring Notre-Dame and Mont-Saint-Michel.
His 1853 restoration stays controversial. Some name his steep roofs and Gothic touches innovations. However with out him, little would stay. The mission spanned sixty years and continued lengthy after his dying.
Right this moment, this walled metropolis in SW France is a UNESCO World Heritage Web site and vacationer magnet. It may possibly really feel overrun in summer season, however stroll the ramparts at daybreak or nightfall, when the shadows stretch and the crowds vanish, and also you’ll perceive why this place in France has endured for 2 millennia.
THE LEGEND OF DAME CARCAS
We hear that Charlemagne’s military was laying siege to Carcassonne, then in Moorish fingers. Princess Carcas had been ruling it since her husband’s dying, and the siege was now 5 years outdated. Famine set in, and town was on the verge of give up. However Girl Carcas stepped in, ordering that town’s final pig and bag of wheat be thrown over the ramparts. Charlemagne, now satisfied town had a lot meals it may spare a pig and feed it with grain, ended the siege. The Princess rang all of the bells. In French, “sonne” means “ring bells”. She was already referred to as Carcas… therefore Carcassonne! However, on condition that the city’s identify was already Carcaso, that could be a little onerous to consider (and as I mentioned within the title… Legend.)
5. Concarneau (Brittany)
Aerial view of Concarneau ©Studio 29The Ville Shut (or “enclosed city”) of Concarneau, a walled metropolis on the coast of France, sits on a fortified island within the harbor of southern Brittany’s most energetic fishing port.
It’s encircled by granite ramparts and as soon as served to defend in opposition to English and Spanish assaults. Now, it welcomes vacationers with its creperies, cafés and galleries settled behind its thick partitions.
Concarneau was first fortified within the thirteenth century. Through the Warfare of the Breton Succession, the English occupied it till Bertrand du Guesclin ousted them in 1373 after three brutal assaults.
Later dukes bolstered the partitions, and Vauban himself really helpful upgrades to strengthen the city’s strategic place on Brittany’s susceptible southern coast.
The city’s navy function light within the nineteenth century, and like Carcassonne, it was virtually demolished however was saved by a coalition of locals and artists. Their 1899 petition ensured the ramparts can be categorized as a Monument Historique, preserving it for generations to come back.
You may stroll a part of the ramparts for views of the harbor and sea, or wander cobbled streets lined with boutiques and ice cream retailers, a cool welcome in the summertime warmth.
6. Dinan (Brittany)
Dinan’s three-kilometer ramparts, the longest and most full in Brittany, are lined with ten towers and 4 monumental gates which as soon as managed motion between Normandy and the Breton coast.
A Benedictine priory emerged right here within the eleventh century, and in 1064 the city’s fortress was besieged by William the Conqueror, an occasion captured on the Bayeux Tapestry.
The partitions we now have in the present day are older, and date from the thirteenth and 14th centuries, when Duke Jean le Roux encircled half the city in stone. Dinan held agency throughout the Breton Warfare of Succession in 1357, when Bertrand du Guesclin, combating for the Duke of Brittany, famously defeated Thomas of Canterbury in single fight.
As Brittany slowly misplaced its independence, Dinan was absorbed into the increasing French kingdom with out resistance. It stayed affluent from commerce through the Rance however contained in the partitions, cloisters and convents changed garrisons.
Heading all the way down to the port in DinanRight this moment, guests can courageous the steep, cobbled Rue du Jerzual all the way down to the harbor beneath, or stroll the ramparts previous the Tour du Connétable and Tour de Beaumanoir. Each two years, the Fête des Remparts turns the city right into a medieval spectacle with pageantry that echoes its defiant previous.
7. Guérande (Brittany)
Positioned close to the Atlantic coast in Loire-Atlantique, Guérande is an exceptionally preserved medieval fortified metropolis in NW France and a uncommon instance of a city whose whole medieval wall nonetheless stands virtually intact.
