Located in the historical centre of Muret, the Clément Ader museum, a State-controlled establishment, invites visitors to discover the rich local heritage.

The city, 25 km south of Toulouse, former capital of Comminges, pays homage to the "Father of Aviation" and to the most famous local inhabitants, such as Nicolas Dalayrac, Adolphe Niel and Vincent Auriol. Associated with the municipal archive department and the library, it is a place dedicated to discovery, research and exchanges.

At the end of the 19th century, a few local scholars donated a number of items to the town of Muret, thus constituting the base of the first collections. Vincent Auriol, Mayor of Muret from 1925 to 1940, set up a museum programme to promote the cultural and historical heritage of the town and its surroundings. He decided to carry out an acquisition campaign to complete the initial collection. He pushed a policy in favour of donations and State deposits. This is how the Ader and Niel collections came to join the museum, and in 1928, the new museum acquired two paintings by François Louis Dejuine (1786-1844): Simon de Montfort and Guy de Lévis Mirepoix.

After being renovated, Château Saint-Germier was used as the setting for the first Muret museum: the "Musée du Bas-Comminges", inaugurated on 21st September 1930. The collections are presented in four areas: the rooms of Bas-Comminges, Dalayrac-Fons, Niel and Ader. During the Second World War, one of the ceilings collapsed, destroying part of the collections and causing the establishment to close. It was rehabilitated in the 1950s by Robert Mesuret, curator of the Toulouse museum. The institution was thus set up in the town hall. The second museum was inaugurated on 9th December 1954 and was named the "Musée Clément Ader".

The first inventory was carried out by Marthe Moisserand, voluntary curator between 1956 and 1973. Between 1971 and 1983, due to a lack of suitable premises, the museum was closed to the public, pending completion of work to build the new Muret Town Hall, at 27 rue Castelvieh, where the rooms were arranged to house the collections on a temporary basis.

In 1992, the archaeological gallery showed the wealth of the Muret's heritage.

On 29th June 2002, at last, the Musée Clément Ader opend at 58 rue Clément Ader.

The permanent exhibition then developed on one level covering 200 m2. When they first arrive, visitors meet the region's celebrities, before becoming familiar with local archaeology. The collection of Clément Ader (1841-1925), the "Father of aviation", includes furniture from the inventor's office, patents and plans of some of his inventions, personal objects and his library. This collection comes entirely from the donation made by Mrs Clémence de Manthé, Ader's only daughter, to the town of Muret.

The collection of Adolphe Niel (1802-1869), Marshal of France and war minister of Napoleon III, brings together photographs, drawings and etchings, a military atlas, a bust of Gustave Crauck, furniture and personal belongings. It was made from donations from the Marshal's descendants. 

The Vincent Auriol (1884-1966) collection was donated to the museum by his son, Paul Auriol, in 1966. In particular, it presents personal belongings, portraits, medals, etc. The Dalayrac family added to the museum's collection by donating different objects from their ancestor, Nicolas Dalayrac (1753-1809), known for his light operas. It consists mainly of busts, etchings,

instruments, booklets and musical scores. The museum is proud to be able to present, thanks to a State deposit in 1928, two paintings by François Dejuine (1786-1844), who won second prize in the Prix de Rome and was decorated with the Legion of Honour. They are exhibited

in the Salon: Simon de Montfort and Guy de Lévis, lord of Mirepoix. The archaeological area is dedicated to archaeological discoveries in the region of Muret: Bourdaya,

St-Marcet, Cabouillet, La Peyrère. It shows, in chronological order and by theme, artefacts ranging from the Lower Palaeolithic period to the 19th century.

By appointment, the museum's reserve presents other archaeological items and local historical collections. One example is the Guillaume Jbos (1860-1952) collection, an international singer.

This collection, bought from a private person in 1995, contains photographs, stage costumes, musical scores and private documents. The reserve conserves testimonials from other noteworthy Muret inhabitants

such as Gaston and Myriam de Béarn, Jean Decap, and Abbot Lestrade.

