Largoet Castle

Elven, France, France

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Largoet Castle, also known as the Tours d’Elven or Elven Towers, is a medieval fortress located in the village of Elven in the Morbihan department of Brittany, France, about 13 km northeast of Vannes.

The site has been occupied since at least the 11th century, but the main stone structures seen today were built in stages between the 13th and 15th centuries as a fortified residence for the local lords. The surviving part of the fortress centers on a massive octagonal keep that rises about 45 meters, one of the tallest medieval towers in the country, which once served both as a defensive stronghold and as a residence for nobles such as Jean IV de Rieux, marshal of Brittany.

Over time the castle fell into ruin and disrepair but was saved from demolition in the 19th century, classified as a historical monument in 1862, and later restored so that visitors today can explore the dramatic ruins, walk the perimeter where the moat once protected the site, and see the imposing towers set amid forested grounds near a small lake.