Château de Tarascon (Château du Roi René)

Tarascon

An austere, massive river fortress that has guarded the banks of the Rhône for six centuries, along with the memory of the monster that once prowled there.

Built between 1400 and 1435 by the counts of Provence Louis II and then René of Anjou on the foundations of an older fortress, this quadrangular castle flanked by round towers stands directly on the banks of the Rhône, facing Beaucaire. As much a princely residence as a stronghold, it long served as a state prison after Provence was joined to France. The town it dominates is inseparable from the legend of the Tarasque, an amphibious monster which, according to the tradition recorded as early as the 13th century by Jacobus de Voragine, terrorised the boatmen of the Rhône before being tamed by Saint Martha. It was King René himself who instituted the Fêtes de la Tarasque in 1469, inscribed since 2008 on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.

Getting there : Listed as a historic monument; open to visitors all year round, on the banks of the Rhône opposite Beaucaire

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

Ambient sound