Château de Bar sur Seine, Medieval castle ruins in Bar-sur-Seine, France.

Château de Bar-sur-Seine is a ruined medieval fortress on a triangular promontory above the town, with a lower square courtyard extending south. The surviving walls are built of light beige and grey stone blocks: on the left a taller building with a steep grey slate roof, a bell in an open frame above the roofline, a large arched opening at its base and small square windows; to its right a lower wall with a rounded corner pierced by two openings, then a high block wall. A green slope with a narrow path leads down. The vaulted lower hall, called the salle des gardes, is rib-vaulted and was listed as a monument historique on 7 May 1982.

The castle originated in the Middle Ages as the seat of power for the Counts of Bar and became contested territory during the Hundred Years War. Residents of the town destroyed the fortress themselves in 1594 to prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

The castle gave its name to the Counts of Bar-sur-Seine, whose line passed by marriage to the Brienne family with Gauthier I around 1065. Jeanne I of Navarre, future queen of France, was born here in 1273. The lower hall, called the salle des gardes, has rib vaults and was listed as a monument historique on 7 May 1982.

Access to the ruins is limited, so it is best to check with the town office in Bar-sur-Seine before visiting to confirm visiting conditions. Sturdy footwear and caution are advisable since the terrain is uneven and some areas may be unsafe.

Jeanne Ire de Navarre, future queen of France, was born in the castle in 1273, the year it passed to Henri III le Gros, count of Champagne. Her marriage to Philippe IV le Bel in 1284 brought Bar-sur-Seine to the French crown. The low hall known as the salle des gardes, with its rib vault, was listed as a monument historique on 7 May 1982.