Photo : Havang(nl) / Wikimedia Commons (domaine public, CC0)
Villages · Ardennes
Rocroi
Built to lock the kingdom's northern border, the stronghold of Rocroi, in the Ardennes, was laid out from 1555 on a perfectly regular star plan, one of the first examples of low-profile fortification in France. Vauban further improved the defences in the 17th century, adding bastions and a defence-in-depth system.
It was at the gates of the town that the famous Battle of Rocroi was fought in 1643, when the young Duke of Enghien won a decisive victory over the Spanish troops. The star-shaped ramparts, now listed, are best seen from the air or by following the path that runs all the way around the fortifications.
