The château that dominates Hattonchâtel today is largely the product of 1920s restoration work funded by Belle Skinner, an American heiress who fell in love with the ruined village after the First World War. The medieval structure had been demolished on Cardinal Richelieu's orders in 1634, and the site lay largely abandoned until Skinner stepped in. What she created is an elegant Franco-medieval compound of towers, gabled roofs, and formal gardens perched on the escarpment above the Woëvre plain.
The building now functions as a hotel (Château de Hattonchâtel), and even if you are not staying, you can walk the grounds and admire the restored exterior. The terrace offers a sweeping view over the flat farmland below, punctuated by the gleam of the Lac de Madine in the middle distance.