Tour de l'Horloge - Bar-sur-Seine

If you feel sportier, climb the 165 steps ( the Jeanne de Navarre stairs ) to discover the remains of the medieval castle and enjoy beautiful panoramic views of the city or climb along the pedestrian path.

The castle was destroyed at the end of the 16th century by the inhabitants of Bar-sur-Seine, who took advantage of the Wars of Religion to destroy it, perhaps for security reasons, because the castle was used as a base camp and target by the various protagonists, who also took the opportunity to destroy the city. Its importance lay in its location on the border between Champagne and Burgundy and it was considered the most important castle of Burgundy . This castle, of which only the gate tower known as the Tour de l'Horloge or Tour du Lion remains, was the birthplace of Jeanne de Navarre, Countess of Champagne and future Queen of France , in 1273 .

The public clock, destroyed during the Second World War and rebuilt in 1948, is the last remnant of the old castle.

Willem Vandenameele