The ramparts date from the 14th century (looks like the favourite century for ramparts!) when Guérande flourished below the Duchy of Brittany. The city’s wealth got here from salt, the prized white gold harvested from the encompassing salt marshes, the marais salants.
However Guérande was each a key buying and selling hub and spiritual heart, so it wanted safety. It constructed a 1.4-kilometer defensive wall pierced by 4 monumental gates and 6 towers.
The doorway to the city is thru the Porte Saint-Michel, a twin-towered gatehouse with a drawbridge. Inside are the requisite and beautiful slim streets and stone homes (some become retailers and wonderful creperies), all laid out a lot as they in medieval instances. You may stroll sections of the ramparts in the present day.
The ramparts of Guerande, in Brittany ©OffbeatFranceOn market day, locals purchase cheese and sausage beneath the towers. In the meantime, simply outdoors the partitions, salt staff nonetheless rake the identical marshes that constructed the city’s fortunes.
8. Langres (Grand Est)
Perched excessive on a limestone ridge above the Marne valley, this japanese French city has watched over the panorama for greater than two millennia.
Its ramparts, stretching for 3.5 kilometers, are among the many most full defensive circuits in France. Twelve towers and 7 gates mark the wall stroll – chemin de ronde – from which you will get sweeping views throughout the countryside.
An autumn day alongside the ramparts of Langres, within the Haute-Marne division ©OffbeatFranceThe earliest stones of the partitions had been laid by the Romans, whose castrum (navy camp) defended the frontier of their empire.
Within the Center Ages, the city grew rich and stronger below the highly effective bishops of Langres. After a go to in 1688, Vauban added his personal contact (after all he did) and modernized the fortifications to outlive cannon fireplace and sieges.
Right this moment, Langres is a tranquil city, typically identified for its chilly winters or as the house city of thinker Denis Diderot, whose information is on show on the Maison des Lumières, a wonderful museum of the Enlightenment. It makes for a pleasant exploration, its streets lined with Renaissance and classical mansions and secret courtyards.
Langres might not be as well-known as Carcassonne or Saint-Malo, however it’s totally genuine and quietly lovely.
9. Laon (Hauts-de-France)
Laon rises above the Picardy plain, encircled by seven kilometers of ramparts that after made it one of the vital safe medieval French cities in northern France.
Its hilltop place gave it strategic significance for hundreds of years. Proof of human settlement goes again to antiquity, and Laon later turned a royal metropolis below the Carolingians.
By the Twelfth century, the higher city was surrounded by partitions, gates and towers, ultimately reaching 46 towers and 18 fortified entrances. The defenses had been upgraded over time, and within the seventeenth century, a star-shaped citadel impressed by Vauban’s designs was added to strengthen town in opposition to trendy artillery.
A lot of the unique construction has disappeared, however a dozen towers nonetheless stand, so you’ll be able to hint the define of a city that was constructed to withstand siege.
However Laon isn’t nearly fortifications. Its cathedral is without doubt one of the earliest Gothic church buildings in France, constructed earlier than Notre-Dame de Paris.
Notre-Dame de Laon, above town’s rampartsA number of kings dominated from right here, together with Charlemagne’s father, and the city performed a key function in early French historical past, altering fingers greater than as soon as. It even had a quick stint as the dominion’s capital.
Right this moment, Laon is a quiet city. You may stroll alongside the outdated partitions, go to the Porte d’Ardon, or go down into the underground passages that run beneath the higher city. However you may simply accept the view from the ramparts that stretch far throughout the plain…
10. Neuf-Brisach (Grand Est)
Neuf-Brisach is a walled metropolis that’s completely different from many of the others we’re taking a look at right here.
In-built 1699 on the orders of Louis XIV, it wasn’t tailored from an older city – it was designed from scratch, drawn by Vauban to switch the misplaced fortress of Breisach throughout the Rhine. France had been pressured to return the fortress to the Holy Roman Empire after the Treaty of Ryswick two years earlier.
