Top 10 Castles in Picardy, Hauts-de-France

Open from May to October, our Castle proposes 3 activities: - Castle presentation, discover his history from the 18th century - walk in our arboretum with trees coming from all around the world - meeting, grooming and walking our lamas Opening hours and prices on our website

Dating back to the 15th century, the Chateau de Pierrefonds was comprehensively restored and altered by architect Viollet-le-Duc in the 19th century to transform it into an imperial residence for Napoleon III. The chateaux often seems to have been specially built for a swashbuckling film with its richly varied painted and sculpted decors, its defensive system and drawbridge, walkways and drop-boxes, not to forget the two reconstructions of medieval siege engines. Open: > 2nd May to 4th September: from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. > 5th September to 30th April: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Last admission 45 minutes before closing time. Closed: > Mondays from 5th September to 30th April. > 1st January, 1st May and 25th December. Admission fees: Adults : 7,50 €; Concessions (18 to 25) = 4,50 €; Free admission: minors under 18*; Free admission: 18-25 years old* (citizens of one of the 27 countries of the EU or are non-European permanent residents of France) * excluding school groups.

The Château and fortifications formed one of the largest defensive structures ever constructed in France. Spreading over 14 hectares, Coucy originally included 33 towers and ramparts stretching over two kilometres. The four main corner towers were similar in size to the central keep of the royal palace of the Louvre while the keep at Coucy was the largest castle tower in Christendom. The ruins remain an impressive and evocative reminder of Coucy’s grandeur despite being badly damaged in the First World War. Open: > 2nd May to 4th September: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. > 5th September to 30th April: from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. Last admission 45 minutes before closing time. Closed: > 1st January, 1st May and 25th December. Admission fees: Adults : 5,50 €; Concessions (18 to 25) = 4,0 €; Free admission: minors under 18*; Free admission: 18-25 years old* (citizens of one of the 27 countries of the EU or are non-European permanent residents of France) * excluding school groups

Since the XIth century, when the name of the lords of Rambures appears for the first time, their fortress is watching the hearth of the Vimeu, close to the border of Norman. During one thousand years, three castles were built under the order of the same family. The construction of the present castle began between the ending of the XIVth and the beginning of the XVth century, in the background of the one hundred years war. Today, it represents a rare example of the military architecture from the XVth. Indeed, even after six hundred years, it keeps his original appearance. We suppose that it was David of Rambures, a Shakespearian hero, “Great Master of the crossbows” in the French army, who constructed the castle.

Guise, an strategic town in the Valley of the Oise, has been a fortress at the heart of European events from the Xth to the XXth century. With its medieval keep, underground passageways, casemates and bastions, this castle introduces us to the story of the evolution of military architecture over hundreds of years. It reflects the power of some of its owners, such as the famous Dukes of Guise.