CHÂTEAU DES ÉVÈQUES

To better defend his saltworks, coveted by the Dukes of Lorraine and the Counts of Bar, Bertram, Bishop of Metz, built a powerful fortified castle at Vic around 1200. His successors, in conflict with the Metz bourgeoisie, transferred their temporal headquarters there and continually reinforced it in the 14th and 15th centuries. Originally, the castle had a polygonal plan (92 x 105 meters) flanked by semicircular towers. Destruction has accumulated since 1815, and the château is now a romantic ruin. However, the new flamboyant Gothic gatehouse, built in the early 16th century, can still be admired. It comprises two circular towers, each 7 meters high, linked by a passageway lined with machicolations on finely sculpted brackets. The 1.50-meter-thick walls are pierced with cruciform gunports. The northern side of the château still features three sections of 12-metre-high curtain wall. At the top of the curtain wall, a covered walkway leads to a series of stirrup archways. A 20-meter-wide moat completes the defensive system. Free access to outside areas at all times, guided tour (fee payable) on reservation from the Pays du Saulnois Tourist Office on 03 87 01 16 26

DATAtourisme France