Vannes City Walls, Vannes, France

In the third century AD, the city of Vannes, called Darioritum, acquires the right to fortify. Thus, west of the Gallo-Roman city, a castrum was built. During the Middle Ages, the castrum becomes the centre of the city. Extended in the 14th century, it is reinforced in the 15th century. Over the following two centuries, the ramparts are modernised with the construction of the Garenne buttress. Several medieval gates has been survived, like Tour du Connétable and Château de l'Hermine (former castle, transformed into a palace in the 17th century). Today there is a nice view from the park Jardins des Remparts to the walls.

User Reviews

Carlos Soto (2 years ago)
Nice place for a stroll in britanny

gregory olivier (2 years ago)
Vannes is a charming and beautiful town. The center has its traditional Brittany spirit. During the season’s greetings the city was illuminated and we had the chance to do free ice skating. Thanks to Vannes.

John Garner (3 years ago)
Brilliant place. Well worth a visit. We had only a morning there but had a good walk around. Plenty to see. Gardens are beaitiful and very well kept.

Beverley Howarth (3 years ago)
Facilities need sorting out only 2 toilets available during our stay other doors locked and they were communal

Robert (3 years ago)
A beautiful area nicely maintained and well worth walking around. The old way houses on the edge of the river are a delight and you should take time to see them. The gardens are nicely laid out and give a haven of tranquillity. It would be nice to be able to walk more of the walls but at least part of it is accessible.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Giåm

Historic Site of the week

Glimmingehus

Glimmingehus is the best preserved medieval stronghold in Scandinavia. It was built 1499-1506, during an era when Scania formed a vital part of Denmark, and contains many defensive arrangements of the era, such as parapets, false doors and dead-end corridors, 'murder-holes' for pouring boiling pitch over the attackers, moats, drawbridges and various other forms of death traps to surprise trespassers and protect the nobles against peasant uprisings. The lower part of the castle's stone walls are 2.4 meters (94 inches) thick and the upper part 1.8 meters (71 inches).

Construction was started in 1499 by the Danish knight Jens Holgersen Ulfstand and stone-cutter-mason and architect Adam van Düren, a North German master who also worked on Lund Cathedral. Construction was completed in 1506.

Ulfstand was a councillor, nobleman and admiral serving under John I of Denmark and many objects have been uncovered during archeological excavations that demonstrate the extravagant lifestyle of the knight's family at Glimmingehus up until Ulfstand's death in 1523. Some of the most expensive objects for sale in Europe during this period, such as Venetian glass, painted glass from the Rhine district and Spanish ceramics have been found here. Evidence of the family's wealth can also be seen inside the stone fortress, where everyday comforts for the knight's family included hot air channels in the walls and bench seats in the window recesses. Although considered comfortable for its period, it has also been argued that Glimmingehus was an expression of "Knighthood nostalgia" and not considered opulent or progressive enough even to the knight's contemporaries and especially not to later generations of the Scanian nobility. Glimmingehus is thought to have served as a residential castle for only a few generations before being transformed into a storage facility for grain.

An order from Charles XI to the administrators of the Swedish dominion of Scania in 1676 to demolish the castle, in order to ensure that it would not fall into the hands of the Danish king during the Scanian War, could not be executed. A first attempt, in which 20 Scanian farmers were ordered to assist, proved unsuccessful. An additional force of 130 men were sent to Glimmingehus to execute the order in a second attempt. However, before they could carry out the order, a Danish-Dutch naval division arrived in Ystad, and the Swedes had to abandon the demolition attempts. Throughout the 18th century the castle was used as deposit for agricultural produce and in 1924 it was donated to the Swedish state. Today it is administered by the Swedish National Heritage Board.

On site there is a museum, medieval kitchen, shop and restaurant and coffee house. During summer time there are several guided tours daily. In local folklore, the castle is described as haunted by multiple ghosts and the tradition of storytelling inspired by the castle is continued in the summer events at the castle called "Strange stories and terrifying tales".

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