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All France Villefranche-sur-Mer The Rue Obscure

The Rue Obscure

A medieval military street hidden beneath a charming French fishing village.

Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

Added By
Luis Morato
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A view of the street and its arches.   Broenberr/CC BY-SA 4.0
A view of the street and its arches.   Broenberr/CC BY-SA 4.0
Old stones and archways lie beneath centuries worth of infrastructure.   patrick janicek/CC BY 2.0
Rue Obscure.   Mark Fischer/CC BY-SA 2.0
Rue Obscure.   Mark Fischer/CC BY-SA 2.0
  ukmarkr / Atlas Obscura User
View of the street.   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
rue obscure   kontemaistru / Atlas Obscura User
rue obscure   kontemaistru / Atlas Obscura User
  ukmarkr / Atlas Obscura User
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About

A hidden medieval street stretches beneath the old quarter of a postcard-perfect French fishing village. The only light to bathe its old stone walls and illuminate its arches comes from the artificial glow of a lamp or a fleeting flash from a pedestrian’s phone.

As its name suggests, the Rue Obscure is quite obscure. The roughly 430-foot-long stretch of walkway now resembles more of a tunnel than a street. Houses and buildings have been built atop it, hiding a large chunk of it from view and making it difficult to find—unless you know where to look.

The old street was built in 1260 for military purposes. Originally, it was a pathway that let the soldiers shuffle through the village with ease, with only the sky overhead as their ceiling. As the years went on, the military stopped frequenting the street. Eventually, it fell victim to the effects of urbanization as a lack of space caused people to begin building over it.

But just because the street was covered doesn’t mean it became lost. Instead, it was transformed into the tunnel-like passageway it is today. Businesses have used the dank, dark space as a makeshift wine cellar, and townspeople even once used it as a place to shelter their donkeys and goats.

Related Tags

Hidden Infrastructure Roads Military History Alleyways Medieval Military

Know Before You Go

There are several entry points to Rue Obscure, one from Place du Conseil, several from Rue du Poilu, and one almost opposite the La Caravelle restaurant.

Community Contributors

Added By

Luis Morato

Edited By

katielou106, Kerry Wolfe, ukmarkr, kontemaistru

  • katielou106
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • ukmarkr
  • kontemaistru

Published

January 18, 2018

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Sources
  • https://niceandbeyond.com/things-to-do-in-villefranche-sur-mer/
  • https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_Obscure_(Villefranche-sur-Mer)
  • https://www.tripadvisor.es/Attraction_Review-g187246-d8599399-Reviews-Rue_Obscure-Villefranche_sur_Mer_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence_Alpes_Cote_d.html
  • http://www.tourisme-villefranche-sur-mer.com/en/history-and-culture/
The Rue Obscure
1-13 Rue Obscure
Villefranche-sur-Mer
France
43.703582, 7.311762
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Birthplace of Auguste Maïcon

Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

miles away

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miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Villefranche-sur-Mer

Villefranche-sur-Mer

France

Places 2
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Birthplace of Auguste Maïcon

Villefranche-sur-Mer, France

miles away

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild

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miles away

Villa Kérylos

Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Villefranche-sur-Mer

Villefranche-sur-Mer

France

Places 2
Stories 1

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