Citadelle de Montmédy

The Citadel of Montmédy is a beautiful piece of military history that has been preserved. A fortress was already built on top of this hill in the Middle Ages. From this high point you have a great view of the entire area. After the conquest of the area by Louis XIV, he had his master builder Vauban improve and strengthen the fortress. Vauban renovated the fortress according to the most modern ideas of war at the time and gave it the shape that is so characteristic of him. The fort has a number of defensive walls around it in a kind of star shape. The idea behind this is that the enemy becomes disoriented once inside the first ramparts. To reach the fort you first have to go through a number of walls and canals. The fort experienced several wars. Its first major test was the Napoleonic Wars, during which it was badly damaged. In the second half of the 19th century it came to a clash between France and Prussia. Some damaged houses in the village were bombed during that period. In the First World War, the garrison left the fort to flee to nearby Verdun. It never got a defensive function again.

The village itself within the walls is also very charming, although it is still being restored. A large number of houses are still badly damaged.

The easiest way to bike to the citadel is the little road on the southwest coming from Vigneul-sous-Montmedy (D497). The road from Montmedy station is difficult

Discover the fortifications of Charles V, Vauban and Séré de Rivières through a tourist circuit on the ramparts. Also visit the Fortress Museum, which describes the development of defense systems from the Roman invasions of Gaul to the 17th century, and the museum about the painter Jules Bastien-Lepage (1848-1884), equipped with explanations in Braille and relief paintings.
Source: toerisme-lorraine.nl/te-zien-te-doen/bezoeken/plaatsen-en-monumenten/747000594-citadelle-de-montmedy-et-ses-musees-montmedy