Vannes 2024

[kerouac2]

I have never been a fan of Brittany, and I know that I am wrong.  It is one of the most beloved regions of France with beautiful coastlines and magnificently picturesque cities.  The storms are fantastic with waves crashing against the cliffs, and the seafood is amazing.  It's just not my place, but every 5 or 10 years I make an effort to visit.  Who knows?  Maybe I will change my mind, and Vannes being one of the most beautiful medieval cities, it had a good chance of winning me over.

After checking into the hotel, I was on foot and it was immediately confirmed that the Breton language is nothing like French.

The first street I walked up was very French, though -- a tattoo parlour, a CBD shop and an escape game.  What could be more French?

It soon seemed like home to me with a number of Afghan and Indian restaurants.

But after just a few metres, I began to enter a zone with the half timbered houses for which Vannes is famous.

[kerouac2]

The timbered houses of Vannes date from the 12th to the 16th century, so they must be more solid than they look.





Your feet will always get a workout on the paving stones. These are pretty flat, but it is not always the case.

[kerouac2]

Did not visit the inside of the cathedral because it was Pentecost and services were in progress.  The beggars were hopeful.



okay, just a sneak peek

[htmb]

I’m surprised there wasn’t more of a crowd inside the church on Pentecost, even though this is France.

[kerouac2]

I on the other hand was surprised that there was such a crowd with only 8% of French "Catholics" regularly attending church. But Brittany is one of the most devout regions of France, so I guess it is normal.

[kerouac2]

Cities like this always have a little tourist train. And yes, I took a ride on it but did not take any photos during the ride.



Here is the untimbered hôtel de ville.



I needed to check the map, so I had to wait for a few minutes.



Here is the little pleasure craft port.





This is the square facing the port.







It was time to go to the ramparts.







These are the old municipal wash basins.





And here the ramparts begin. They clearly protected those flimsy half-timbered houses very well.

[lugg]

I hope you do start to love Vannes K2 . It was so good to see this as it holds really special memories for me as we often holidayed in Brittany when my children were young. Sometimes with my parents ..really special memories . But the most enduring memory I have is of walking around Vannes during a total ( maybe partial) eclipse in the early 90s; i still remember the quiet in particular as the birds became so confused and fell silent . Some of the photos you have posted I do remember , the beautiful half timbered buildings in particular, I cannot remember the land train though. I have some photos somewhere but they are the old kind.

[htmb]

I’ve always had Vannes on my radar, but have never seemed to find the time to visit. It’s great to be able to see your photos. Maybe they’ll inspire me to finally plan a trip. I have always liked what I’ve seen of the rest of Brittany.

[kerouac2]

The covered market was open, so let's go in.

[kerouac2]

The medieval centre of Vannes is quite beautiful.



My own flat has uneven floors and walls that are not straight, but I'm sure this takes it to a whole new level.









The cathedral was no longer in use, so I popped in for just a second. Okay, that's enough.







These were to prevent cartwheels from damaging the walls of buildings.



That made me look up to see some gargoyles on the cathedral.





Back at the hotel, I looked at how convenient it would have been to arrive by train.



Vannes really does not have a very big station.



I was off again the next morning so I took a last look at the hotel.

[whatagain]

Time for me to go back I hardly recognize anything..

I remember seeing Eleanor, à crocodile found in the sewers of Paris, in a zoo that closed since.

[kerouac2]

The paint on the old buildings looked very fresh. I imagine there have been times when the city looked a bit faded.

[fumobici]

The old architecture is excellent. The building with the Optic2000 shop looks as if timbered scaffolding was constructed for a renovation long ago— and simply left there!

[kerouac2]

I had the same impression since the supporting boards clearly do not date from any recent time.

[bjd]

My son-in-law comes from just beside Vannes. It certainly looks like a pretty place and you even had nice weather. Another on the long list of places I should go and see. I don't know any of Brittany other than St Malo, if that even counts as Brittany.

[lugg]

What a fabulous report , your photos are so good . I especially love the one below this...

Back at the hotel, I looked at how convenient it would have been to arrive by train.

[kerouac2]

Vannes might be in the (French) news again soon because its rugby team might rise to the premier league if it beats Grenoble tomorrow. At the beginning of the 20th century, rugby was a big sport in Brittany, but the Catholic authoritie (very influential throughout Brittany) condemned the sport because not only was it too violent, but "people touch each other" unlike football (soccer) which was apparently invented to prevent physical contact.

[bixaorellana]

What a beautiful and very surprising city. The surprise is that there are so many medieval buildings and that all seem to be in use & none seem to be leaning. It's nice to see a place that attracts tourists but that is not overrun with them.

There seem to be a lot of clothing stores and restaurants. That, & the well-stocked market must mean that the regular population is comfortably employed. Do you know what the main industries there are? I can't imagine that it still has a commercial port. In any event, it seems a happy, healthy place. Did you find your heart warming toward Brittany this time around?

The ramparts are very impressive and in very good condition. I have to wonder how often the town & its ramparts have been used for shooting historical movies & shows.

This is a lovely report filled with great photos and interesting text. But my favorite thing is the absolutely unthreatening dragon on the city crest.

[Elaine]

thanks for the pics and your report we are off to france next week and i have pinpointed Vannes as our destination for a few nights
thanks again Elaine

[whatagain]

Have fun !