How old is the château de Merpins?

Tradition places its origins in the early Middle Ages, though the visible remains date mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries.

Can you visit the château de Merpins freely?

The site consists of open air ruins, but our data gives no opening hours or admission fees.

Why was the château de Merpins destroyed?

After a six year siege led by the Marshal of Sancerre, King Charles VI ordered its destruction in 1387.

Château de Merpins

Merpins Castle

Merpins

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Merpins

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Château de Merpins stands in Merpins (Charente), in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 10th century, 13th century). The building is privately owned and no visits are on record.

Set on a rocky spur above the meeting point of the Charente, the Né and the Antenne rivers, the ruins of the château de Merpins stand on a site inhabited since the Neolithic era. Tradition traces the stronghold's origins to Carolingian times, though what survives today dates mainly from building campaigns carried out in the 12th and 13th centuries, under English and then French control. Of the fortress that withstood a six year siege before being demolished on the order of Charles VI, a wide ditch cut into the rock, masonry buttresses and traces of round towers remain.

Written from Château de Merpins

What to know

The site today consists of ruins only, with no roofed building open to visitors.
The ground, cut into rock and crossed by ditches, calls for caution and sturdy footwear.
As no opening hours or admission prices are given in our data, it is worth checking locally before visiting.
The site has been listed as a historic monument since 1973.
Its proximity to Cognac makes it easy to combine with other stops in the area.

Where this château is

Merpins · Charente · Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Map of the area around Château de Merpins

Loading the map…

This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Rue du Château, 16100 Merpins

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

Get directions View on a map

3.7 / 5from 3 Google reviews

Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00104421
Period of construction: 10th century, 13th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

What remains of the château de Merpins today?: Only ruins remain: a ditch cut into the rock, masonry buttresses and traces of round towers, while the keep's location is unknown.
How old is the château de Merpins?: Tradition places its origins in the early Middle Ages, though the visible remains date mostly from the 12th and 13th centuries.
Can you visit the château de Merpins freely?: The site consists of open air ruins, but our data gives no opening hours or admission fees.
Why was the château de Merpins destroyed?: After a six year siege led by the Marshal of Sancerre, King Charles VI ordered its destruction in 1387.