Château de Coucy, Medieval fortress in Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique, France

Château de Coucy is a castle ruin perched on a hilltop with four circular towers and the remains of one of Europe's largest keeps from medieval times. The layout shows a fortress designed with strong defensive features and a symmetrical arrangement typical of the period.

The fortress was built between 1225 and 1242 by Enguerrand III and became one of the strongest castles of the medieval period. German forces destroyed the main structure in 1917, leaving it in its current ruined state.

The lords of Coucy used this fortress to display their power and distinguish themselves from other nobles in the region. The castle became a symbol of their independence and their special standing in medieval society.

The ruins are open to visitors and managed by the national heritage organization, which offers information about the medieval construction and its history. It is worth checking beforehand if guided tours or special access arrangements are available.

In 1917 the retreating German army packed 28 tonnes of cheddite into the keep and over 10 tonnes into the towers; the explosion of 27 March 1917 left the ruins that were declared "a memorial to barbarity" the following month. War reparations paid for clearing the towers and consolidating the walls, but the keep's rubble was left where it fell.