Bouillon Castle

Bouillon castle occupies a rock ridge in a loop of the Semois, recorded from the tenth century and associated above all with Godfrey of Bouillon, who sold the duchy in 1096 to finance his part in the First Crusade. The castle was rebuilt many times, most substantially by Vauban after 1678, who added the outer works, the batteries and much of the tunnelling, so what stands is a mixture of medieval core and seventeenth-century military engineering: three successive gates on a ridge, galleries and chambers cut into the rock, casemates, a well shaft, and a walk along the ramparts with the river and town below on both sides. Birds of prey displays run in the courtyard in season, and the town below is compact and stone-built.

What you actually see

• Rock-cut galleries and chambers - the fortress driven into the ridge itself.
• Vauban's outer works - the seventeenth-century batteries and gates.
• Three successive gateways - the approach along the ridge.
• The Semois loop below - the river and town on both sides of the rock.

When to go

April to October; winter opening is reduced and some sections close. Half a day. The bird of prey displays run in season at set times. Autumn colour in the valley is very good.

Honest expectations

There is a great deal of walking on uneven rock and many steps, and parts are dark and low. Interpretation is in French with limited English. Bird displays are a commercial addition that not everyone wants. Parking in the town fills in season.

Nearby

The Semois valley runs both ways; Tombeau du Geant lies east.