We began this adventure with a one night stay in Sedan, France mainly as a ‘stop-off’ point for our trek to Utrecht. Secondly, we love French history. Chateau Fort de Sedan offers its own significance in the rich history of France.
Heading to the Netherlands to meet up with old friends we wanted to evade from the drive the six+ hour drive after an overnight flight and Sedan was a perfect stopover. This website will offer much more about the region should you want to utilize Sedan as a base-camp to explore the area.
http://www.chateaufort-sedan.fr/en/region/nearby-activities-and-recreation
The town of Sedan surrounds the Fort but within those walls you’ll discover Hôtel Le Château Fort de Sedan. 54 rooms in total, the Fabert Building houses 40 rooms spread over four stories with four room accessible to persons with reduced mobility. These rooms are small but offer much character. The Casernement, are thirteen large Superior Rooms and Suites, seven of which have two levels, and all of which have access to the castle’s ramparts. The South Tower houses the only suite with a completely independent access, a cosy nest for romantic stays.
The decor is contemporary, but the atmosphere truly peaceful. You are brought back to the Middle Ages, into the time of the Principality of Sedan. We loved the stone exposure in our room but would have worried if the temperature was below freezing.
We thoroughly enjoyed our brief stay here but suggest you don’t plan more than one night as there is not that much to see in the town itself and be certain to avoid holidays and even Sunday’s as the town has limited restaurant establishments and there is limited availability to room service for those who are used to late night service.
From the Chateau website, the History of the Castle of Sedan has merit and unknown to us at the time, is the largest medieval castle in Europe.
In 1424, in the early 15th century, when there was but an obscure village, Evrard d'Arenberg, Count of Marck, began building a very powerful castle on a rocky outcrop around the remains of the church of St. Martin. This castle, consisting of a large number of towers and buildings built over several centuries, was part of the Principality of Sedan where several La Marck princes succeeded each other over half a century.
Henri Robert de la Marck and Françoise de Bourbon created a sovereign principality whose territory spanned twenty-two municipalities and abutted the prestigious Duchy of Bouillon. Henri La Tour d'Auvergne and his son Frederick continued their work. Henri added the lower castle, called “Palais des Princes.” Frédéric participated in the March 5th conspiracy against Richelieu and Louis XIII, and to save his head, had to give over the castle and the Principality to the Kingdom of France in 1642. Marshal Fabert, the first governor named to Sedan by the King, remained there for twenty years, and was universally missed.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, Sedan was a major industrial centre of metallurgy and textiles. Sedan overcame the great upheavals of the Revolution, the wars of the empire, and the political crises of the 19th century. After the war of 1870, Sedan lost its fortifications. The last two world wars affected the city, which is undergoing reconstruction now.
In 1870, Napoleon III was surrounded and defeated at Sedan by Prussian troops. The battle took place near the citadel. Intense fighting took place in the streets. These skirmishes are symbolised by the episode of the "house of the last cartridge.” Fighters who had taken refuge in a house surrendered only after having exhausted their ammunition and weapons. Other battles took place during World War I, in August 1914 and November 1918. In May 1940, the German army made a decisive breakthrough by crossing the Meuse near Sedan (the Sedan breakthrough). The city was partially destroyed, and later rebuilt after World War II under the direction of architect Jean de Mailly.
The castle of Sedan, the largest medieval castle in Europe (35,000 m²), fully classified as a French Historical Monument, was returned to the city in 1962 and welcomes 80,000 visitors each year. It has housed a museum and a unique hotel facility since August 2004.
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