Sedan (France) Voyage Tips and guide

Sedan is a sub-prefecture and the second most populous city in the Champagne-Ardenne region in France. Sedan is known for its castle, which is claimed to be the largest fortified medieval castle in Europe. It is home to about 17,000 people (census, 1 January 2023) .

Sedan has been occupied since the Palaeolithic period. The first mentions of the city date back to around 997, as a document attests to the existence of a "villa sedensis". Two hamlets were at the modern centre of the town: (1) Villers (which can be located near the castle) and (2) Ménil (or Mesnil, certainly located at the level of the current Place Nassau). These two hamlets were separated by swamps, which were filled in at the request of Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne to unify the two villages. Early on, Sedan was under the influence of the abbey of Mouzon. Around 1306, a priory was built on the rocky spur overlooking the town. In 1424, Louis de Braquemont, then the owner of the lands of Sedan and Florenville, sold them to Evrard II de la Marck-Aremberg, originally from Westphalia, to settle his personal debts. Ervard then expelled the monks from Mouzon and began to build a castle, which still makes the town famous today.

Through the expulsion of the monks of Mouzon and the building of the Château de Sedan in 1424, the lords of Sedan gradually became masters of the city. The following century saw the creation and development of the independent Principality of Sedan, which at its height had nearly twenty towns and villages in addition to Sedan. This apogee came to an end in the 17th century when King Louis XIII learned that Frédéric-Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne had participated in a conspiracy against him. Frédéric-Maurice asked for and obtained the help of the Holy Roman Empire. Both sides came to a clash at the Battle of the Marfée. which took place on 6 July 1641 on the heights of Sedan. Frédéric-Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne was forced to submit to the King of France following a siege of the city by the royal army. Sedan was then subsequently annexed into the kingdom of France in September 1642.

Sedan was the scene of resounding defeats by the French army on several occasions:

• During the Franco-Prussian War, the imperial army of Napoleon III was surrounded in the city by the Prussian armies. France soon surrendered and the defeat led to the end of the Second Empire and the proclamation of the Third Republic.
• The first battles of the First World War (towards the end of August 14) also took place in the vicinity of the city of Sedan. Occupied for most of the war, Sedan was liberated only a few days before the armistice of 1918, following the last Allied offensives.
• In World War II, Sedan was one of the targets of the German offensive of May 1940. The French army was very poorly organised at this point (the French general staffs, being convinced that the Ardennes were not very practicable for a German offensive, had stopped the construction of the famous Maginot Line about 40 km east of Sedan), the French defensive line was totally broken between the Fresnoy district (in the extreme west of the city) and Dom-le-Mesnil on May 12th and 13th.

There is no airport in the Ardennes; the closest one is in Luxembourg, 135 kilometres away. In France, the closest is Nancy-Metz, 210 km away.

• 49.6948724.9301331 Sedan station, Place de la Gare, toll-free: +33 3635. M-Th 05:50-21:10, F 05:50-23:40, Sa 05:50-21:10, Su 07:05-23:40. Sedan can be reached by <abbr title="Error: Invalid time.Expression error: Unexpected < operator.Error: Invalid time.">2 from Paris (Gare de l'Est) by TGV. Template:Abbreviation depart from Sedan to Metz, Reims and Charleville-Mézières.  (updated Feb 2021)

Sedan is connected to the motorway network by the eastern section of the French motorway A34. This allows you to go to Charleville-Mézières, then Reims and Paris, but also to Metz, if you continue east of the city to Bazeilles, then on the French national road 43, and to Bouillon (Belgium) on the French national road 58.

• 49.6982624.9359842 Sedan river stop, Boulevard de Lattre de Tassigny (Behind the campsite), ☏ +33 3 24 277340. Open from April to September. 10 to 20 boats can dock at this river stop near the city center. Electricity terminals, a garbage can, water, and a telephone are on site. From €6.44.  (updated Feb 2021)

Map of Sedan (France)

• 49.7019444.9494441 Château de Sedan (in Sedan, follow the direction "Château"; car parks in the immediate vicinity), ☏ +33 3 24 299880. Daily 10:00-18:00, last visits at 16:30. Castle closed on 25 and 31 December. It is one of the largest fortresses of medieval origin in Europe, with 35,000 m² (380,000 ft²) on seven floors and walls more than 7 m (23 ft) wide. The fortified castle of Sedan has had a tour circuit since 1995, when the Historium visit was set up. Wax mannequins were placed there, illustrating life in the castle during medieval times and the era of the princes. The most prestigious scene is that of the wedding of Charlotte de La Marck and Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, placed in the Renaissance pavilion. Since 2012, the castle of Sedan has been given a new lease of life. It is equipped with new circuits (A Thousand Years of History, Principality), new panels, a new entrance to the courtyard of the fortified castle, a new multimedia room, etc. Three types of visits are available: self-guided tour ("principality" tour) at €6.90 (adult) and €5.40 (children from 6 to 18 years old); self-guided tour + 20-minute film "1000 years of history" at €8.40 (adult) and €6.40 (child from 6 to 18 years old); "History and terroir" formula (visit + film + tasting of regional products) at €19.30 (adult) and €17.30 (children from 6 to 18 years old). Reduced rates for job seekers, disability card holders or students.  (updated Mar 2018)There are unhandled parameters: facebook;
• 49.70234.947532NOT EXISTING IMAGE Château bas (Les Palais des Princes), 35 rue du Ménil (in front of the castle). The Princes' Palace, or Low Castle, was built in 1614 by Jean Charbon, architect to Prince Henri de la Tour d'Auvergne, father of Marshal Turenne. Visible only from the outside, it cannot be visited.  (updated Sep 2025)
• 49.69994.95163 La Maison du Gros Chien (The Housen of the Big Dog), 1 rue du Ménil (near the castle). It cannot be visited. The name probably comes from an old sign. Built in 1629, the building was acquired at the end of the 17th century and later transformed into a cloth factory. The inner courtyard, known as the "la cour des Têtes" ("Court of the Heads), is accessible from the outside.  (updated Sep 2025)

• 49.6975334.9289611 E. Leclerc, 14 Avenue Pasteur (From the centre of the city, take the direction of "Charleville-Mézières".), ☏ +33 3 24 29 73 73. midnight–midnight. Auto centre and 24-hour petrol station in the car park.  (updated Feb 2021)There are unhandled parameters: facebook;
• You can also find a 49.7006584.9272032 Carrefour Market and a 49.7059454.9364943 Intermarché.