Bouillon Castle

Bouillon Castle, locally known as Château-Fort de Bouillon, lies above the town of the same name, in the Luxembourg province in the Wallonia region in Belgium.

Bouillon Castle was probably built during the 8th century on a narrow ridge between a meander of the Semois River. It was first mentioned in 988 AD.

In 1076, Bouillon Castle was given to Godfrey of Bouillon by Henry IV, the Holy Roman Emperor. He had a keep built between 1080 and 1090. In 1095, Godfrey answered the call of Pope Urban II to go on the First Crusade. So Godfrey took out loans on his lands and Bouillon Castle from Otbert, Prince-Bishop of Liège, to finance his crusade. After Godfrey died in Jerusalem in 1100, the castle became the full property of the Prince-Bishop. Over the next 4 centuries, the castle was besieged and taken several times.

In 1415, Prince-Bishop John III granted the position of castellan of Bouillon Castle to the House of La Marck. This family delivered various Prince-Bishops over the following centuries and started calling themselves Dukes of Bouillon. During the Italian War of 1551–1559, Bouillon was occupied by Henry II of France's forces to keep it free from Habsburg influence, but Henry confirmed Robert IV de La Marck as Duke of Bouillon. In 1574, the castle transferred from the House of La Marck to the La Tour d'Auvergne family through marriage.

France invaded the Duchy of Bouillon in 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War. In 1680, Louis XIV of France sent Vauban, the renowned military engineer, to Bouillon. Vauban then transformed the castle into a top-tier fortification.

Following the French Revolution, the French Revolutionary Army invaded the Duchy of Bouillon in 1794, creating the short-lived Republic of Bouillon. In 1795, Bouillon was annexed to France. In 1815, Bouillon Castle was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. During that period, the keep was destroyed. After the Belgian Revolution in 1830, the castle became part of Belgium. The Belgian authorities downgraded it in 1853.

After the Battle of Sedan in 1870, Bouillon Castle served as a military hospital for the Prussian army. In the 20th century, the castle became a tourist attraction.

Today, Bouillon Castle is open to visitors for a fee. It’s a magnificent castle with numerous passageways and underground spaces to explore. Highly recommended.

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