Citadelle de Montmédy, Montmédy, France

Montmédy citadel is one of the largest fortresses in North-Eastern France. It was built during the reign of Emperor Charles V in 1545 then altered in the 17th century by Vauban and, in the 19th century, by Séré de Rivières, who added a large number of bunkers.

The tourist office and the Fortification Museum explains systems of defence through the ages and gives a clearer understanding of strategies of attack and defence as well as technical terms such as bastion, half-moon battery, curtain wall, outwork, covered passageway etc. There is also a gallery of works by portrait artist Jules Bastien-Lepage, who was born in Damvillers not far from Montmédy in the 19th century. He also painted landscapes and scenes of country life. A game in the form of a free booklet is available for your children to help them visit the two museums. During the school holidays, arts and crafts workshops and special shows are arranged free of charge for the younger members of the family.

References:

Meuse Tourism

Castles and fortifications in France

User Reviews

Tim H (2 months ago)
Nice stroll. Up and around to the small little town up overseeing the city.

john lakey (4 months ago)
An amazing time spent here. You can actually drive in to the citadel, park and walk around. People live in the citadel and you really get a feel of how life used to be. If you are unsure, remember, its free and its a great experience for all ages.

Mamai Jen (5 months ago)
Interesting place to walk around.

Duncan Smart (6 months ago)
Pretty cool place to walk around and explore

Rütger Ask Jacobsen (7 months ago)
Found this fantastic place while on our way to Mont Saint Michel from Denmark, and it was amazing. First of all, we never expected to find people still living here and secondly the stucture and mere size of the Citadelle is just... wauw! The stories this place could tell! It is so easy to let the imagination run wild! What we found out is that is was last used i WWI and in 1657 it was defended for 57 days against 30.000 soldiers by just 756 soldiers, only surrendering after the death of the govenor. Long story short, if you are ever in this region, go visit Citadelle de Montmédy, it is a fantastic and beautifull place.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright joiseyshowaa

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Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.

Citadelle de Montmédy

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