On the eastern outskirts of Paris, near the town of Vincennes, and beside the Bois de Vincennes, explore the former fortress and royal home known as The Château de Vincennes . The majority of its construction took place between 1361 and 1369, and from the 14th through 16th centuries, it served as the French Kings' favored palace, second only to the Palais de la Cité. Discover the fascinating past of this remarkable structure, which served as a prison before becoming a barracks and an arsenal during the Napoleonic era.
Highlights
- Visit the famous Château de Vincennes, and be fascinated by the all-white, classic medieval building that bears witness to its former status as a royal palace.
- Explore its lofty towers and dungeon, which served to fortify the castle during battles, and stroll around its historic hallways.
- Discover the well-preserved medieval keep, the tallest fortified tower in Europe at 52 meters, where King Henry V died and see where Fouquet , the Marquis de Sade, and Mirabeau were held.
- Experience the Gothic building's awe-inspiring external flamboyance and beautiful rose window at the Sainte Chapelle de Vincennes.
A real no-frills castle from back when castles didn't have gilded ceilings, but battlements, dungeons, keeps and slits for shooting arrows. I found it just as engaging as the more famous Paris landmarks. Highly recommended.
Chateau Vincennes is a lovely place to visit even with the on going renovations still proceeding. The Chapel is beautiful with wonderful stained glass windows and gothic architecture. The Keep is impressive too. Security staff did sort of spoil the visit, they were rather brusque and impatient with us as we didn't understand what they wanted us to do. The shop is lovely with good choice of goods to purchase. The Keep is truly impressive. The place us steeped in history. Ascthe ground is cobbled its rather tiring in your feet so comfy walking shoes would be best. There are stone spiral stairs to climb if you want to go up the keep and in the fakery in the Chapel. Thoroughly recommend recommend a visit.