With its octagonal partitions and excellent inside grid, it stays one of the vital full examples of early trendy navy planning in Europe.
You could not write a greater textbook on fortifications: a double ring of bastions and moats surrounds 48 symmetrical blocks, each avenue radiating with geometric precision from the central parade floor. Every little thing — the barracks, the church, the mairie — was positioned on function.
The snowflake-shaped city of Neuf-Brisach, created by Vauban, navy engineer below Louis XIV. Photograph ©Luftfahrer, CC BY-SA 3.0, through Wikimedia CommonsNeuf-Brisach may need been constructed for conflict however it did not see a lot motion. Nonetheless, its defenses had been examined.
In 1814 throughout the Napoleonic wars, it was besieged by Austrian troops and ultimately surrendered. The identical occurred in 1870, when Prussian artillery broke by way of throughout the Franco-Prussian Warfare.
As soon as Alsace was annexed by Germany, the fortifications had been bolstered by Prussian engineers. A few of these are nonetheless seen, and remained in navy use even after the area returned to France. It continued as a garrison city till 1992.
Right this moment, the ramparts are nonetheless walkable, a blue line guiding you previous firing platforms and defensive outworks.
From above, the city seems to be like a snowflake stamped onto the Alsatian plain. The inside is calm and orderly, quieter than its dramatic partitions recommend.
This isn’t the place you will discover medieval romance, however you can find unbelievable symmetry and extraordinary planning.
11. Provins (Île-de-France)
As soon as a star within the crown of the Counts of Champagne, the medieval walled metropolis of Provins is lower than 90 minutes from Paris. It flourished as a serious buying and selling hub throughout the Twelfth and thirteenth centuries, with a number of the largest gala’s in Europe.
To guard this prosperity (and possibly to indicate it off slightly) the city surrounded itself with practically 5 kilometers of stone partitions, of which greater than 1 / 4 stay in the present day. The towers that dot the wall as soon as served as defensive bastions and watch posts.
You may stroll alongside the chemin de ronde, the place hooves as soon as clattered and you might hear the rustle of silk from retailers’ stalls beneath.
The partitions had been by no means examined by invasion, however like many of those cities, fortunes waned as commerce routes shifted and royal energy turned more and more centralized.
Medieval ramparts of ProvinsOverlooking the higher city is the Tour César, an imposing Twelfth-century preserve named not for Julius Caesar (who by no means set foot right here) however for its formidable Romanesque aura. It was as soon as a jail and a bell tower, and you’ll climb up for a view throughout the tiled rooftops and undulating countryside.
Close by, the Grange aux Dîmes, or “tithe barn”, offers you an thought of the city’s mercantile previous. Its vaulted halls at the moment are a museum that showcases the trades and taxes that after made Provins wealthy.
However Provins nonetheless has a aptitude for spectacle: each June, it revives its medieval spirit with the Fêtes Médiévales, a two-day celebration with troubadours, knights, falconry, and reenactments inside the outdated metropolis partitions.
12. Saint-Malo (Brittany)
Approaching Saint-Malo by boat — whether or not on a ferry, crusing journey, and even one of many native excursions — offers you a dramatic view of town’s granite partitions rising immediately from the water.
Its ramparts formed like a ship’s hull and constructed to resist each enemy cannon and Atlantic storms. As soon as a stronghold for corsairs, the city thrived on privateering, with royal licenses permitting its sailors to plunder international ships, a bit like Saint-Jean-de-Luz additional south alongside the coast.
The wealth poured in, funding mansions behind the partitions and fueling Saint-Malo’s fierce independence. Within the sixteenth century, it even declared itself a republic (in identify solely), loyal to no king however its personal.
A lot of town was destroyed in 1944 by American shelling and bombing aimed toward dislodging German troops, however the ramparts had been spared and the city was rebuilt stone by stone, a near-perfect duplicate of the medieval authentic.
