Langres

Langres is an ancient fortified town, built on a high plateau, and the area around it is the watershed between the rivers that flow in to the Med, or the Channel.  We stopped over there for the night on the way to Alsace.

It looks like a popular tourist destination, with plenty of hotels, trails for tourists to follow, notices explaining ruined architecture and so on.  There is a cycle route around the ramparts that gives a fine view over ther surrounding countryside, and I took a quick spin along it, taking photos on the way.  It's only 3 or 4 km long, so it didn't take long.

Hallowe'en was clearly being celebrated, although more than a week too early, and our hotel went to town on the idea.  Our fine hosts were a lady of Cuban extraction, and her American husband, I never did get to find out how thay came to be running a hotel in deepest France.

The town featured something I had not seen before - a funicular railway linking a car park to the ramparts.  I guess that the place must be busy during the tourist season, so visitors are constrained to park slighly apart.  The little cabins go up and down, and are operated by the traveller.

I went up and down.  Well, I had to check them out, didn't I?