Château de Vincennes

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Just on the eastern edge of Paris is Vincennes Castle, a large and very formidable castle that dates from the fourteenth century. It has served as a “royal town,”, a porcelain factory (later moved to the southwestern Paris suburb of Sèvres, which became famous as a result), a prison (the castle includes a large dungeon in classic style), and an arsenal, amongst other purposes. It has been under restoration for the past hundred years, and this restoration has only recently been completed. It is a large castle that takes a long time to visit; I haven’t done the tour yet (it was very hot on the day I took these photos, and I really wasn’t in the mood).

This photo shows the main entrance on the north side, complete with a drawbridge over the deep moat that surrounds the castle. Much of the castle is operated by the French Ministry of Defense today.

Click directly on the photo to see a larger version (twice this size). Photographed on June 20, 2000.