En un regard
Le château en bref
The ruins of Vaulgrenant Castle crown a limestone ridge above Pagnoz, in the Jura, one of the foothills of the first plateau facing the Loue valley. First mentioned in the 13th century, the castle was the seat of a vast barony and guarded the road linking Salins-les-Bains to Dole and the Saône valley. It was destroyed around 1668, on the orders of Louis XIV, at the time of the conquest of the Franche-Comté. Its trapezoidal enceinte, 80 metres long and 35 metres wide, retains a large square keep, two corner towers, and remains of a gallery and residential buildings; the neighbouring hamlet occupied the former lower bailey. Since 2001, the association des Amis de Vaulgrenant has organised volunteer work sessions to clear and secure the remains, which are open to visitors all year round.