Château-Salins (; , from 1941–44 ''Salzburgen'') is a
commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township
** Communes of ...
Grand Est
Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten;
Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administra ...
in north-eastern
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
. Until 2015, Château-Salins was a
subprefecture
A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province.
Albania
There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefectures. ...
The town is relatively recent. The territory on which the castle, and later the town, was built was part of the domains of the bishopric of Metz.
Legend has it that pilgrims on their way to
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle ''département'' in north-eastern France.
The town's basilica, '' Saint Nicolas'', is a pilgrimage site, supposedly holding relics of Saint Nicholas brought from Italy. It is one of ...
discovered a salt spring. Around 1340, the regent Elisabeth of Austria, widow of Duke Ferry IV, had a castle built to protect the exploitation of this spring. In order to control the ducal building, Bishop Adhémar de Monteil also had a fortress built, which he named Beaurepaire, at some distance from there.