Dourdan castle and museum

Dourdan castle was a military construction, built in the 13th century to defend the southern part of the royal estate. Its layout is typical of medieval fortresses with round towers at each corner of its walls, dry moats, a curtain wall, a fortified gatehouse, and a keep. The castle has been very well preserved and is the only one in Ile-de-France where we can still admire the key architectural features characteristic of their time.

Completed under Philippe Auguste, it later became the property of Blanche of Castile, mother of Louis IX (Saint Louis). It then served as a prison, on decision of Louis XIV’s brother. In the 19th century, it became a private residence.

In the castle courtyard, there is now a museum housed in an 18th-century salt store, which was converted into a dwelling a century later. It still has several neo-gothic-style bedrooms. The museum has some very diverse, high-quality collections: archaeological pottery, documents on the history of Dourdan, furniture, pharmacy vials from the former Hôtel-Dieu hospital, as well as a wonderful collection of paintings including a “Madonna and Child” attributed to Pieter Coeck van Aelst, dating from the 16th century.

There is a discovery trail for children and the museum regularly holds temporary exhibitions on different themes.

Discover Dourdan castle and museum through one of the treasure hunts in the Paris Region Adventures application specially designed for families and downloadable free of charge.

And for more ideas, find the guide to spend a day in Dourdan.