Toul

Bitche was for centuries a garrison town. The citadel overlooking the town from the top of the rocks is truly impressive; it could house a thousand men in the underground barracks. The military today is disguised as tourists. The military camp is located on the D3 between Bitche and Obersteinbach. The citadel of Bitche remains the archetypal 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) – his full name being 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 subsequently dismantled, but it was rebuilt between 1741 and 1754, this time on the orders of Louis XV. The two museums of the citadel narrate respectively the history of the Bitche-Sarreguemines area and that of Bitche during World War II. Those who take the trouble to climb the citadel will enjoy a lovely panorama of the town and the Northern Vosges Regional Park.

Lannoo