Château de Joux

About the museum

The Château de Joux is a mountain fortress built on a rocky spur about a hundred metres above the Cluse, a natural pass that crosses the Jura massif. This military and trade route links the roads from Champagne, Flanders and Haute-Saône with Italy and Switzerland. In the Middle Ages the Joux family built a first castle here; in the 15th century the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, bought it, and in the 16th century the site passed to the Spanish crown.

In the 17th century its position on the border attracted Louis XIV, and the fortress was then enlarged and adapted to advances in artillery. From the 18th to the 19th century it also served as a state prison, holding famous prisoners such as Mirabeau and Toussaint Louverture.

The château today comprises five curtain walls, two hectares of buildings, 250 rooms, three moats and three drawbridges. It has been open to visitors since 1954. A community of municipalities has owned it since 1968, and it has been listed as a historic monument since 1996. A major renovation programme runs until 2030, with plans to create museums devoted to the fortress and to freedom, to military art and history, and to Haitian art.

Highlights

• Thousand-year-old fortress above the Cluse
• State prison where Mirabeau and Toussaint Louverture were held
• Grand spiral staircase and underground galleries on the guided tour
• Five curtain walls, three moats and three drawbridges
• Themed tours and family activities

Permanent exhibition

• Parcours découverte du château – Self-guided or guided route through the curtain walls, underground galleries and buildings of a thousand-year-old fortress, with a video guide.

Operated by

Communauté de communes du Grand Pontarlier

Admission & discounts

Self-guided visit: €8.50 for an adult (reference price). The digital companion video guide “compagnon de visite numérique” is included in the self-guided visit. Payment by card, cash, cheque or Chèque-Vacances.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The rocky spur, numerous stairs, slopes and uneven ground make the visit difficult for visitors with reduced mobility; a full tour by wheelchair or pushchair is not possible. Welcoming visitors with visual impairments is difficult because of the obstacles and strong contrasts of light. The upper car park is recommended for visitors with reduced mobility. Work until 2030 is intended to improve accessibility.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly: not available

Dramatised detective games, workshops and family activities from age 6 or 7, by reservation. Free for children under 6. The stairs make the visit less suitable for pushchairs; baby carriers are lent at reception subject to availability.

Getting there & parking

The château is 5 km from Pontarlier and 15 km from the Swiss border, on the Route du Château in La Cluse-et-Mijoux.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

No café or restaurant at the château. Souvenir shop. Toilets near the lower car park and inside the enclosure.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit