Overview:
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.
If you've visited all of the main highlights of Paris, you should visit Vincennes. It was the Royal Palace before Versailles was built. Huge amount of history dating back more than 500 years. No crowds so relatively easy to move around. The church is simple but impressive. Well worth a couple of hours with easy access on the metro--15 minutes from Rue de Rivoli
Walking across the drawbridge was a walk into the past (but with modern bathrooms and electric lights). We climbed stone steps that have been worn down by countless feet, we studied walls painted by prisoners, and we peered out the windows of a king's study. The chapel is beautiful, with tall stained-glass windows. The courtyard was available for no charge, but we bought tickets so we could go into the chapel and castle, and these tickets were well worth buying. Dress for the weather!
This is a great opportunity to spend a morning absorbing medieval history and up to the time Louis XIV moved to Versailles. This would be especially good for trips with kids, but my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about French history as epitomized by this site. The keep and its dungeon was established by Charles V as his residence and he started work on the Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes located adjacent to the chateau. Purchase admission tickets to both and wander around using the audio guide. The site has been used by the military up to the present and thus has been configured differently from time to time as well as having suffered damage in WWII. However, the chateau and the chapel remain in the form started by Charles the V despite renovations over the centuries. The Chateau is located exactly at the last station on the Metro Line 1 and we found a very good cafe nearby for lunch afterwards. Next time I would consider packing a lunch and touring the very large recreational park adjacent to the chateau.