Bouillon - Fortified Castle

(Local Name: Château Fort) Starting at the lower bridge, the Pont de Liège or Vieux-Pont, go along the left bank of the river past the church and up to the castle square from where there are some fine views. To the right is the entrance to the Château Fort (Fortified Castle), enthroned on its elevated "island" of rock overlooking the looping Semois on two sides. Built by Godfrey the Bearded between 1050 and 1067 on the remains of a still older fortress, the château is the earliest and best preserved example of medieval feudal architecture in Belgium. After Louis XIV's troops had taken over the castle, the fortifications were strengthened by Vauban. Further alterations were also made by the Dutch at the beginning of the 19th C.