Fougères – A Town of Two Parts

The town of Fougères is a short drive from Le Mont Saint Michel and is well worth the visit if you are in this part of Brittany. The Chateau de Fougères dates back to the year 1000 and was at one time the cornerstone of Brittany’s border defenses in the Middle Ages.

Fougères originally sprang up as a result of the Château. As it developed and grew around the Château we now have a reflection of a medieval town complete with winding tangled streets that are at times incredibly steep. The town exists in two parts, the upper town where the Church of Saint Léonard is located and the lower town (Saint Sulpice District) which contains the Château and the church Saint Sulpice).

fougères

Lower Town

The prominent feature of the Lower Town is, of course, the Château. It has three defensive sections.

Chateau de Fougères

This interior portion of the gate house complex of the Château could be submerged in the event of an attack. This forms the first of three enclosures of the Château designed for protection.

Château

There is a wonderful little Brasserie directly in front of the Château entrance that you should include in your plans. The food was very good, serving traditional Breton crèpes, and the price was very reasonable. The view from the patio of the Chateau gatehouse above makes for a very enjoyable meal.

creperie
More information, history and photos can be found at the Château de Fougères.

The church of Saint Sulpice is adjacent to the Château. If you take the walk from the Upper Town down through the gardens to the Château you will arrive at the back of the Château at St Sulpice. Marble panels, gilded wood and sculptures all make the church the beauty it is.

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Saint Sulpice

Saint Sulpice

Upper Town

In the Upper Town of Fougères you will find a very nice shopping street which leads to the Church of Saint Léonard.

After viewing the Public Gardens behind the Church of Saint Léonard from the ramparts of the Château, we made the climb to the upper ville. There are sidewalks all the way so baby strollers and wheelchairs can make the journey.

Church of Saint Léonard

Jean Ambroise Baston comte de Lariboisière statue

In the 19th century Château de Fougères became a place for reflection by writers because of its beauty. Victor Hugo wrote of the towers at Fougères: “The finest in the world . I have seen it by sunlight, I have seen it by twilight, I have seen it by moonlight, and I will never grow weary of it. It’s wonderful!”

I have to agree with Victor Hugo; it is wonderful. Thirteen towers still exist and the Château de Fougères has examples of military architecture ranging from the year 1000 to the late 1600s.