Lazy start and short hop to the historic town of Vitré in central Brittany, about 25 kilometres east of Rennes in the Ille-et-Vilaine department. Vitré has a very attractive and well maintained old-town centre with lots of narrow streets lined with medieval cottages and also a magnificent castle and some believe the most impressive medieval town in Brittany.
In the old town there were a large number of lovely colombage (half-timbered) houses. It is little surprise to find that the town is a listed “Art and Heritage town” and has many 15th and 16th century buildings remaining much as they were in the days when it was one of the most powerful towns in Brittany. We walked around the original ramparts of the town which are mostly intact.
Among the monuments in the centre we found the attractive 15th century Church of Notre-Dame, with it’s recognisable decorated spire. The church is an interesting example of the Flamboyant Gothic style and also contains interesting items including an impressive stained glass window.
Vitré is famous for its castle, built in the 13th century and with many additions to the fortifications in the following centuries. The castle is an imposing building with many towers inset in the high walls and reached across a drawbridge. The Chateau is unusual in that, with its attached buildings, it has been built in a triangular pattern. This is because of the shape of the raised rocky area it was built on.
Vitré was a pleasure to explore with its medieval centre, particularly the streets of Rue de la Beaudrairie (street of people who worked with leather), the Rue de la Poterie and the Rue du Chateau.
We then took a short hop (49 mins) to Fougères and found our campsite. Lunch while we waited for the site to open and then off to explore!
The drive into Fougères, is dominated by an impressive granite silhouette that dominates the town upon which sits a large castle founded in 1020. Nestled at the foot of the largest fortress in Europe, is the town with its half-timbered houses and cobbled streets, a reminder of the town’s wealthy past.
It was harder to see the castle from within the town. But after some walking up and down hills, it did finally manage to reveal itself.
Standing on a spur of shale, Fougères castle, a large defensive complex was built between the 12th and 15th centuries. Flanked with 13 towers over an area of two hectares, its fortifications, which were once surrounded with water, have been completely restored.
A beer outside the castle was more than welcome. From this close you can begin to appreciate the amount of land these towers and walls cover.
The Brindley Boxer 