The fortified walls of the city of Vannes in Brittany

Vannes – Introduction

Vannes (a population of some 55,000 inhabitants), located on the coast of Brittany, is a 2,000 year old and beautiful city, with a pretty much intact fortified city walls (ramparts or battlements) and an old city centre.

The city was founded by the Celts who later lost their city to the Roman invasion. Subsequent centuries saw many invasions, mostly from the British.

The city is a mixture of old and new(ish) buildings, however, the most interesting part is the old city centre which has retained its look & feel of centuries ago.

Buildings

There are many beautiful buildings and houses to be found in the city, starting with the City Hall (in French “Mairie” or “Hotel de Ville”). The building was built in 1880.

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City Hall (Mairie) of Vannes in BrittanyCity Hall (Mairie) of Vannes in Brittany
Part of City Hall (Mairie) of Vannes in BrittanyPart of City Hall (Mairie) of Vannes in Brittany
Front square of the City Hall (Mairie) of Vannes in BrittanyFront square of the City Hall (Mairie) of Vannes in Brittany

Right next to the City Hall is a big school, the “College Jules-Simon” with its adjacent “Chapelle Saint-Yves” (which is under major repairs). The school was found in 1574 by the Jesuit monks. The school has undergone many different purposes during the subsequent centuries, including used by the German armies during WWII. Currently it is a school again.

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The Jules-Simon school next to the City Hall of VannesThe Jules-Simon school next to the City Hall of Vannes
The Saint-Yves chapel of the Jules-Simon school next to the City Hall of VannesThe Saint-Yves chapel of the Jules-Simon school next to the City Hall of Vannes

Another government building is the “prefecture” (the regional government, a bit like the governor).

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The prefecture building in Vannes, BrittanyThe prefecture building in Vannes, Brittany
Close-up of the prefecture building in Vannes, BrittanyClose-up of the prefecture building in Vannes, Brittany

The city centre has held its old character. A lot of houses are made out of wood, some with small towers, all set in narrow streets.

Museum (Beaux-Arts) in Vannes
Museum (Beaux-Arts) in Vannes

The Musee des Beaux-Arts pictured above used to be a covered market a few centuries ago (13th century), but transformed into a museum in 1982.

Click here for more information about the museum.

Another museum housed in an old building is the Archeologie museum to be found inside the Gaillard Castle.

Archeologie museum inside the Gaillard castle in Vannes
Archeologie museum inside the Gaillard castle in Vannes

Although castle is a bit of a big name, since it really is a big townhouse. The Chateau Gaillard was built in the 15th century, and served as part of the local parliament.

Here’s another view of the castle:

Chateau Gaillard and its museum in Vannes, Brittany
Chateau Gaillard and its museum in Vannes, Brittany

For more information, like opening times of the museum, click here.

Cathedral

For a city the size of Vannes, and the fact that the Dukes of Brittany lived here, you’d expect that there is a cathedral, and you’ll not be wrong.

Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Vannes in Brittany
Saint-Pierre Cathedral of Vannes in Brittany

NOTE: Click here to read our review of the cathedral.

There are obviously other religious buildings in Vannes

Church in Vannes, Brittany
Church in Vannes, Brittany

There are several catholic churches (6, including the cathedral) and buildings (9 chapels – 4 no longer active, 2 monasteries – 7 no longer active), but also protestant, muslim and even buddhist. Strangely enough, there are no jewish synagogues.

NOTE: Click here to see and read a bit more about some of the churches in Vannes.

The Wooden Houses

The old city centre sees many, and I mean many, wooden houses with between the wood, cement, or even still clay. Most of the houses are painted bright colors. There are not that many cities left with these kind of houses, and Vannes is one of the ones with most of them (another that springs to mind is Rouen)..

