Château de Blandy-les-Tours

Step through the drawbridge of one of Île-de-France's rare surviving medieval fortresses, founded around 1220 by the Viscounts de Melun. Walk the ramparts, peer through murder holes and machicolations that once repelled English armies during the Hundred Years' War, and climb the 35-metre keep for sweeping views across the Seine-et-Marne countryside. Exhibition rooms inside the towers display archaeological finds from Merovingian burial sites discovered beneath the castle. The castle opens at 13:00 and is closed every Tuesday; booking is not required, but check the website for seasonal events like the May medieval festival or the August open-air cinema.