Tourism

The Citadel's history

The Citadel, on its rock high above the city of Dinant, has been a weapon and history museum for over a century. In the Middle Ages, the city of the "Copères", the second largest of the Principality of Liege, was a Hanseatic town renowned for its copperware, the famous "dinanderie".

To the top!

In order to storm the Dinant Citadel, visitors can choose between the stairs with 408 steps (dated 1577) and/or the cable car, built in 1956 and renovated in 1997. Both lead to a staggering view on the city of Dinant.

Behind the Citadel lies a large parking lot with room for 150 vehicles. It is accessible from the plateau, avoiding the traffic of the centre of Dinant... and its parking meters.

In the corridors of time…

In the "Dutch" citadel, visitors learn about the history of Dinant, literally and metaphorically exploring the corridors of time: the sack of Dinant by the troops of Charles the Bold in 1466, the construction of the city's fortifications by Vauban, Louis XIV's brilliant engineer and architect, the bayonet combats of French and German soldiers and the massacre of 674 civilians in August 1914…

The visit includes a look at the prison of a disciplinary regiment and even a meeting with the guillotine…

The panorama of the splendid landscape, 100 meters above the Meuse, is breathtaking.

And also… the daily life of the Dutch garrison (foundry, kitchen, bakery) and the perils of a soldier of the Great War, escaping from a collapsed shelter in his trench... Thrilling!

This too is a beautiful, fascinating visit, both instructive and enjoyable.