Bouillon Castle, Medieval hill castle in Bouillon, Belgium

Bouillon Castle is a medieval fortress built on three rocky peaks above the Semois River, with its highest point rising about 75 meters above the water. The structure spans multiple levels and sections that reveal both residential and defensive purposes.

A fortified watchtower on La Ramonette was mentioned in a letter of 988. In the 11th century Godfrey II built a castle on the present site, and Godfrey of Bouillon inherited it in 1076. In 1096 he pledged it to Otbert, prince-bishop of Liège, to fund his departure for the First Crusade; after his death in 1100 it passed to the prince-bishops. In 1521 Charles V's army destroyed it, and it was rebuilt under prince-bishop George of Austria, whose Austrian Tower of 1551 still stands.

The Scriptura Museum housed within the fortress walls displays the evolution of writing from medieval times to the present through manuscripts and educational materials. Visitors can observe how written communication transformed across the centuries.

The site is reached on foot from the town of Bouillon, climbing to a rock ridge about 50 metres above the Semois. The complex is split into three parts joined by bridges, so allow time to walk between them. Some underground passages and steep sections require care.

The fortress offers night tours where visitors explore dark corridors with torches and discover underground passages along with defensive structures. This experience provides a direct sense of daily life within a medieval stronghold.