chateau of coucy

Some said if you just want to see some rubble - not true. The way the renovation work has been carried out is fantastic. It was a glorious sunny day when I visited and spent an hour just walking around. Well worth a visit.

Largely intact until the Germany occupation in the Great War, Chateau de Coucy is an absolute gem. Still with an amazing history and of immense architectural importance we were captivated for a good few hours. The fortified village is lovely, the Pizzeria in La Place offers an eclectic range of foods suitable for all the family - they do a mean Croque Monsieur (60 euros for 4 for lunch including drinks and puds). A must if you are anywhere near; it was "awesome" according to our history mad 9 and 11 year olds. Go to the museum at the Porte Du Laon - it's free and pretty good. The Chateau is free for under 18s, 5.50 euros for adults in August 2014.

Although much of the castle has been destroyed it is still really interseting to explore. Our kids really enjoyed going into the cellars etc. There are really well produced displays around the castle which tell you about its history and also show how the castle looked at various points in its history. Highly recommended!

We stumbled on this quite by chance and turned off the main road to see more. Other than the ruins there isn't much to see, but the illustrations of how the medival chateau is thought to have looked is very interesting, and there is a lot of information on the history as well. I thought the entrance fee was a bit expensive 5 Euros per person. We noticed a lot of people walking around the outside of the ruins, picnicing and enjoying the views from outside. We stoped at Le St Nicholas Creperie & Pizza in the village, where we received good service.

Beautiful sleepy fortified hilltop village.Lovely walk all around walls, through a field of tame goats.Perfect way to unwind at beginning of touring holiday.

This castle is around 1.5 hrs from Paris in relaxing drive mode.Once we arrived there, it is quite disappointing since it is just a ruin of old chateau.In the past there is no doubt that this was a huge and stunning building in the area, but unfortunately after World War 2, there is really nothing left.In the end, there is nothing much to see in this chateau except for quite a good view from the top of it.

We were the only visitors when we looked around the castle on a sunny April afternoon.Dating from the 8th century, and seriously expanded in the 1200s, it is very impressive in its scale, and there are numerous signs (in English) telling the history and explaining the development of the castle, along with very interesting pictures to show how the castle would have looked in its heyday. The most shocking fact though is that it survived the centuries pretty much intact until 1917 when it was deliberately dynamited by the German army.There is a photo of it on the wall in the nearby Belle Vue restaurant.

The castle of Coucy was constructed by Enguerrand III between 1225 and 1240 on the site of a Carolingian fortification.Between 1380 and 1387 Enguerrand VII modernized the living quarters and added new kitchens and service buildings. Between 1400 and 1405 Louis of Orleans provided extra kitchen space in the lower court and further embellished the noble apartments.A final phase of construction set in under Francis I between 1532 and 1536. Triumphal arches were added to the bridge across the moat. The curtain wall of the keep was equipped with an anti-mining gallery. A new three storey residence was erected near the castle entrance.In 1652 Mazarin ordered the stronghold to be made indefensible. Soon after people started pillaging the abandoned stronghold for building materials.The final blow was dealt in 1917 by retreating german forces. They blew up the majestic keep and the four corner towers ; an atrocious war crime.*Visitors can discover the ruins of this proud castle with the help of a leaflet. Those with a genuine interest in history are advised to purchase the excellent guidebook or to inquire about a guided tour at the tourist office. Me and my girlfriend took the last option and for 8 EUR pp (entrance excluded) a very passionate and knowledgeable private guide embarked us on a fantastic tour of the premises lasting about two hours. For groups the rates are lower.*The castle grounds are accessed via the Gate of Master Odon where visitors can admire a scale model of the stronghold.The south and west front of the massive lower court once boasted eight towers. The towers of the west front have dislocated from the wall due to bad foundation. It is a surreal sight to see them lying in the grass. Some towers of the south front are accessible.The fortress proper is obviously very ruinous given the destruction of 1917 but excellent reconstruction drawings help you visualize the former grandeur.I was deeply moved by the huge pile of stone rubble, sole and deeply tragic remainder of the largest keep of the European Middle Ages and its curtain wall.Equally impressive is the single standing wall of the hall of the brave with its huge windows, its chimneys and niches for statues. How amazing it must have looked in its heyday ! The cellars underneath are well preserved.Although very battered you can still distinguish the layout of the noble apartments. Their ground floor arcade is intact. Only ground level and basements of the corner towers have survived. Their walls bear witness of the 1917 explosion.Virtually nothing remains of the kitchens, service buildings and chapel.*After completion of your tour of the castle I warmly recommend a walk around its outside perimeter in order to better appreciate its strategic location and the strength of its towers. The defenses of the lower court link up with the town walls. Don’t forget your camera !

Free on the first Sunday of every month, the Chateau of Coucy is a GREAT half-day trip for all the members of your family. The ground is even and level for older folks and those with strollers/young children yet offers plenty of running/playing/exploring space inside the castle and around the exterior to tire out the kids. We enjoyed walking around the exterior of the castle walls as well as the museum (church was closed). There are picnic tables all around and lots of lovely green space to enjoy on a warm day. We explored all the nooks and crannies of the castle ruins in less than an hour but there were few visitors on March 2nd. We ate lunch at the Belle Vue Hotel in town which I also highly recommend for a copious meal at extremely reasonable prices with excellent, friendly service. There is also a pizzeria/creperie across the street. I highly recommend a visit to this wonderful, historical site to stir your imagination, breath some fresh, country air, and enjoy a lovely afternoon just strolling, relaxing, and enjoying nature.

The sheer scale of this castle, even in its ruined state, makes it a hugely impressive experience. It wasn't just a fortress but also a palace which in its day surpassed those of the king of France. The upper village of Coucy is built in what was the castle's outer bailey, defended by some of its 30-odd towers. The custodian gives you a very useful leaflet when you go in, and there are good explanatory panels in places to help you recreate the place in your mind's eye. The views are in places really spectacular. Some of the surviving rooms are underground, which should give the kids a bit of a thrill if you are going as a family. Kids, and grown-ups too, will find some interesting bits and pieces in the well-stocked castle shop. It might be as well to take a picnic - there is a local pizzeria but not much else in the refreshment line.

Spent an hour or so at the castle ruins which are in a lovely lovely location on a hill with great views. The museum was closed but we had the place to ourselves during the visit. Certainly worth a visit for all the history of the place. There are some nice picnic locations around too.

This village is everything you imagined of when it was first built. the community involvement in getting it back on track is very evident and we loved our stay here. Make sure you have some sense of the french langauge as little English is spoken here, bliss!!!

big castle hats falling down and is ok if its warm and not raining, massive site but worth a stroll round with the kids

We had a lovely day here. Coucy is a tiny, walled, medieval village with a huge ruined castle within the walls. You can visit Coucy castle itself (€5 per adult, kids free) and there's loads to see, up into towers and down into vaults. It's really interesting, they suggest 45 mins but allow an hour. We then went for a wander round the village and had lunch in the hotel in the main square - the Belle Vue, food great but service unbearably slow. You can also do a walk around the outside of the village walls, takes about 45 minutes and gives great views over the surrounding countryside. Watch out for the goats though!http://coucy.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/

Malheureusement détruit lors de la seconde guerre mondiale, les ruines de ce château vous ferons voyager au temps des sires de Coucy. De plus, tout le mois de juillet se tient un spectacle médiévale qui présente la vie au temps des chevaliers grâce aux nombreux bénévoles dont j'ai moi même fait partie étant plus jeune. Le spectacle est payant ; vous pouvez également visiter le site du château tout le reste de l'année à des prix très abordables. (environ 5€). Si vous êtes dans la région, n'hésitez pas, le détour vaut le coup ! http://www.coucyalamerveille.com/