Viewpoint on the ramparts

The viewpoint over the ramparts of Vannes

The Vannes audio-guided tour leads you to the outer side of the ramparts, edged by their fine gardens. From here, you enjoy an excellent viewpoint for a souvenir photo of the city, safely sheltered behind its walls.

From Roman fortifications to Darioritum

It was the Romans who built the very first fortifications, to protect their city conquered during the Gallic Wars, which they had called Darioritum. They settled on a former Gaulish site whose ground level would now lie about eight metres beneath your feet. A city's evolution also happens in height: the levels piled up over the centuries, and the ramparts visible today are the result of long transformations.

What there is to see

From this viewpoint, you take in one of the finest panoramas of Vannes: the stone walls, the towers and the flowered gardens running along them. It is the ideal place to capture the silhouette of the walled town and to grasp the scale of its defensive system, among the best preserved in Brittany.

Practical information

The viewpoint over the ramparts is outside the walled town of Vannes, along the gardens. It is freely accessible at all hours and on the level. It is one of the most appreciated photo spots in the city; the late-afternoon light there is particularly beautiful.

Who built the first ramparts?

It was the Romans who built the first fortifications, around their city of Darioritum, on a former Gaulish site. The present ramparts result from successive transformations.

What was Vannes called in Roman times?

The Romans had named the city Darioritum. Its ancient ground level would now lie about eight metres below the present level, a sign of the accumulation of layers over the centuries.