Cité fortifiée et château de Rodemack

Rodemack

Nicknamed the "little Carcassonne of the North", Rodemack spreads its ramparts over a rocky spur of northern Moselle, on the borders of Luxembourg. In 1190, Arnaud I of Rodemack had a castle built here which already protected a parish and a clustered population; during the Hundred Years' War the stronghold became a strategic position with a permanent garrison. In the 15th century, a second wall was built to shelter the inhabitants better, and it is these ramparts, still largely visible, that make the village's reputation today. Passing in 1492 to the Margraves of Baden, the fortress was modernised with an imposing artillery bastion, the Pâté, before suffering several sieges during the Thirty Years' War and being occupied on a lasting basis by French troops in 1678. Sold in 1811, converted into a residential estate by the Gargan family from 1860, the citadel was listed as a monument historique in 1981. Its cobbled lanes, its collegiate church and its fortified gates today make up one of the best-preserved villages in Lorraine, where the military history of the Three Borders country can be read in every stone.

Getting there : Village freely accessible all year round; remains of the castle visible from the ramparts, guided tours offered by the tourist office

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound