A Visit to the Château de Fougères

About 29 km from Vitré, and 51 km from Rennes, lies the commune of Fougères. It is home to the exquisite Château de Fougères, the largest medieval fortified castle in Europe. Tens of thousands of visitors come to the château every year, and it is easy to see why. There are regular guided tours as well as informational displays throughout, making for an educational and entertaining day for people of all ages.

Upon arrival, one is immediately struck by the castle’s beauty, with its impressive entrance and sprawling ramparts, the tall turrets and winding moat. Originally built in the 11th century, most of what we see today is thanks to reconstruction efforts in the 15th century.

The château was first built of wood in the 11^th century, but was sadly burned in 1166 by King Henry II and his men. It was rebuilt immediately after – of stone this time –  but taken again by King Phillip of France. At this time,  la Bretagne had not yet become part of France; Brittany became part of France in 1532, when King Francois of France married the Claude de Bretagne, Duchess of Brittany. Though it has seen its fair share of battles and sieges, the château still stands as tall and majestic as it did hundreds of years ago.

The site of the fortress was chosen both for its strategic location on trade routes and for its its superb views of the valley and rivers below, securing it as a place of great importance during the middle ages.

I couldn’t help but notice that the imposing fortress was offset by delicate flowers growing alongside the banks of the moat. Around another corner we were struck by this trio of old watermills …

The castle is incredibly well-preserved, its 13 towers standing straight and tall. Looking out over the stone walls, it seemed uncanny that most of what we could see was built between five and eight centuries ago. I could only imagine what it was like during its glory. While I had seen photos of these walls and towers on other visitors’ posts, I was taken aback by how much more beautiful it was in person.

A steep staircase in one of the towers leads to a magnificent view of the castle walls and town beyond. If you can make it, it’s well worth the climb. There are audio guides available at the entrance, but we made do with the numerous visual displays throughout.

As one could imagine, there are a plethora of events taking place throughout the year, including “Letters of the Middle Ages”, a course in medieval calligraphy for children 6 to 12 years. I wonder if they would consider letting a woman in her 50’s join. https://chateau-fougeres.com/fr/agenda/nos-evenements/atelier-enfants-les-lettres-du-moyen-age-0

Fougeres is designated as a city of Art and History, and is perfect for those who want to visit its public garden, numerous shops, and walk along the River Nançon. Both the castle and charming old town center are well worth a few hours of time. We have already put it on our places to revisit once we are able to travel again.

More information on the history of this remarkable chateau can be found here: https://chateau-fougeres.com/en/castle/history-chateau.

The town hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including concerts, festivals, and exhibitions. You can find a full list of events here: https://www.france-voyage.com/cities-towns/fougeres-12247/tourist-office-fougeres-6033.htm

Note: I will update the section below once restaurants and hotels are open again.

Places to stay:

Le Mercier de Montigny: Exquisitely decorated rooms in an 18th century hotel. https://laetitiabl.wixsite.com/lemercierdemontigny

Places to eat:

Restaurant Au Cellier http://www.aucellierdefougeres.fr/

Other things to do in Fougeres:

Jardin Bretagne, 25 acre botanical garden https://www.jardinbretagne.com/

Market day in Fougeres is Saturday

Though we are not currently able to travel, I hope that these posts inspire you to keep dreaming of all of the places out there to explore once we are able to. I would love to hear what places are on your Bucket List.

Stay safe and well,

Amy from Tales from Brittany