Les remparts de Guérande

Take a tour of the ramparts of the medieval city..

Started in the 14th century, the wall in its present form extends over 1,300 m; it has four gates at the four cardinal points: Saint-Michel to the east, Vannetaise to the north, Bizienne to the west and Saillé to the south. In 1848, an additional opening was opened to the south-west of the curtain walls: this is the poterne du Tricot. The ramparts are classified as historical monuments since 1877.

An example of Breton military architecture in the Middle Ages, the ramparts of Guérande are flanked by 6 towers and 4 gates. Did you know that it is sometimes called the Carcassonne of the West? Moats still run along the ramparts, from the Theological Tower to the Bizienne Gate, giving a partial idea of the appearance of the town in the 14th century. Indeed, Guérande has not always been surrounded by ramparts. In 1343, the Duke of Brittany, Jean IV de Montfort, ordered Guillaume de Verger, captain of Guérande, to surround the town with ramparts.
The Saint-Michel Gate remains the symbol of this fortified enclosure. Transformed into a fortified dwelling for the Governor of the town, this 15th century gateway, as evidenced by the marks of the workmen of that time, overlooks the road to Saint-Nazaire and has been entirely restored. Since 1928 it has housed the Guérande Museum

DATAtourisme France