Château-Bas de Sedan

Château-Bas de Sedan is a castle in the town of Sedan on the Meuse River, built on a rocky hilltop that overlooks the valley below. It has thick defensive walls and multiple fortification layers that were added and changed across different periods of time.

In 1424, Evrard III de La Marck began building a triangular castle structure with a chapel and military defenses. The fortress then evolved over the following centuries into an increasingly complex stronghold.

The castle shows how people lived and worked together in the same place for centuries, with soldiers, nobility, and their families sharing the spaces. The architecture tells this mixed story through rooms of different sizes and purposes that changed over time.

You can walk through the castle and explore different levels and areas that come from different periods. It is good to wear sturdy footwear since the paths and stairs can be uneven.

The French army occupied the castle continuously for over 300 years until the town bought it in 1962. This long military occupation shaped the structure and appearance of the fortress, transforming it into a strategic stronghold.