Right this moment, you’ll be able to stroll the complete loop of the ramparts and at low tide, sandbanks and causeways seem, linking the mainland to offshore forts and rocky islets like Grand Bé, the place author Chateaubriand is buried.
Inside the partitions, the air carries the scent of crêperies and salted caramel, and you’ll cease and pattern oysters alongside the way in which. It is easy to stroll across the compact outdated city, and really atmospheric, virtually as if these stones had been standing for hundreds of years, not a long time.
13. Vannes (Brittany)
The fortifications of Vannes in Brittany ©A. Lamoureux. Workplace de tourisme Golfe du Morbihan Vannes TourismeSet on the Gulf of Morbihan, Vannes was as soon as one in every of Brittany’s most necessary strongholds, guarding inland commerce routes and serving as a key port for the Duchy of Brittany.
Its ramparts, begun in Roman instances and expanded by way of the Center Ages, nonetheless encircle a lot of the outdated city, their towers casting shadows on the half-timbered homes beneath.
Most of what we see in the present day dates from the thirteenth to seventeenth centuries, together with the putting Tour du Connétable and the ornate gates that pierce the partitions.
On the top of its energy, Vannes managed entry to each the ocean and the hinterland, and its defenses had been repeatedly examined throughout the Wars of the Breton Succession and later, throughout the struggles that led to Brittany’s union with France.
But regardless of this martial previous, Vannes feels much less forbidding than many different walled cities in France. Its fortifications curve gently by way of town, sheltering the previous moats of the Jardins des Remparts. From right here, cobbled lanes lead into the outdated city, with its crooked façades and café terraces.
Right this moment, comply with the scenic strolling route across the ramparts to style each the current and the previous.
14. Villefranche-de-Conflent (Occitanie)
Tucked right into a slim valley the place the Pyrenees converge, Villefranche-de-Conflent as soon as guarded the southern frontier of France. Based within the eleventh century, it was later refortified by Vauban within the late 1600s, who doubled the pink marble ramparts and added Fort Libéria above — a citadel lower into the mountain and linked to the city by a 734-step tunnel carved by way of the rock.
Inside, a single essential avenue runs the size of city, lined with stone façades, artisan workshops, and the occasional creperie. It’s compact, walkable, and largely unchanged in scale for the reason that seventeenth century.
You may climb the ramparts, go to the outdated city corridor, or journey the vacationer prepare as much as Fort Libéria, a steep ascent, however price it for the views.
Close by, the Grandes Canalettes caves supply an sudden detour underground, with dramatic rock formations simply minutes from the medieval gate.
Keep in a single day and also you’ll have it virtually to your self.
Why are there so many medieval walled cities in France?
Fortified cities are a cornerstone of France’s historical past and are a mirrored image of centuries of battle and energy struggles.
What we now name France was as soon as a fragmented patchwork of areas, every with its personal lord or duke, making walled cities important for defence. Every of those areas wanted safety in opposition to each other, or in opposition to international invasions or peasant uprisings, and these fortified cities had been important
Geography made issues worse. France’s central place in Europe uncovered it to repeated battle, particularly alongside its northern and western frontiers.
Brittany, for example, remained semi-independent for hundreds of years and noticed fixed skirmishes with English, Norman, and later French forces.
Partitions had been constructed not only for safety, but additionally to claim energy. Right this moment, having an enormous wall round your property often means you’ve gotten one thing to guard, and that you simply’re wealthy and highly effective.
This was additionally the case for cities within the Center Ages.
A metropolis encircled by stone screamed power and wealth. It meant management of commerce routes, or maybe royal favor. Partitions meant standing.
Over time, many fortifications had been dismantled. In peacetime, they stood in the way in which of city development, and with none exterior threats, they weren’t wanted anymore. In lots of circumstances, individuals merely walked off with the stones, utilizing them for their very own constructing initiatives.
Right this moment, walled cities and their ramparts do not actually serve a function, however they do include centuries of lore and join us to our historical past and society.
