Bus trip departing from Salins. Discover a spectacular fortress and the tragic fate of Toussaint Louverture. Booking required.
About this event in the Jura in Salins-les-Bains
A thousand years of military history, a keep overlooking the Cluse de Pontarlier, and the tragic fate of Toussaint Louverture. A spectacular fortress in the heart of the Haut-Doubs.
La Cabiotte takes you to discover the Château de Joux, an iconic fortress of Franche-Comté perched on a rocky spur overlooking the Cluse de Pontarlier. The only example in France representing a thousand years of military architectural development, the site is impressive in scale: 5 defensive enclosures, 250 rooms, 3 ditches and 3 drawbridges.
Built in the 11th century by the lords of Joux, the castle has passed through the centuries under successive owners: the powerful dukes of Burgundy, the Spanish Crown, and then the Kingdom of France after Louis XIV annexed Franche-Comté. Vauban himself came to strengthen it, before Captain Joffre modernised it in the 19th century.
The guided tour takes you from the underground fort to the keep, via the main courtyard and the great well, exploring ten centuries of military history. The castle was also a well-known state prison: Mirabeau was held here, as was, most notably, Toussaint Louverture, a former slave who became a general in the French army and governor of Saint-Domingue, and who died here in captivity.
Today, the site is recognised as a major place of remembrance for the struggle to abolish slavery. A museum of historic weapons completes the visit, with several hundred exhibits tracing the development of French military weaponry.
A spectacular outing combining heritage, history and remarkable panoramic views of the Jura mountains.
Bus departure from Salins-les-Bains
Organiser : La Cabiotte