In a country renowned for its rich history, one of the fascinating yet not spoken about enough things are the walled cities in France. From the imposing ramparts of Carcassonne to the charming medieval walls of Avignon, these walled cities are like living museums, and in this article, we’ll focus on some of the most beautiful and most impressive walled cities in France and share a few helpful tips about exploring them.
But first things first…
Helpful Resources For Visiting France
For those seeking affordable flights to France, you can use this Qatar Airways link, offering a generous discount of up to 15% (I personally rely on it for most of my bookings too).
Prior to your journey to France, it’s important and in cases, mandatory to have travel insurance. SafetyWing provides budget-friendly plans that cover major medical expenses, as well as miscellaneous travel costs like lost baggage and flight delays (for more about this, check out our honest SafetyWing review).
Car rentals are a great way to explore walled cities in France, since many of them lie off the beaten track. You can make the most of our special discount with Auto Europe, granting you savings of up to 25% (for more info, refer to our detailed Auto Europe review).
Booking your accommodation in France? Utilize our exclusive offer to save up to 15% on all properties in France through Booking.
And last but not least, let’s not forget about the visa. iVisa offers a convenient service to assist you with all the essential French visa arrangements, ensuring a smoother process. As a frequent user of their services, I highly recommend them.
Before visiting France, you’ll probably find our France on a budget guide to be helpful as well as our canal boating in France article. If you intend to visit Paris, also make sure to check out our list of hidden gems in Paris, our street art guide to Paris, and guide to solo travel in the capital.
Mont Saint Michel, Normandy
We start off this list of the best walled cities in France with Mont Saint Michel. This UNESCO World Heritage site is perched on a rocky island and crowned by spires that reach toward the heavens. Inside, you’ll find narrow, winding streets, charming stone houses, quaint shops, and inviting restaurants with medieval ambiance lingering in the air. The highlight of the town is the magnificent Abbey of Mont Saint Michel, an architectural masterpiece that perfectly combines Gothic and Romanesque elements.
If you’re looking to explore the walls of Mont Saint Michel, this private tour is a great choice.
Saint-Malo, Brittany
Saint-Malo, is a beautiful walled city whose granite walls rise defiantly against the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean dotted with labyrinths of cobblestone streets, bustling squares, and irresistible medieval charm.
If you’re looking to explore the walls of Saint-Malo, this private tour is a great choice or you can also combine this with a tour of Mont Saint Michel (2 in 1).
Dinan, Brittany
Located in the northwestern part of France, Dinan is a gem of a city famous for its fortified walls, which stretch for almost two miles. In addition to being famous for its wall, the city is also known for its majestic Saint-Sauveur Basilica, the Port de Dinan, and several hotels housed in old buildings, and for the fact that most of the houses in this lovely town still keep its medieval appearance).
Concarneau, Brittany
Peacefully lying on the rugged coastline of Brittany, Concarneau is one of the most famous walled cities in France. Technically, the city today has two parts, the modern mainland part andthe medieval walled Old town located on the island in the centre of the harbor but technically, it still counts as a walled town, hence we decided to include it in this article.
Guérande, Pays De La Loire
This list couldn’t be complete without Guérande’s and its ancient walls that date back to the 14th century. This walled city is located at the Guerande Peninsula overlooking the “Pays Blanc” (White Land) and the “Pays Noir” (Back land) and in addition to being an important historic fortification the town is also renowned for its production of of fleur de sel, a type of garnishing salt. The centerpiece of Guérande is its stunning Gothic-style collegiate church, Saint-Aubin, whose intricate stained glass windows and ornate details will leave you in aweb.
Brouage, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
The star-shaped fortress, which served as a stronghold and a trading hub in the 17th century, is one of the most fascinating walled cities in France. Brouage was founded in 1555 on swampy lands near the Bay of Biscay and that’s how it got its name – broue which translates to water and clay. The city has gotten famous for producing and exporting large quantities of black salt until the harbour slited up in the 17th century, taking away the city’s most valuable asset (its port).
Domme, Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Nestled atop a majestic hill in the picturesque Dordogne department in the region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Domme is one of the most charming walled cities in France. Its fortified walls have been protecting the city from invaders since the 13th-century and today, are one of the town’s most important historical sites. For a truly unique experience, venture beneath the streets of Domme to explore the fascinating Grottes de Domme, a network of underground caves and discover the intricate stalactites and stalagmites, just one small part of the rich geological history of the region.
La Couvertoirade, Aveyron
Nestled in the breathtaking landscape of the southern Aveyron region in France, La Couvertoirade is a true hidden gem, a perfectly preserved medieval village surrounded by fortified walls that have stood strong for centuries. The fortress was built by the notorious Templars in the 12th century. Like most other villages in the area, the population of the village drastically decreased and today, it’s home to only 180 residents but at least, it’s still a part of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (the most beautiful villages of France).
Carcassonne, Occitania
The walls of Carcassone are one of the most impressive ones in France, fortified with 52 towers and punctuated by towering gateways. Inside the city walls, you’ll find a town that still looks shockingly medieval with its narrow cobblestone streets and centuries-old buildings. The Basilica of Saint-Nazaire, a stunning Gothic cathedral or the Château Comtal, a medieval castle nestled within the city walls are just two prime examples but there are many others as well.
Enjoying this post? Then you may also like our list of hidden gems in Europe.
