History and heritage   ▪

Neufchâteau - architecture

From Neufchâteau, the well-informed visitor will no doubt be able to spot the town hall, courthouse, decanal church and perhaps the Griffon tower with its octagonal roof, shale walls and its oubliette, the only remaining sign of the mediaeval castle which gave its name to the city. Visitors can also enjoy strolling down the narrow, sloping and often picturesque streets which run down to the Neufchâteau stream, as well as the areas of Faubourg and Terme which developed outside of the castle grounds, around the rocky headland which the castle dominates.

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Neufchâteau - The course of the river

Hydraulic power produced the motor power required by numerous small industries over the years. The Neufchâteau river which passes through the area never stops. Following it from the point where it enters the town to the point where it leaves.

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Neufchâteau - Grandvoir

Created in 1622, the Grandvoir ironworks did not play a hugely significant role in the iron and steelworking industry in the region of Luxembourg under the old regime. However, they were closely linked to various different factories by their owner.

In 1852, the ironworking industry was abandoned and the ironworks became a mill. A sawmill was also added. The old industrial buildings currently serve as an agricultural shed.

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Neufchâteau - Hamipré

The centre of the village of Hamipré has undergone a specific development. Two old buildings, both worthy of interest, stand virtually right next to each other here. They have managed to retain the shape and charm that history has imposed upon them. One of the buildings is a church, topped with an elegant bell turret and the other, separated from the church by a narrow passageway, is a quadrilateral farm building which is none other than a former Recollect convent from the 17th and 18th centuries which became a hospital in the Middle Ages.

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Neufchâteau - Lahérie

Lahérie has managed to retain the traditional character of an Ardennes village. Its farms have altered very little in appearance. Up until the French Revolution, this village played a more important role than the number of its inhabitants would lead one to believe. A court of justice was located here and the mill attracted farmers from all across the region.

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Neufchâteau - Longlier

The primitive parish of Longlier is the old Merovingian domaine of Longolare. Over almost one thousand years, it has been the mother parish for thirty villages forming the land of Neufchâteau.

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Neufchâteau - Massul

The village of Massul has managed to retain its traditional character relatively well. Several farms dating from the end of the 19th century can be found here. New buildings are still fairly rare. Also notable at the edge of the houses are the garden walls in slate-type shale.

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Neufchâteau - Nolinfaing

The Nolinfaing wash house is of interest primarily in terms of the wash house itself, the drinking trough close by and the protected spring which supplies them all.

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Neufchâteau - le Sart

A hamlet with some thirty inhabitants, Le Sart takes its name from the type of land clearing which led to the hamlet being formed (assarting). This technique consists of burning the vegetation so as to clear an area; the ashes obtained then fertilize the area.

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Neufchâteau - shale

While shale may well be the stone most commonly used in this region of Ardennes, it is certainly not the only stone to be used in construction. Various stones are used for traditional and artistic purposes.

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Neufchâteau - Warmifontaine

Warmifontaine was occupied from the 5th century BC by the Celts. In 1994, during excavations of burials at the 'La Plane' site, the only iron sword to be found in Ardennes was unearthed.

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