Château de Vincennes

About Château de Vincennes

Château de Vincennes sits just east of central Paris and is one of the largest surviving royal castles in France. Its most striking feature is the donjon, a fortified keep rising around 50 metres, built in the 14th century and among the tallest medieval keeps in Europe. French kings used the castle as a residence, a seat of government, and at times a refuge from the capital. It later served as a prison, holding figures such as the Marquis de Sade and Diderot, and was used as a fortress and arsenal well into the modern era.

The grounds hold more than the keep. The Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, begun under Charles V in the late 14th century and completed in the 16th, echoes the Gothic chapel on the Ile de la Cite in central Paris, with tall windows and fine stained glass. Around it stand the royal pavilions added in the 17th century under Louis XIV, who was born nearby and spent part of his early reign here before the court moved to Versailles. The combination of medieval fortification and later classical architecture is what makes the site unusual, since most castles show one period rather than several layered together.

Getting there is simple. The castle has its own Metro stop, Chateau de Vincennes, at the end of Line 1, so it is an easy half-day trip from the city centre. Entry to the monument is paid, and a single ticket usually covers both the keep and the Sainte-Chapelle. The adjacent Bois de Vincennes, a large park with lakes and walking paths, is free and pairs well with a castle visit if you want to make a longer outing of it. Allow roughly one and a half to two hours for the castle itself, more if you add time in the park.