Bouillon Castle
The Rock Cut Medieval Fortress Of Godfrey Of Bouillon, Leader Of The First Crusade, Above A Loop Of The Semois, With Falconry Shows And Torch Lit Visits In Summer · Bouillon, Luxembourg Province
Bouillon Castle is a medieval fortress on a long rock ridge above a tight loop of the Semois river, in the small town of Bouillon in Luxembourg Province, in French-speaking Wallonia near the French border. It is famous as the castle of Godfrey of Bouillon, a leader of the First Crusade, who is said to have sold or pledged his castle and duchy to the Prince-Bishop of Liege in 1096 to pay for his army. After the fall of Jerusalem in 1099 he became its first Latin ruler before dying in 1100. The castle was later strengthened by Vauban for Louis XIV and still has rock-cut passages, dark halls, dungeons and the Austria Tower with a sweeping view over the town and river. Visitors come for the medieval atmosphere, falconry shows in season and torch-lit visits in summer, plus kayaking on the Semois. The honest caveat: the castle is a shell of stone rooms rather than furnished interiors, it is cold, dark and slippery inside, it is not accessible for wheelchairs, and on summer weekends the small town is packed with day-trippers.
Chateau fort de Bouillon, on the rock above the Semois river loop, Bouillon, Bouillon, Luxembourg Province, Belgium
The castle usually opens daily from roughly March to November and on a reduced pattern, often weekends and school holidays, in winter, with a closure around January; hours are longer in July and August - check the current calendar. The last entry is usually an hour before closing. Falconry shows run several times a day in season, typically from spring to early autumn, and are cancelled in heavy rain. Torch-lit night visits are usually held on some evenings in July and August and may need booking in advance (confirm dates). Getting there: Bouillon has no train station; SNCB trains run to Libramont or Bertrix, with infrequent TEC buses onward, or to Sedan in France. Most visitors drive: about 2 hours from Brussels via the E411, then the N89. Paid parking fills on summer weekends. Kayaks on the Semois are booked with local operators, and the river can close in low or high water.