Vitré

Vitré (Breton: Gwitreg; Gallo: Vitræ) is a town in the département of Ille-et-Vilaine, in the region of Brittany, France. Vitré lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy Maine and Anjou. The town has been designated a ville d'art et d'histoire, a town of artistic and historic significance, by the Ministry of Culture in recognition of its rich cultural heritage.

Understand
Vitré is a medieval town very beautiful with a rich cultural heritage. It is a very good example of the medieval cities with castles, churches, very old houses (15th century), historic monuments, parks and nature. The site of Vitré was occupied in Gallo-Roman times. The name Vitré comes from the Gallo-Roman name "Victor" or "Victrix", after the owner of a farm in the region. The year 1000 marked the formal birth of Vitré, when the duke of Brittany Geoffrey I bestowed feudal powers upon Riwallon Le Vicaire, who was charged with keeping this strategic area as a buffer zone of the "Marches of Brittany".

Get in
Located east of Brittany, the city of Vitré is crossed by the expressway which prolongs motorway A 11, while the motorway of the Estuaries. As in the whole of the Ille-et-Vilaine département, the communes of the country of Vitré are accessible by these expressways (Paris - Rennes).

The Station of Vitré has a lot of trains' stops. The easiest way to get to Vitré from Paris is through Gare Montparnasse. There are trains almost a few per day and the ride is 1hrs and 56 min.

The airport is in Rennes - Saint-Jacques (40 km ≈ 25 miles).

Get around
Vitré is unique in that urban transportation is free for all routes.

Castles

 * Castle of Vitré (11th-20th century)
 * Remparts, Claviers' Tower, Bridole's Tower
 * Rochers-Sévigné Castle
 * Château-Marie (17th century)
 * Hôtel Ringues de la Troussanais (Renaissance)
 * Medieval streets (Beaudrairie, Poterie, d'Embas, etc.) and places (Marchix, Station, Château, Notre-Dame, etc.)

Religious heritage

 * Saint-Nicolas Chapel (near Castle of Vitré)
 * Notre-Dame Church (14th century) gothic
 * Tower of the ancient Saint-Martin's Church (15th century)
 * Saint-Martin Church (19th century)
 * Sainte-Croix Church (17th-19th century)
 * Protestant Church
 * Convent of Bénédictins (Tribunal)
 * Convent of Augustins (17th century)
 * Chapels, calvaries situated in the city and countryside

Other monuments

 * Menhir "La Pierre Blanche" (Beauvais Road to Pocé-les-Bois)
 * Hôtel Sévigné-Nétumières (18th Century)
 * The Station (19th century)
 * Old barracks of 70e régiment d'infanterie
 * The Grand Park

Do
Visit the city, museums, religious heritage, golf, etc.

Buy
Souvenirs of Vitré

Go next
It is fairly easy to travel in France, therefore it would be clever to take advantage of the beautiful cities and coastal scenery in Brittany (Rennes, Dinan, Fougères). Saint-Malo, a wonderful coastal town on the English Channel, is only 45 minutes by TGV and usually costs less than €10. Buses are also available for less, but take a bit longer.