Montbéliard Castle

Montbéliard Castle, locally known as Château de Montbéliard or Château des Ducs de Württemberg, lies in the town of the same name in the Doubs department in France.

The site of Montbéliard Castle has been used for fortification since Gallo-Roman times. The castle dates back to the 13th century and was owned by the House of Montfaucon, who were vassals of the Count of Burgundy.

In 1397, Henriette d'Orbe, of the House of Montfaucon, became Countess of Montbéliard. She married Eberhard IV, Count of Württemberg, in 1407 by which the castle passed to the Württembergs and thus came under suzerainty of the Holy Roman Empire.

Between 1769 and 1792 Montbéliard Castle was the home of Princess Friederike of Brandenburg-Schwedt. She is an ancestor to many European royals of the 19th and 20th century, amongst whom are the British Queen Elizabeth II ánd her husband Prince Philip. During the French Revolution the castle was confiscated and in 1793 became a garrison fort. A function it would keep until 1933.

Between 1811 and 1813 part of the castle was used as a workhouse. The cellars of the castle were used as a prison between 1816 and 1836.

The castle has an elongated plan from west to east, following the rocky ridge upon which it was built. The main castle, which housed the private apartments of the dukes and counts, is situated at the east end of the ridge. It was called the "Châtel-Derrière" or Backside Castle. It used to be separated from the rest of the castle by a rock-cut ditch spanned by a drawbridge. The rest of the castle on the west side of the ridge was called the "Châtel-Devant", or Front Castle. This is also where the only entrance to the castle is situated on the north side.

At present the main building of Montbéliard Castle houses a museum about local history and art. You can visit it for a fee. The rest of the castle is used for community services. A nice castle in a nice little town.

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