Bitche

Bitche lies among the forests and sandstone hills of the northern Vosges, beneath a rocky height long occupied by a castle. Its position near the borders of Lorraine made it a place of military importance. After Louis XIV took possession of the town, Vauban designed a citadel on the rock in 1680. The fortifications were demolished after France returned Bitche to Lorraine, but work on a new fortress began in 1737 after Lorraine again came under French control.