Fortifications of Vauban
Cultural
1283
2008
Cultural
Fortifications of Vauban is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural, inscribed in 2008 (WHS 1283).
Criteria & Perimeter
Inscription criteria
(i)(ii)(iv)
Category
Cultural
Summary
Fortifications of Vauban consists of 12 groups of fortified buildings and sites along the western, northern and eastern borders of France. They represent the finest examples of the work of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707), a military engineer of King Louis XIV. The serial property includes towns built from scratch by Vauban, citadels, urban bastion walls and bastion towers. There are also mountain forts, sea forts, a mountain battery and two mountain communication structures. This property is inscribed as bearing witness to the peak of classic fortifications, typical of western military architecture. Vauban also played a major role in the history of fortification in Europe and on other continents until the mid-19th century.
Monuments in the Zone
Selection of protected monuments
- Cimetière de Amboise — Amboise
- Maison natale du Maréchal de Lattre-de-Tassigny — Mouilleron-Saint-Germain
- Eglise Notre-Dame de Fontaines-en-Sologne — Fontaines-en-Sologne
- Manoir du Port-Guyet (ancien logis de Marie Dupin) — Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
- Enceinte gallo-romaine (restes) — Le Mans
- Château de Villaines de Louplande — Louplande
- Ancienne abbaye Saint-Nicolas — Angers
- Eglise (ancienne) de Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu — Saint-Philbert-de-Grand-Lieu
- Escalier du Pont-Neuf — Le Mans
- Château des Arcis (également sur commune de Le Buret) — Meslay-du-Maine
- Ancien prieuré de Xanton-Chassenon — Xanton-Chassenon
- Deux maisons du 16e siècle sises des deux côtés de la Grande-Rue — Laval
- Château de Rouville de Malesherbes — Malesherbes
- Presbytère de Notre-Dame-de-Recouvrance — Orléans
- Ancienne abbaye de Notre-Dame de la Cour-Dieu — Ingrannes
Appellations of the Landscape
Most-reviewed Loire appellations
| Appellation | Avg score | Reviews | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sancerre | 89.3 | 554 | White |
| Muscadet Sèvre et Maine | 88.6 | 237 | White |
| Pouilly-Fumé | 89.6 | 153 | White |
| Vouvray | 88.4 | 153 | White |
| Touraine | 86.3 | 85 | White |
| Chinon | 88.7 | 72 | Red |
| Menetou-Salon | 87.3 | 69 | White |
| Crémant de Loire | 87.5 | 54 | Sparkling |
| Val de Loire | 85.6 | 41 | White |
| Saumur | 88.4 | 40 | White |
| Anjou | 87.6 | 36 | White |
| Rosé d'Anjou | 84 | 35 | Rosé |
Data source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre (data.culture.gouv.fr). Last updated: April 14, 2026.