Travel Guide Langres

Langres, classified as a City of Art and History, has the largest complete walled enclosure in Europe. The city, robust and welcoming from its 475 m altitude, was in Gallo-Roman times the capital of the Lingons under the name of Andematunum. The ramparts, enlarged and reinforced many times since the 3rd century, were restored in the 19th century, shortly after the construction of the last French citadel, 600 m south of the city. After the war of 1870, the defensive and fortified perimeter extended to the whole of the Langres region with the construction of eight detached forts and about thirty secondary structures, linked by a 60 km strategic road.The city walls, where the imposing Saint-Mammès Cathedral stands, have six gates and seven towers, and the walkway is nearly 3 km long. Visiting the Navarre and Orval towers is a priority. In addition to the ramparts and numerous fortifications that make Langres' main attraction, the Maison des Lumières Denis Diderot is one of the main monuments and museums. Art lovers will also go to the Museum of Art and History. Jeanne Mance, who contributed to the founding of Montreal in the 17th century, is a heroine of this superb city.