Can you visit the castle of the dukes of Bar?

The building can be visited through the Barrois museum, which has occupied it since the 1970s.

Why was the castle destroyed?

Louis XIV ordered the fortifications dismantled in 1670 following duke Henri II's anti-French stance.

Is the castle a listed historic monument?

It has been listed as a historic monument since 23 April 1981, covering the vaulted room and the north-west gateway.

Castle of the Counts and Dukes of Bar

Bar-le-Duc

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Where: Bar-le-Duc

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Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

Château de Bignicourt-sur-Saulx (Bignicourt-sur-Saulx Castle)Accommodation on site28 km

Château des ducs de Bar stands in Bar-le-Duc (Meuse), in the Grand Est region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 16th century, second half of the 19th century). Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Perched on the rocky spur above the upper town of Bar-le-Duc, the Neuf-Castel is what remains of the castle of the dukes of Bar, dismantled on the order of Louis XIV in 1670. Built in the 16th century to house the duchy's audit chamber, it still contains a vaulted 15th-century room known as René II's charter treasury and a Romanesque gateway. The building now houses the Barrois museum, with collections covering history, archaeology and fine arts.

Written from Château des ducs de Bar

What to know

The site has been listed as a historic monument since 1981, for the vaulted room and the north-west gateway.
Only the 16th-century Neuf-Castel remains, the rest of the fortifications having been razed in 1670.
The building houses the Barrois museum, so the visit takes place within its museum spaces.
No verified information on opening hours, prices or accessibility is available for this listing.

Where this château is

Bar-le-Duc · Meuse · Grand Est

Map of the area around Château des ducs de Bar

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Bar-le-Duc, Meuse

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

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Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00106461
Period of construction: 16th century, second half of the 19th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

What remains of the castle of the dukes of Bar?: The 16th-century Neuf-Castel survives, along with a 15th-century vaulted room known as the charter treasury and a Romanesque gateway, the rest having been dismantled in 1670.
Can you visit the castle of the dukes of Bar?: The building can be visited through the Barrois museum, which has occupied it since the 1970s.
Why was the castle destroyed?: Louis XIV ordered the fortifications dismantled in 1670 following duke Henri II's anti-French stance.
Is the castle a listed historic monument?: It has been listed as a historic monument since 23 April 1981, covering the vaulted room and the north-west gateway.