Page 281 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

25 the city’s old market squares,
which are still in use today.
Vannes Place des Lices was once the Did You Know?
location for medieval tourna­
! B3 ⌂ Morbihan £ @ ments and the streets around “Vannes and his wife”,
n 1 quai Tabarly; www.
tourisme-vannes.com rue de la Monnaie are lined by carved on the corner of
a wealth of well­maintained a house in place
Standing at the head of the 16th­century houses. Begun Valencia, are the
Golfe du Morbihan, Vannes in the 13th century, Cathédrale town’s mascots.
was the capital of the Veneti, St­Pierre has been drastic ally
a seafaring Armorican tribe remodelled and restored. The
defeated by Caesar in 56 BC. Chapel of the Holy Sacra ment
In the 9th century, Nominoë, houses the tomb of the much To the south of the city the
the first Duke of Brittany, revered Vincent Ferrier, a Parc du Golfe is a beautiful
made it his power base. The Spanish saint who died in leisure park with waterfront
city remained influential up Vannes in 1419. Opposite the attractions. These include a
until the signing of the union western front of the cathe dral butterfly garden, a conserva­
with France in 1532, when is the old covered market, La tory set in a tropical forest
Rennes became the Breton Cohue (meaning “throng” or and an aquarium that boasts
capital. Today it is a bustling “hub bub”), once a central more than 400 species of fish.
commercial city with a well­ meet ing place in the city. Parts Northeast of Vannes, off
preserved medieval quarter, of the building date from the the N166, lie the romantic
and makes a good base for 13th century, and a museum ruins of the imposing 15th­
explorations around the Golfe inside features con temporary century castle, Tours d’Elven
du Morbihan. art by Soulages, Genevieve (Elven Towers).
The impressive eastern and Tal­Coat, plus a small
walls of old Vannes can be collec tion related to seafaring. Musée d’Histoire
viewed from promenade de la Within the 15th­century " ⌂ Château Gaillard,
Garenne. Two of the city’s old Château Gaillard, the Musée 2 rue Noé § 02 97 01 63 00
gates survive at either end: d’Histoire displays jewellery, # Jun–Sep: 1:30–4pm daily
Porte­Prison in the north, and pottery and weapons from ¢ Public holidays
the southern Porte­Poterne, Morbihan’s many prehistoric
with a row of 17th­century sites. The Musée de Beaux- Musée des Beaux-Arts
washhouses close by. Arts has paintings from the ⌂ La Cohue, place St-Pierre
Walking up from elaborate 16th century and a collection § 02 97 01 63 00 # Jun–Sep:
Porte St­Vincent, you come to of contemporary art. 1:30–6pm daily

The honey-stoned old city
walls of historic Vannes,
with canalside lawns
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