Sisteron Castle

Sisteron Castle is the largest historic landmark of the self-titled French resort town. Sisteron is called - door to Provence, because it is located right on the border that divides the southern from the northern Provence. The incredibly beautiful French village is situated in a picturesque valley with wide river beds and steep cliffs and hills around it.

These landscape features are the reason Sisteron is popular among lovers of mountaineering and rock climbing. Regularly you can see the lovers of these sports to pursue their favorite sport on the rocks. Sisteron and its attractive castle is located 135 km from Marseille and the City Grenoble, and the attractive resort of Nice has a distance from Sisteron of about 180 kilometers.

The River Durance passes through the town, and the castle itself dominates majestically over the town and valley of the river. Sisteron is located in a place that is equally close to both the sea and the picturesque Alps.

Lands around Sisteron were settled thousands of years. There is archaeological evidence of societies that inhabited the present French forces from 4000 years ago. The fortress itself is a successor of an earlier Roman fort. Unfortunately, there is nothing of this ancient building that has remained today.

The foundations of the Sisteron Castle , as we see today were laid in the 13th century. The architectural plan was first drawn by Jehan Sarrazin, who was a military engineer of Henry IV and later drawings were finalized by Sebastien Vauban. Today Sisteron Castle keeps the memory of the Napoleonic campaigns of 1815.

In the following centuries the castle on the hill in Sisteron remains intact until the bombing during World War II in 1944 which was detrimental and caused damage. Sisteron Castle was declared a cultural monument by the French government. Inside is housed an interesting exposure to raising horses, equestrian sports, etc. Visitors have the opportunity to watch a 20minute documentary, associated with the Citadel Sisteron.