Fort Mont Louis

Mont-Louis, France

Located in the eastern Pyrenees at an altitude of 1600 metres, the stronghold of Mont-Louis was built from scratch by Vauban on granite terrain and is perfectly adapted to the geography of the site. Work started in 1679 and was completed in two years. The fortified ensemble was added as a complement to Villefranche-de-Conflent in securing the route from the Pyrenees.

This ensemble consists of two square structures, in tiers on the slope: a citadel with orillon bastions and demi-lunes (ravelins) and a new town enclosed in the enceinte. Although it is rare, all the watch towers and drawbridge gates as well as both churches and wells have been preserved intact since the 17th century. The citadel is still used for military purposes today.

References:

Comments

Your name



Details

Founded: 1679
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

Rating

4.1/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

anthony smith (9 months ago)
It looks like the citadel isn't available to visit a it's used fit training the French commandos
Georgina Torres Gutiérrez (9 months ago)
Very beautiful village within walls. Offer of bars-restaurants for lunch/dinner, and terraces to have a drink or crepes. Souvenir shops and a small supermarket. There is plenty of space to park cars and motorhomes. Public toilets not very clean, but we visited on a public holiday so there would be a lot of people. You can visit part of the military fortress without going inside. Beautiful views of the mountains. Recommended to go with children.
Núria Brugués (10 months ago)
The Vauban fortress that is at a higher altitude. You can't visit the inside because it's military grounds, but you can do the Tour de la Citadelle, which is beautiful. Montlluís also has a small solar oven and you can take the opportunity to walk around the town's alleys. For the little ones (and not so little ones) it's really cool to go up/down the accesses of the walls that go down to the car park below. Attention! There is also a car park within the village, on a plot of land. From here you will see the characteristic watchtowers, with magnificent views, especially of Eina and Canigó. Check agendas, because if there is a special party there are more stalls and activities.
Steve Lucas (10 months ago)
The citadel of Mont-Louis is unfortunately not accessible, it is a military site which hosts the First Shock Regiment, a training ground for Commandos (CNEC). You can admire this Vauban fortification by simply walking around its ramparts. Some of the training apparatus reserved only for future Commandos (access prohibited) are visible around the perimeter of the enclosure and will give you an overview of the difficulty and the level of requirement sought by the army to be able to integrate this body. elite. The fortified village of Mont-Louis disappointed us with its lack of maintenance of the interior roads serving it and the ultra-low number of shops. You will have the opportunity to visit the solar oven with the paid entrance ticket. Shame
isa (11 months ago)
I only expected to find a fort and in reality it's a whole village! Pleasant surprise. We go around it quite quickly if we don't visit the fort still occupied by active soldiers. The military training course at the top of the ramparts is impressive. A few shops and restaurants in town will help pass the time (we had 5 hours there and we held on without getting bored). It may be better to go by car than by yellow train in order to leave when you want. Please note that there is no cash dispenser on site (only post office or agricultural credit customers can be helped).
Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in 267 AD.

The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using Pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.