Where was Richard the Lionheart imprisoned?

At Trifels Castle, in the Palatinate, in 1193, on his way home from the crusade. It was then an imperial castle of the Holy Roman Empire.

Where did Richard the Lionheart die?

At Châlus-Chabrol Castle, in Haute-Vienne, on 26 March 1199. He had been wounded by a crossbow bolt fired from the keep.

Richard the Lionheart castles: which ones are open all year?

None is listed as open all year in the opening periods we have collected. Check each page before you go.

Richard the Lionheart’s castles

12 châteaux listed

12 places in Normandy, the Limousin, western France and the Palatinate linked to the Plantagenet king, with admission prices and opening seasons.

Before he was King of England, Richard the Lionheart was Duke of Aquitaine: in 1182 he had Haut-Clairvaux, in today’s Vienne, fortified; from 1189 to 1204 he, his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and his brother John often stayed at Domfront.

In 1193, on his way home from the crusade, he was held prisoner at Trifels, an imperial castle in the Palatinate. Once released, he turned on Philip Augustus: the battle of Fréteval in 1194, where the French king lost the royal seals, and the capture of Courcelles-lès-Gisors in 1198. Château-Gaillard, raised in a very short time above Les Andelys to guard the road to Rouen, is the fortress of that rivalry.

On 26 March 1199 Richard died at Châlus-Chabrol, in the Limousin, struck by a crossbow bolt fired from the keep. Château-Gaillard fell to Philip Augustus in 1204, and Plantagenet Normandy with it.

Not all of them are set up for visitors: several are ruins explored in the open air, others are private houses. Each page says what can be seen.

The places, one by one

From the best known to the most discreet. Prices are for one adult; the season comes from the opening periods each place publishes.

Château Gaillard
Les Andelys, Eure
Richard’s fortress against Philip Augustus, taken by the French king in 1204.
Season not published
Opening hours and access
Trifels Castle
Annweiler am Trifels, Rheinland-Pfalz
Richard was held prisoner here in 1193, on his way back from the crusade.
Adult admission: €4Season not published
Opening hours and access
Château de Châlus-Chabrol (Châlus-Chabrol Castle)
Châlus, Haute-Vienne
He died here on 26 March 1199, hit by a crossbow bolt fired from the keep.
Season not published
Hours to be confirmed
Opening hours and access
Château de Domfront (Domfront Castle)
Domfront en Poiraie, Orne
Frequent stays by Richard, Eleanor of Aquitaine and John, from 1189 to 1204.
Season not published
Hours to be confirmed
Opening hours and access
Château de Lavardin (Lavardin Castle)
Lavardin, Sarthe
The fortress held out against his siege in 1188.
Season not published
Hours to be confirmed
Opening hours and access
Château de Bouteville (Bouteville Castle)
Bouteville, Charente
Handed over to Richard the Lionheart at the end of the 12th century.
Adult admission: €9Open April to October
Opening hours and access
Château de Radepont (Radepont Castle)
Radepont, Eure
A fortress begun under Henry I and remodelled by Richard; remains stand in the park.
Season not published
Opening hours and access
Haut-Clairvaux Castle
Scorbé-Clairvaux, Vienne
Fortified on his orders in 1182, when he was Duke of Aquitaine.
free admissionSeason not published
Opening hours and access
Château de Fréteval (Fréteval Castle)
Fréteval, Loir-et-Cher
Scene of the 1194 battle against Philip Augustus, who lost the royal seals here.
Season not published
Opening hours and access
Château de Courcelles-lès-Gisors (Courcelles-lès-Gisors Castle)
Courcelles-lès-Gisors, Oise
Taken by Richard in 1198, in his attempt to win back Gisors.
Season not published
Opening hours and access
Château de Brassac (Brassac Castle)
Brassac, Tarn-et-Garonne
The estate belonged to him for a time.
Season not published
Opening hours and access
Château de Richard Cœur de Lion
Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Grave, Tarn-et-Garonne
Named after him: legend has it he stayed here while the English held Moissac.
Season not published
Opening hours and access

The map

The 12 places on this page. Tap a point to open its page.

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Frequently asked questions

Where was Richard the Lionheart imprisoned?: At Trifels Castle, in the Palatinate, in 1193, on his way home from the crusade. It was then an imperial castle of the Holy Roman Empire.
Where did Richard the Lionheart die?: At Châlus-Chabrol Castle, in Haute-Vienne, on 26 March 1199. He had been wounded by a crossbow bolt fired from the keep.
Richard the Lionheart castles: which ones are open all year?: None is listed as open all year in the opening periods we have collected. Check each page before you go.