This Renaissance tower is impressive for its sheer size (20 metres high with a diameter of 30 metres) and is the only defensive structure of its kind in France. Its walls are 7 metres thick and it has outstanding chestnut rafters. Its spiral ramp allowed guns to be moved to the upper storeys. Also worth seeing are its two vaulted chambers with casemates.
The grandiose stonework, vaulted chambers with casemates, and terrace roofed with huge rafters in the Navarre Tower are now the subject of a fascinating but instructive visit for young and old. Thanks to audio-guides, video screens and interactive terminals, visitors can find out all about this unique 16th-century system of defence commissioned by Francis I in 1521. Clever lighting effects bring the tower alive to tell the legends of Langres, and the history of its fortifications over the centuries and through the Encyclopaedia written by Denis Diderot. An unusual visit inside some unforgettable architecture.

Anecdotally :