Can you visit the château Vandamme?

No, it is privately owned and closed to the public, and it is deteriorating for lack of restoration.

Why is the château Vandamme also called la Frégate?

General Vandamme gave it this nickname because of its ship-like architecture, with porthole-shaped windows added in 1810.

Who was General Vandamme?

Dominique-Joseph-René Vandamme was a Napoleonic general, Count of Unsebourg and Peer of France, who bought and transformed the château from 1794 onward.

Is the château protected?

Its facades, roofs and several ground-floor rooms have been listed as a historic monument since an order of 6 November 1980.

Château Vandamme

Vandamme Castle

Cassel

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Cassel

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

château de Cocove (Cocove Castle)Accommodation on site30 km

Château Vandamme stands in Cassel (Nord), in the Hauts-de-France region of France. The building is listed as a historic monument. The building is privately owned and no visits are on record.

The château Vandamme stands in Cassel, in northern France, on a property bought in 1794 by the Napoleonic general Dominique-Joseph-René Vandamme. Nicknamed 'la Frégate' for its porthole-shaped windows and rounded ends added in 1810, it resembles a ship perched on the hillside. Looted several times in the nineteenth century, including by Russian troops in 1814, the building is now badly deteriorated. Its facades, roofs and several ground-floor rooms have been listed as historic monuments since 1980.

Written from Château Vandamme

What to know

The château is not open to visitors and is in poor condition, with the roof collapsed in places.
It belongs to a private owner, which currently limits any restoration work.
It can only be seen from outside the property, with no access to the grounds or interior.
There are no public opening hours, fees or visitor facilities.
It stands in the town of Cassel, in the Nord department.

Where this château is

Cassel · Nord · Hauts-de-France

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Cassel, Nord

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

Get directions View on a map

Heritage status: Listed historic monument (classé); Mérimée record PA00107418

Itineraries

Castles near Lille and the Belgian border: 2 days by car

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the château Vandamme?: No, it is privately owned and closed to the public, and it is deteriorating for lack of restoration.
Why is the château Vandamme also called la Frégate?: General Vandamme gave it this nickname because of its ship-like architecture, with porthole-shaped windows added in 1810.
Who was General Vandamme?: Dominique-Joseph-René Vandamme was a Napoleonic general, Count of Unsebourg and Peer of France, who bought and transformed the château from 1794 onward.
Is the château protected?: Its facades, roofs and several ground-floor rooms have been listed as a historic monument since an order of 6 November 1980.