Villefranche De Conflent, Conflent
Located in the charming region of Occitania, overlooking the Pyrenees, Villefranche de Conflent is the city with one of the oldest fortifications (dating back to the 11th century). The town’s proximity to the French Cerdagne made it an important strategic point throughout the years and its confined fortification at 440 meters above sea level, even more. The town saw many empires and conquerers come and go throuhgout the years but today, it’s just a village with a population of barely 200 residents.
Aigues-Mortes, Occitania
The towering walls of Aigues-Mortes, constructed in the 13th century are one of the town’s most important landmarks together with the impressive 13th century Tower of Constance. Aigues-Mortes is also renowned for its rich culinary heritage, including dishes that feature bull meat, salt-crusted fish, and the famed red rice of Camargue. Visit the lively markets to sample fresh regional produce, and pair your culinary delights with the delicious wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
Baux De Provence, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
The fortified walls of Les Baux-de-Provence, dating back to the 11th century and in addition to being an architectural masterpiece they are also known for offering some of the best panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, including lush vineyards, olive groves, and the vibrant colors of Provence. Another one of the highlights of Les Baux-de-Provence is the magnificent Château des Baux, an imposing fortress perched at the highest point of the city.
You can visit the walls. of Les Baux on this day trip tour from Aix en Provence.
Briançon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Briançon is a hidden gem of a town nestled in the French Alps, known for the breathtaking surrounding nature, rich history, and remarkable fortifications perched at an altitude of over 1,300 meters, making it the highest one in France. One of the crown jewels of Briançon is the stunning Fortifications of Vauban, a UNESCO World Heritage site that offers breathtaking panoramic vistas of snow-capped peaks, deep valleys, and lush alpine meadows guaranteed to take your breath away.
Neuf-Brisach, Alsace
Neuf-Brisach is a a masterpiece of military architecture located in the charming region of Alsace renowned for its perfectly geometric design and strategic significance. Built in the 17th century by the military engineer Vauban, it’s by far the most symmetrical and geometrically precise structure of its size that I’ve ever seen in my life (and I’ve seen a lot, this article is just the tip of the iceberg) and that alone should be a reason enough to visit.
You can visit the walls of Neuf-Brisach on this spectacular tour from Colmar that covers 3 villages, 1 in Germany, 1 in France, and 1 in Switzerland.
Enjoying this post? Then you may also want to check out this list of our favorite hidden gems in Germany.
Bergheim, Alsace
The walls of Bergheim date back to the 13th century and are remarkably well-preserved and adorned with towers and gateways, each telling a story of the town’s rich past. During your visit, you can admire the imposing Grand’Porte, the main gateway that once guarded the entrance to the town, the narrow, winding streets within the walls of Bergheim and the well-preserved half-timbered houses that line the way.
You can visit the Bergheim walls on this beautiful day trip tour from Strasbourg.
Provins, Seine-et-Marne
Provins is a captivating walled city located in the Île-de-France region of France, approximately 80 kilometers southeast of Paris and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The walls of Provins are one of the city’s most remarkable features. Spanning a length of approximately 1.2 kilometers, just enough to encircle the historic center of Provins. The structure dates back to the 13th century and was built to protect the city’s strategic position along some of the most important trade routes connecting the French capital to the rest of Europe.
Le Quesnoy, Hauts-de-France
Le Quesnoy is a charming walled town located in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France near the Belgian border. The fort surrounding the town’s streets was built in the 17th century by the famous military architect Vauban and served as a vital defense system for Le Quesnoy throughout the years. The walls span approximately 3 kilometers and encircle the historic center of the town and offer a vantage point of the entire region, something that was once of strategical importance but today is great for taking photos.
Boulogne Sur Mer, Hauts-de-France
Boulogne-sur-Mer is a captivating coastal town located in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France on the shores of the English Channel. Its walls, perched on a hill overlooking the harbor, actually date back to Roman times (well technically, parts of it) but the city was further fortified during the Middle Ages (like most other towns on this list). The fortification is about 3.5 kilometers and features towers, bastions, and gates, incredibly well preserved.
Montreuil Sur Mer, Hauts-de-France
Montreuil-sur-Mer is a picturesque town located in the Hauts-de-France that despite its name is actually situated inland, about 16 kilometers from the English Channel. This is the last city on our list that is technically entirely covered by fortified walls (the rest are just honourable mentions) that date back to the 13th century and stretch along roughly 3 kilometers.
Honorable Mentions
Now that we covered all of the walled cities in France, we feel that we should mention a few more cities that even though not entirely covered by walls, have impressive remains of medieval walls that cover a portion of the city.
Avignon, Provence
Avignon is a stunning walled city located in the Provence region of southeastern France. Situated on the banks of the Rhône River, Avignon is a little bit bigger than most other towns on this list so its walls don’t technically completely cover its entire surface which is why it only gets an honourable mention.
Laon, Hauts-de-France
Laon is a captivating walled city located in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. Just like Avignon, the entire city isn’t protected by fortified walls but their sheer length of 5 kilometers (longer than many others on this list) gives it its honourable mention.
Langres, Grand Est
Langres is a magnificent walled city located in the Grand Est region of northeastern France about 55 kilometers southwest of Dijon. It gets an honourable mention for being a beautiful historic down, for the fact that it was first fortified in the Roman era, for its 3.5-km-long walls and for its spectacular views of the surrounding countryside.
Besançon, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Last but not least, we round up this list of walled cities in France with Besançon, another fortification designed by the famous military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban; these that walls form a semicircle for 11 kilometers around the historic center of the city and the iconic Citadelle de Besançon (a UNESCO World Heritage site) is considered one of Vauban’s masterpieces.
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