Commissioned by the French Sun King Louis XIV, it was built from 1687 onwards by his famous master builder Vauban – the majestic fortress of Mont Royal. Situated on the peninsular mountain high above Traben, it was intended at the time to supply the chain of fortifications and to dominate the central Rhineland. In regular guided tours during the season, visitors can explore the impressive ruins of the fortress, of which only some remains of the gigantic walls as well as casemates and cellar vaults remain today. The destruction of the summit fortress can be traced back to the French themselves, as they did not want to hand it over to Holland and England after the end of the Palatinate War of Succession in 1698.
