Château des Ducs de Bretagne, Nantes, France

The Château des ducs de Bretagne (Castle of the Dukes of Brittany) is a large castle located in Nantes. It served as the centre of the historical province of Brittany until its separation in 1941. It was the residence of the Dukes of Brittany between the 13th and 16th centuries, subsequently becoming the Breton residence of the French Monarchy. Today the castle houses the Nantes History Museum.

The restored edifice now includes the new Nantes History Museum, installed in 32 of the castle rooms. The museum presents more than 850 objects of collection with the aid of multimedia devices. The castle and the museum try to offer a modern vision of the heritage by presenting the past, the present and the future of the city. Night-time illuminations at the castle further reinforce the revival of the site. The 500-metre round walk on the fortified ramparts provides views not just of the castle buildings and courtyards but also of the town.

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User Reviews

Anne West-Leclou (6 years ago)
Amazing museum - very educational. You can choose short or extended self-guided visits

Akshay Mannur (7 years ago)
Beautiful castle. Good evidence of history you will just spend some nice time in here after visiting

alex Taylor (7 years ago)
Easily a two day visit. It's huge. Audio available and displays well set out.

Seamus McInerney (7 years ago)
Love this spot. Especially the coffee shop in the courtyard. Access to the courtyard and ramparts is free. There are charges for the chateaux itself and the exhibition space. Have not yet visited the chateaux but did visit an excellent visiting exhibition on the Vikings.

Khanh DO (7 years ago)
Really nice experience spending here. People who enjoy to engage more in history events can spend up to 2 more hours here, to see all the events that took placr in Nantes in gẻneral, and in this chateau alone. It explains deeply about the history of Nantes and chateau de Bretagne. The Chateau also opens for free for those who are just interested in the landscape of the chateau. Besides, The castle also have a nice green grass yard surround it for those who want a small picnic outside, bath in the sun and enjoy the chill air of the chateau.

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The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians.

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