Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur · Bouches-du-Rhône, France

Château de Tarascon

Good King René's castle rises sheer from the Rhône, moat-ringed and virtually intact — one of the finest medieval castles in France. Palace and fortress at once: courtly apartments and painted ceilings within, 48-metre walls without, and centuries of prisoners' graffiti carved into its stone, including by English sailors.

At a glance

Built: 1401–1449
Style: Late-medieval princely fortress
Commissioned by: Louis II of Anjou; completed under King René
Signature feature: Sheer 48 m river front rising straight from the Rhône
King René: Completed and embellished by René of Anjou, Count of Provence
Prison years: Centuries of remarkable prisoner graffiti survive
Condition: Among the most complete medieval castles in France
Visiting: Open to visitors year-round