Buying Hot Spots – Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany

Where to buy in France now! Ready to make the move? The FrenchEntrée Property Services team reveals its top search areas – on and off the beaten track.

The nucleus of Fougères, without a doubt, is its moated castle. Perched on a grassy knoll above the River Nançon, this imposing fortress dates all the way back to the early Middle Ages. Then a humble structure made of wood, it went on to be destroyed by the English in the 12th century and rebuilt in stone. The town evolved around the château, caught in a constant power play between various French factions and invading Brits over the centuries, and eventually – when it was no longer needed as a stronghold – becoming an artisanal hub, where the likes of tanners, weavers and drapers thrived.

Today, Fougères celebrates its past while embracing the demands of modern life. The castle is spectacularly preserved (and a very reasonable day out at just €8.50 a pop) and half-timbered architecture still peppers the medieval quarter, which sits in the lower level of the town. The charismatic upper tangle, meanwhile, is dominated by granite houses and mansions. You’ll find museums, boutiques, cafés and crêperies on rue Nationale, whose skyline is broken by the steeple of Brittany’s oldest belfry, so there’s no shortage of culture, heritage and places to enjoy a hot brew and pastry.

The town also has its fair share of supermarkets for everyday shopping, but the feather in Fougères’s cap is its Saturday morning market. It’s a typically French affair – all buzz and colour – selling fresh fruit and vegetables, the obligatory seafood and cheese, plus cooking utensils and textiles among other local goods.

With such a long and rich history, this corner of the Hexagon is becoming more popular with British buyers. Thankfully, unlike the town’s turbulent past, it’s not a takeover quite yet. A small community of expats exists but, for the most part, life here is quintessentially French. For those looking to settle down, there’s a number of goodquality houses on the market and property in this patch of Brittany is still reasonably priced, especially compared with the coastal areas. There’s also the option of searching in similar towns nearby, such as medieval Vitré half an hour’s drive away, and Bécherel just under an hour to the west.

With thanks to our partner agencies in Fougères

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If you would like some assistance discovering this or other areas of France and find out more about what the property market has to offer please don’t hesitate to give us a call at +44 (0) 1225 463752 or email us at [email protected].

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or don’t have time to search yourself, FrenchEntrée has a dedicated Property Team to assist you in finding your dream property. Let us know what you are looking for and we will do our best to select properties matching your requirements. 

FrenchEntrée offer a wide range of services designed to help you to buy a property in France. If you need a mortgage or advice on your international money transfer, FrenchEntrée is dedicated to assisting you through all the steps of your property purchase.