The 10 most beautiful castles in Hauts-de-France
10 châteaux
Chosen among 587 recorded castles
What to see in Hauts-de-France when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by attendance, from the number of Google reviews. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Hardelot Castle
Condette
In Condette, in the Pas-de-Calais region, Hardelot castle stands on a hill overlooking the lac des miroirs and the surrounding marshland.
Adult €5Hours, prices and access
No. 2
Château de Boulogne-sur-Mer (Boulogne-sur-Mer Castle)
Boulogne-sur-Mer
Built in the 13th century at the corner of the old town's ramparts, Boulogne-sur-Mer castle, also known as château d'Aumont, forms with its walls one of the few surviving intact medieval fortified complexes in France.
Adult €7.50Hours, prices and access
No. 3
Château de Coucy (Coucy Castle)
Coucy-le-Château-Auffrique
Coucy castle is visited today as a ruin, standing on a rocky spur above the valleys of the Oise and the Ailette. Built from the 13th century onward by the powerful Coucy family, it once held what was reputed the tallest keep in the Western world, blown up by German forces in 1917 without military justification.
Adult €7Hours, prices and access
No. 4
Castle of Ermenonville
Ermenonville
Built on the remains of a Carolingian villa, the present château dates from the 18th century, remodelled under Claude-Louis Lombard and later shaped by the marquis René-Louis de Girardin.
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No. 5
Esquelbecq Castle
Esquelbecq
On the main square of Esquelbecq, opposite a church whose origins date back to the 10th century, stands one of the last Flemish-style castles in northern France. Built on a square plan with eight towers topped with stepped gables, it is surrounded by wide moats and a park covering several hectares.
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No. 6
Château de Saint-Riquier (Saint-Riquier Castle)
Saint-Riquier
Drugy castle, in the commune of Saint-Riquier, has little left of a castle about it: its remains now sit among the buildings of a working farm.
No. 7
Palais Rihour
Lille
Palais Rihour, in Lille (Nord), France. Listed historic monument. Location, access and practical information.
No. 8
Chateau-Thierry Castle
Château-Thierry
Perched on the hill above Château-Thierry, the remains of the 13th century castle offer mainly a viewpoint over the town and the Marne valley. The keep was already destroyed by the 15th century, and what survives today is limited to the outer defensive works of the former stronghold.
No. 9
The fortified castle of Guise
Guise
Perched on a rocky spur above the Oise valley, the remains of Guise castle trace ten centuries of military architecture, from its medieval keep to the bastions designed under Francis I and later reworked by Vauban.
Adult €8Hours, prices and access
No. 10
Château de Courcelles (Courcelles Castle)
Courcelles-sur-Vesle
Built at the end of Louis XIV's reign, between 1690 and 1694, for baron Jacques de La Grange, this château in the Aisne department still has its original oak parquet floor known as the 'Versailles Grand Salon' pattern, along with most of its original main beams.
Every castle in Hauts-de-France (587)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Hauts-de-France?
- The most visited in Hauts-de-France is Hardelot Castle, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 587 castles recorded in Hauts-de-France, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.