Moncontour — 32 Miles
Moncontour is serene now, but for a number of centuries it was at the center of many battles. Because of it’s strategic location, Moncontour had direct experience with the Breton War of Succession in the 14th-century, the conflict between Breton duchy and the French state in the 15th century, the Wars of Religion in the 16th-century, and in a civil war in the 17th century. But by the middle of the 17th century the town came to prosper due to the success of its linen merchants, and with prosperity came peace, and some very beautiful houses (owned by the merchants, of course.)
Moncontour still has much of its original defensive walls from the 13th and 14th centuries, and the houses on Rue des Dames are some of the oldest in the village. Many of the structures have signs on their walls that describe their original purpose — very helpful for a visitor.
