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©Noé C. photography

Fougères

A thousand-year-old fortress town

Your first sight of Fougères will be the impressive granite silhouette that dominates the town. Nestled at the foot of the largest fortress in Europe, the half-timbered houses and cobbled streets exude charm. Nearly one thousand years of history is before your eyes!

Discover Fougères

Fougères, with its characteristic castle founded in 1020, still has its original charm. Take a little stroll through the old town, with its lively café and restaurant terraces. The half-timbered houses are a reminder of the town’s wealthy past. Step back in time to the grandeur of Fougères! A visual and audio presentation accompanies the tour of the castle, telling its history from the year 1000 to 1500. It’s almost as if you were there…

 

A wonderful fortress!

Standing on a spur of shale, Fougères castle, a vast defensive complex built between the 12th and 15th centuries, won’t fail to impress you.  Flanked with 13 towers over an area of two hectares, its fortifications, which were once surrounded with water, have been completely restored and are definitely worth a visit. Take the parapet walk for a lovely view of the ramparts and the town’s gardens.

Did you know

Who is Mélusine?

Mélusine is the fairy of Lusignan. Yes, but it’s also the name of one of the castle’s towers. Rising to a height of 30 metres, its walls are 3.50-metres thick! It’s undoubtedly a dissuasive defensive system.

Extraordinary gardens

Fougères also has many green spaces, such as the public park which overlooks the medieval district around Saint-Sulpice church, or the two-hectare Val Nançon, accessed from the castle via Ruelle des Vaux. If you like themed gardens, go and spend a few hours in the Parc Floral du Châtellier. In spring, camellias, azaleas and rhododendrons brighten the garden.

What shouldn’t you miss?

  • The feudal castle (12th – 15th centuries), defender of the duchy of Brittany from the year 1000 to 1500
  • Saint-Sulpice church (15th – 18th centuries)
  • The oldest belfry in Brittany, constructed in 1397
  • Saint-Léonard church built in the 16th century and rebuilt in the 19th century and extended in a Neo-Gothic style
  • The 19th-century theatre
  • Les Urbanistes: the former 17th-century convent, now restored, is home to the School of Drawing and Music
  • The Bonabry district (19th century)
  • The Morel & Gaté factory, one of the most prestigious shoe factories with a façade richly decorated in Odorico mosaics
  • The former Réhault factory, converted into a charity called “Les Ateliers” (permanent exhibition relating the shoe industry in Fougères)
    Official website of tourism in Brittany
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