Mont Royal Fortress Ruins

Starting in 1687, the French “Sun King” Louis XIV engaged his brilliant architect and master builder Vauban to build a huge fortress on the peninsular mountain high above Traben. The fortress provided space for 12,000 soldiers and 3,000 horses.

However, only eleven years later, the French destroyed the fortress themselves in 1698 after the Peace of Rijswijck. Only during the last century were archaeological excavations conducted on Mont Royal under the direction of the homeland artist, Dr. Ernst Willen Spies, using original drawings from Parisian archives. Today, only a few remnants of the once mighty walls, casemates and cellar vaults are still preserved. The plans of the fortress and archeological findings it from are on display in the Middle Mosel Museum.

Visitors can explore the fortress ruins on their own. You can find possible routes in the flyer.

During the season, guided tours through the fortress ruins are routinely conducted. Special, individual tours are available for Groups.