Forteresse de Larghoët

(The Towers of Elven)

The Towers of Elven sounds like a castle from Tolkien's world, and lovers of Lord of the Rings will not be disappointed by the inherent magic of this beautiful ruin. The fortress is approached through a pleasant forest, and traffic is left far behind. The first view of the gatehouse and the two surviving towers is quite inspiring. There used to be eleven towers, apparently, but the castle was sacked fairly comprehensively by Charles VIII in 1478, when he took over Brittany for the French Crown

The splendid overgrown ruins consist of the gatehouse, a smaller tower (apparently still in use from time to time) and the largest octagonal keep in France – at 144ft high (44 metres), surely one of the tallest keeps in Europe. It is possible to climb all the way to the top, and the view is spectacular. Apparently they kept on building it higher and higher until they could see the sea!

This is the place for lovers of the medieval world, for the towers of Elven marvellously evoke the Middle Ages, and the whole place is a splendid, though ruined, example of medieval fortifications. In summer it the setting for a son et lumière performance based on the story of Tristan and Isolde.

On our first visit we had the ruins entirely to ourselves for over an hour, though no doubt it can get very busy in August. If you like romantic ruins, you won't be disappointed.

Open daily June 1st to 30th September 10.30am to 6.30pm

(Guided tours in the afternoons in July and August)

15th March to 31st May 2pm to 6.30 pm

1st October to 5th November 2pm to 6.30 pm