Fort la Latte

Fort la Latte

A castle on the edge of the sea

On the wild northern coast of Brittany, a rocky headland juts out into the crashing waves of the Atlantic — and on its very tip stands the dramatic Fort la Latte, properly called the Château de la Roche Goyon. Cut off from the mainland by deep clefts in the cliffs, crossed by bridges, the castle seems to grow straight out of the rock, with the grey sea churning far below. Its lonely, spectacular setting makes it one of the most striking castles in all of France.

A coastal stronghold

A castle has guarded this headland since the Middle Ages, built by the powerful Goyon family, who held lands along this stretch of the Breton coast. Its job was to watch over the sea and the coast, guarding against raiders and rival lords, and to control this dramatic stretch of shoreline.

The castle's position was its great strength. Surrounded on three sides by the sea and protected on the landward side by deep rocky gaps spanned by drawbridges, it was extremely hard to attack. To reach the heart of the fortress, an enemy would have had to cross the bridges under fire and fight through the gates.

Rebuilt for cannon

Over the centuries, as warfare changed, Fort la Latte was adapted to keep up. In the 1600s and 1700s, in the age of cannon, the old medieval castle was strengthened and remodelled by military engineers, with thick walls and gun positions added to defend the coast against enemy ships and landings. A curious feature inside is a furnace once used to heat cannonballs red-hot, so they could set enemy wooden ships ablaze.

In this way Fort la Latte served as a real coastal defence well beyond the Middle Ages, guarding Brittany's shore against France's enemies at sea.

A star of the screen

Because of its wild and romantic setting, Fort la Latte has become a favourite location for filmmakers. Most famously, it appeared in the 1958 Hollywood epic The Vikings, where its dramatic walls and cliffs stood in for a Norse stronghold. Its appearance on screen, together with its real history, has made it well known far beyond Brittany.

A castle by the sea path

Fort la Latte stands close to one of the most beautiful stretches of the Breton coast, near the dramatic headland of Cap Fréhel with its lighthouse and pink cliffs. Walkers on the coastal paths are rewarded with stunning views of the castle perched on its rock, especially when the waves are high and the wind is wild.

Visiting today

Visitors cross the bridges over the rocky clefts to explore Fort la Latte's keep, walls, gun positions and the curious cannonball furnace, climbing for breathtaking views over the Atlantic and the rugged coast. On a stormy day, with the sea crashing below, it is easy to feel the wild romance of this clifftop stronghold. Dramatic, sea-girt and famous from the screen, Fort la Latte is one of the most memorable castles in Brittany.