IF YOU NEED TO RENT A CAR IN FRANCE
Do not wait till the final minute, particularly if you’d like one of many scarcer automatics.
🚗 Examine availability at Uncover Vehicles (it is what I exploit to match costs).
French walled cities you’ll be able to sleep inside
Some walled cities really feel like open-air museums throughout the day however come alive otherwise after darkish.
Staying inside the ramparts enables you to step out into cobbled silence as soon as the day-trippers depart and the lanterns flicker on.
Listed below are a number of the place that’s nonetheless doable:
- Carcassonne – The last word medieval expertise. A number of motels are situated inside the citadel itself, together with Hôtel de la Cité, which presents turret views and night strolls beneath floodlit partitions. Rooms e book up rapidly, particularly in summer season.
- Aigues-Mortes – This compact, square-shaped city is sort of completely walkable in 10 minutes — however spending the evening contained in the ramparts means you’ll have it principally to your self within the quiet morning mild. Guesthouses and boutique motels abound, many in transformed medieval buildings.
- Saint-Malo – Select a lodge intra-muros (inside the partitions) for a front-row seat to the tides and sunsets. Get up to the sound of gulls and the scent of sea air drifting by way of town gates. Take a look on the Hôtel France et Chateaubriand and Hôtel des Abers.
- Dinan – You’ll discover loads of atmospheric B&Bs tucked into outdated stone homes within the higher city. Staying inside enables you to discover the ramparts at dawn or benefit from the Jerzual steps with out the crowds.
- Langres – Much less touristy however surprisingly well-equipped, with a number of small motels and guesthouses proper contained in the partitions. The environment is hushed, particularly within the night when the streetlights forged lengthy shadows on the ramparts. I admit I liked the Lodge de la Poste, reputed to be France’s oldest.
- Provins – A couple of guesthouses exist inside the higher city, together with historic manors and transformed farmhouses. It’s a quieter possibility, particularly for those who go to outdoors of competition weekends. Try the Lodge des Vieux Remparts.
Walled cities you’ll be able to attain by prepare
Not all walled cities require a automotive. A stunning quantity are linked to the rail community — some through high-speed TGV, others by way of slower regional strains.
Listed below are those best to succeed in:
- Avignon – Served by each TGV (Avignon TGV station) and TER (Avignon Centre), this is without doubt one of the most accessible walled cities in France. The ramparts start just some steps from the station.
- Carcassonne – On the primary Toulouse-Narbonne line, with direct trains from each cities. The station is inside strolling distance of the decrease city and about 25 minutes’ stroll (or a fast shuttle) to the Cité.
- Provins – A direct regional prepare from Paris Gare de l’Est takes simply over 90 minutes. It’s among the best medieval cities in France to go to on a Paris day journey.
- Laon – Reachable through TER from Paris Gare du Nord in below two hours. From the station, you’ll be able to stroll or take the funicular to the walled higher city.
- Langres – Extra of a detour, however doable. Take a TER to Langres-ville, then catch a shuttle or taxi to the historic heart atop the hill.
- Saint-Malo – Direct trains from Rennes in below an hour. Rennes itself is properly linked by TGV to Paris. The outdated city is a 10-minute stroll from the station.
You may e book all of your prepare tickets right here.
For Concarneau, Dinan, Neuf-Brisach, Villefranche-de-Conflent, and Aigues-Mortes, a automotive is both important or extremely really helpful. Regional bus routes could exist, however schedules are rare and never at all times visitor-friendly.
Earlier than you go…
Exploring the numerous walled cities in France by strolling alongside their ramparts often presents fabulous scenic views but additionally offers us a glimpse into the nation’s previous and the ingenuity that went into defending it.
In the event you’re drawn to the drama of excessive partitions and hidden passages, you may additionally get pleasure from these hilltop villages of the Luberon, lots of which grew from the identical want for defence and independence.
Did you get pleasure from this text? I might love for those who shared it!
