Citadel of Bitche

Bitche was for centuries a garrison town. The citadel that dominates the city from atop the rocks is truly impressive; it could accommodate a thousand men in the underground barracks. The soldiers today are disguised as tourists. The military camp is located on the D3 between Bitche and Obersteinbach. The citadel of Bitche remains the quintessential example of 17th-century French military architecture. The engineer who worked here around 1680 at the request of Louis XIV is none other than the famous Vauban (1633-1707) – fully Sébastien le Prestre de Vauban. Vauban designed the plans for numerous fortified structures located along the border of the time, such as those in Toul, Montmédy, Thionville, Verdun, and Phalsbourg. The citadel of Bitche was then dismantled but was rebuilt between 1741 and 1754, this time at the order of Louis XV. The two museums of the citadel respectively narrate the history of the Pays de Bitche-Sarreguemines and that of Bitche during World War II. Those who take the trouble to climb the citadel will enjoy a lovely panorama of the city and the regional park of the Northern Vosges.

Lannoo