Château de Vincennes Castle

Address: Château de Vincennes, Place d’Armes, 94300 Vincennes, France

Website: https://www.chateau-de-vincennes.fr/

Hours: Tue-Sun 10am-6pm, closed Mondays (hours may vary seasonally; check website)

Admission: Adult ~€9 (donjon/tower and keep - grounds/park typically free); reduced rates for children/young people

Château de Vincennes is a large medieval royal fortress and palace on the eastern edge of Paris in the town of Vincennes. Its 14th-century keep is a defining feature and the complex includes a royal chapel and extensive defensive walls.

The site presents a well-preserved medieval donjon rising to about 52 metres, a Gothic chapel (Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes) and surrounding curtain walls and moat, with visitor routes and exhibitions interpreting its royal and military history. Parts of the keep and grounds are accessible to the public and used for guided visits and displays.

The château grew around a medieval keep constructed in the 14th century and served as a royal residence and stronghold for successive French monarchs; in later centuries portions were used as a state prison and military site. Restoration and conservation work in the 19th and 20th centuries helped preserve the principal structures for public access.

Situated in Vincennes, on Paris’s eastern suburbs, the château lies roughly 6 kilometres east of central Paris and is reachable by public transport from the city.

• Donjon height and date: The keep stands at roughly 52 metres tall and dates from the 14th century, making it one of the most prominent medieval towers in the Paris region.
• Use and location: Located in the town of Vincennes on the eastern edge of Paris, the château has served as a royal residence, a fortress and later a state prison and is open to visitors for tours and exhibitions.

What to See#

• Donjon (keep): The 14th-century stone keep (donjon), rising to about 52 metres, is one of the castle’s best-preserved medieval structures and visitors can climb parts of it for views.
• Sainte-Chapelle: Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes, the Gothic chapel within the complex, retains stained glass and high medieval architectural features associated with royal chapels.
• Fortifications: Curtain walls, moat and gatehouse forming the outer defensive circuit around the inner castle and keep, illustrating the site’s medieval military design.

Take Paris Métro Line 1 to Château de Vincennes station (the eastern terminus); the château’s entrance is immediately adjacent to the metro exit (a 2-3 minute walk). You can also reach the area by road from central Paris (about 8 km east of central Paris) via the Boulevard Périphérique and Avenue de Paris - parking and local streets are signed to the château.

• Arrive right at opening on a weekday to avoid the large school and tourist groups that form later in the morning; early visits also give better access to the donjon (keep) before lines build.
• Use the Château de Vincennes RER/metro stop (Château de Vincennes on RER A / Métro line 1) for the most direct walk to the main entrance rather than trying to drive into Bois de Vincennes.
• Don't just view the keep from the outside: take time to visit the Sainte-Chapelle de Vincennes and walk parts of the medieval ramparts and moat area, which are often quieter than the central courtyard and richly carved façades.