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Wooden houses in Vannes, BrittanyWooden houses in Vannes, Brittany
Colorful wooden houses in Vannes, BrittanyColorful wooden houses in Vannes, Brittany
Some bigger wooden houses in Vannes, BrittanySome bigger wooden houses in Vannes, Brittany
Restaurant in a wooden house in Vannes, BrittanyRestaurant in a wooden house in Vannes, Brittany
Bar in a wooden house in Vannes, BrittanyBar in a wooden house in Vannes, Brittany
Wooden houses from the 15th century with church in the background in Vannes, BrittanyWooden houses from the 15th century with church in the background in Vannes, Brittany
The British House in a wooden house in Vannes, BrittanyThe British House in a wooden house in Vannes, Brittany
Bar and shops in wooden houses in Vannes, BrittanyBar and shops in wooden houses in Vannes, Brittany

Not all buildings date a few centuries ago:

Petit-Fers building in Vannes, Brittany
Petit-Fers building in Vannes, Brittany

This is the Petit-Fers building, an industrial building dating back to 1894 where they used to sell hardware (no, not computers, but metals).

And when you look closely, you’ll see some houses with real turrets:

House with turret in Vannes, Brittany
House with turret in Vannes, Brittany

Chateau de l’Hermine

The Chateau de l’Hermine, also known as Hotel Lagorce dates back to 1785. The castle was built on top of the ruins of a fortress that was once the home of the Dukes of Brittany.

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Chateau de l'Hermine alongside the fortified walls of Vannes, BrittanyChateau de l’Hermine alongside the fortified walls of Vannes, Brittany
Back of the Chateau de l'Hermine in Vannes, BrittanyBack of the Chateau de l’Hermine in Vannes, Brittany
Close-up of the Chateau de l'Hermine in Vannes, BrittanyClose-up of the Chateau de l’Hermine in Vannes, Brittany

It has served many purposes during the years, including artillery school, tax offices and now it’s the head office of several associations.

The Streets

The streets in the old city centre are as you’d expect; mostly narrow. Often you’ll find cobblestones, but nevertheless, the roads are pretty well maintained. Many of the streets themselves are for pedestrian only.

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Narrow streets in Vannes, BrittanyNarrow streets in Vannes, Brittany
Cobblestone streets in Vannes, BrittanyCobblestone streets in Vannes, Brittany
Pedestrian only streets in Vannes, BrittanyPedestrian only streets in Vannes, Brittany

Shops & Restaurants

Almost all streets inside the old city centre have shops and/or restaurants (and bars/cafes).

Shops in these old wooden houses look great, it provides an extra atmosphere of “old”.

ButcherBakeryCrepesTabacBooksHairdresser
Boucher and crepes bar in Vannes, BrittanyBoucher and crepes bar in Vannes, Brittany
Upscale bakery in Vannes, BrittanyUpscale bakery in Vannes, Brittany
Cafe/Crepes and clothing shop in Vannes, BrittanyCafe/Crepes and clothing shop in Vannes, Brittany
Tabac shop in Vannes, BrittanyTabac shop in Vannes, Brittany
Bookshop and restaurant in Vannes, BrittanyBookshop and restaurant in Vannes, Brittany
Hairdresser in Vannes, BrittanyHairdresser in Vannes, Brittany

The Ramparts (Fortified Walls)

One of the most interesting parts of Vannes to see are the enormous fortified city walls, also known as ramparts or battlements. They are quite long and very well maintained.

Where the moats used to be are now public gardens and a little river (Marle), making walks very pleasant.

The fortified walls of Vannes, Brittany
The fortified walls of Vannes, Brittany

NOTE: Click here to read a more detailed article about the Vannes Ramparts on our site.

The Marina

At the end of the fortified walls, towards the south, you will find a large, very long marina with mostly pleasure boats.

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Pleasure boats marina in Vannes, BrittanyPleasure boats marina in Vannes, Brittany
Very long pleasure boats marina in Vannes, BrittanyVery long pleasure boats marina in Vannes, Brittany
Panoramic photo of the pleasure boats marina in Vannes, BrittanyPanoramic photo of the pleasure boats marina in Vannes, Brittany

There, amongst many other things you’ll find this:

Merry-go-Round in Vannes, Brittany
Merry-go-Round in Vannes, Brittany

Conclusion

Vannes is a very pleasant city to visit, and merits a day or two to see. There’s a good atmosphere in the city, people are friendly, and there’s a lot to see and do.

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