Château de Joux

Mentioned as early as the 11th century, probably built of wood and then rebuilt in stone from the 12th century, this fabulous edifice was in turn a medieval castle, a frontier fortress reworked by Charles V and then by Vauban, a state prison under the Ancien Régime, the Revolution and the Empire - Toussaint Louverture, the young Mirabeau and Heinrich Von Kleist were all locked up here - and then an artillery fort forming part of the Maginot Line.

Today, this monument, set in a grandiose and romantic natural setting, is a life-size book on the history of military architecture over the last ten centuries.

With some six hundred exhibits, the Musée d'Armes, now closed* to visitors, offers a genuine retrospective of French military weaponry and equipment, from the 17th century to the Lebel rifle of 1886. Some forty extremely rare exhibits have earned the museum an international reputation.

*The Musée d'Armes is closed for renovation, but part of the collection can be viewed at the Musée de Pontarlier.

PLEASE NOTE: due to major works at La Cluse-et-Mijoux, Château de Joux will be CLOSED FROM 24 JUNE TO 12 JULY INCLUSIVE.