Château Fort de Sedan: A Torchlight Tour

High on a hill overlooking the historic town of Sedan, France, sits the largest fortified castle in Europe: Château Fort de Sedan. And I had the great fortune to not only tour it, but to do so by torchlight!

Intrepid Explorers

This adventure was one of several that I experienced while on a rowing tour of the Meuse river last summer. It was a warm Friday evening in July and our group of 80 had just met over an introductory dinner. And now we were at the château, torches in hand, setting out like medieval warriors ready to conquer its secrets.

A History of Growth

A castle was first built on this site in 1424. After that initial build, it was expanded upon in multiple phases over the subsequent century or so. Eventually Château Fort de Sedan would come to cover an area of more than 35,000 square metres. Evidence of this incremental growth was clearly visible in the variety of architectural styles of its windows and façades.

Spires at Sunset

And being on a hilltop, the castle afforded wonderful views of the varied architecture of the town and its rooftops. To me, the most striking of these were the twin spires of Église Saint-Charles – the Church of Saint Charles. This church has its own interesting history. Initially built as a Protestant place of worship, it was given to the Catholics in 1685. This was a result of the revocation of the Edict of Nantes – a declaration which had granted substantial rights to the Calvinist Protestants of France 87 years earlier.

A Princely Palace

From the castle’s parterres, we could see where efforts had been made to enhance the comfort of the surroundings for the princes of Sedan. For just outside the castle walls sat the Palais des princes – Princes’ Palace or Château bas – Lower Castle. Built in 1614, its architectural scale, style and grandeur reminded me of King Louis XIV’s Château de Versailles. Back within the castle walls, we wandered upon a sheltered garden built to accommodate safe strolls for the ladies living within.

Painted Skies

We continued our stroll up and around the different levels of walls, enjoying a variety of vistas. And as we did, the setting sun painted the azure sky vibrant tones of pink and gold. It was then that the fading torches told us that our tour of Château Fort de Sedan had come to an end.