Le Chateau de Fougeres

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I started out the day by going to the Marche de Lices in Rennes, which is an immense outdoor market that's held every saturday, to sample some cider. Just a note to you readers: the cider here is amazing, so take advantage of any future opportunities to try Breton Cider. Meanwhile, I'll be researching US Customs laws concerning the personal importing of alcoholic beverages.

Afterwards, I met up with some friends and took an afternoon trip to Fougeres, which is a small village on the border of Bretagne, about an hour north-east of Rennes by bus, and also happens to have one of the largest chateaus in France (so I am told). This chateau was first constructed around the year 1000 in order to defend the region (an independant state at the time) from outside aggressors. It is one of several that were constructed along the border for this purpose, including the chateaus in Vitre and Chateaubriant.

Unlike our failed attempt to visit a photography festival in Vannes two days before, where the wind seemed to have an arctic chill as the heavens poured down upon us (let's just say it didn't merit a blog entry), we were fortunate enough this time to have amazing weather. The chateau itself was colossal. It was the picturesque example of a legendary castle, complete with drawbridge and water moat. Not being an architecture student, I can't comment much on the way it was built, except to say that it's been around for well over 800 years (Henri II of England destroyed the first one in 1166 before it was rebuilt) and definitely doesn't look like anything I would want to mess with. Behind the walls is mainly a grassy courtyard with a few ruined building foundations that used to be the housing quarters, mess hall, etc... From the towers it's possible to get a very nice view of the upper part of the village, which sits on top of a hill overlooking the chateau.

All in all, a very cool place to visit. The chateau visit was 3 euros, with the option for a guided tour (in French). There is also a walking tour that takes you all around Fougeres and its many historical sites and passes right by the chateau, which can be a nice time-killer if you're waiting for one of the chateau's many odd visiting hours to roll around.

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