Château de Louppy-sur-Loison

Louppy-sur-Loison

In the hollow of a meander of the Loison, a few kilometres from the Belgian border and from the Marian sanctuary of Avioth, stands one of the most surprising achievements of classical architecture in Lorraine: the Château de Louppy-sur-Loison. Built between 1620 and 1632 by Simon II de Pouilly, marshal of the Barrois and military governor of Stenay, it unites in a single facade defensive rigour — gun ports, a drawbridge that can still be worked — and the residential elegance of the Grand Siècle. Three monumental portals open onto the main courtyard; one of them, carved with a virtuosity rare for the region, stages the four elements and a round of mythological figures, a riddle in stone on which local guides still comment. A well-preserved dovecote and an English-style park, laid out along a lazy curve of the river, complete an ensemble that has remained remarkably homogeneous. Today a private property open to visitors, Louppy-sur-Loison remains one of the best-kept secrets of the northern Meuse, a stone's throw from the Gothic splendours of Avioth.

Getting there : Admission charge, seasonal opening hours, English-style landscaped park, parking on site, 1 rue de la Porte Haute, 55600 Louppy-sur-Loison

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

Ambient sound