The municipal archives, installed inside the museum, conserve a very extensive collection of documents relating to the history of Muret from the Middle Ages to the end of the 1930s:

cadastral maps, debates, civil status documents, etc. These collections, as well as the large collection of photographs and the collection of the local history library, are free to consult in the reading room.

The establishment regularly welcomes school groups, clubs or associations. In this field, the Clément Ader museum wants to improve its policy for receiving young people.

It has set up a learning department in charge of designing and organising actions with different local and national educational and cultural players.

Musée Clément Ader

6 Bd Aristide Briand - 31600 Muret

- Tél. : 05.61.51.91.40 - Fax : 05.61.51.91.41

e-mail : musee@mairie-muret.fr

Postal address: Hôtel de Ville

27, rue Castelvielh

BP 60207 31605 Muret

Mairie de Muret

Fort de Sainte-Agnès, a structure in the Fortified Sector of the Alpes Maritimes on the Maginot Line, was built between 1932 and 1938 and is completely underground. Its purpose was to defend the border between France and Italy. The village of Sainte-Agnès, the highest coastal village in Europe, clutches to the side of a 780-metre peak overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. This advantage led the local lords to use it as a fortress starting in the 16^th century. Thus, as a privileged observation and defence position, the construction of the Maginot structure at Sainte-Agnès was part of the military programme for the Fortified Sector of the Alpes Maritimes (SFAM).

Sainte-Agnès is located on a rocky outcropping overlooking the sea at nearly 800 metres. During the Roman period, the site was semi-permanently occupied by shepherds and peasants. The discovery of a church consecrated to Saint Agnès, martyr under the reign of Diocletian, has made it possible to date the founding of the town to the beginning of the 12^th century, when it belonged to the Count of Ventimiglia. A strategically important location for the Counts of Provence and the Genoese, the site was fortified at the end of the 14^th century by the House of Savoy. The scene of battles between French troops and the Sardinians, the fortress became a possession of the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia between 1814 and 1860, when the County of Nice and Savoy were attached to France.

The fort, built between 1932 and 1938 to defend the Bay of Menton against Italian attacks, is completely underground. With 2,000 m² of galleries and rooms, it was dug into over 55 metres of rock. Exclusively defensive, with powerful artillery blocks, it was one of the most powerful structures in the Fortified Sector of the Alpes Maritimes. Designed to be completely autonomous, the Fort de Sainte-Agnès is a veritable “underground city”.

The fort has also kept its artillery in a bunker (135 and 75-mm Howitzer cannons, 81-mm mortar). The south block (or block 2), the most powerfully armed front bunker of the entire Maginot Line (75 mm, 81 mm and 135 mm cannons), held off the Italian offensive of June 1940, with a barrage of artillery blocking the coast and forcing the Italian troops to retreat.

The fort was owned by the State until 1990. The municipality of Sainte-Agnès then acquired it to open it to the public and to preserve the memory of the site.

Town Hall

102 Place Saint Jean 06500 Sainte Agnès

Tel.: +33 (0)4 93 35 84 58

Fax: +33 (0)4 92 10 35 14

Opening hours: Week-ends from 2.00 pm to 5.30 pm. From July to September (closed Mondays) from 3.00 pm to 6.00 pm.

Admission (guided tours): Adults: €3.05 Children: €1.52 Groups (booked in advance): €2.29

Access: Coach Station – Regular service between Menton and Sainte-Agnès Tel.: +33 (0)4 93 35 73 51

Departure from the Menton coach station: every day at 9.50 am, 2.00 pm and 4.15 pm. An additional shuttle on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8.00 am, 11.30 am, 1.00 pm and 5.15 pm.

Departure from Sainte-Agnès: every day at 10.20 am, 2.35 pm and 4.45 pm. An additional shuttle on Tuesdays and Saturdays at 8.30 am, 12.00 pm, 1.30 pm and 5.45 pm.

A8 motorway: Menton exit, the N 7 highway: seaside road, then follow the itinerary through the Valley du Borrigo or the Corniche des Serres de la Madone

The National Equestrian School is built around the Cadre Noir de Saumur the trainers and instructors who encourage study and learning. Under the tutelage of the minister for youth and sports, the school operates in cooperation with the French equestrian federation and with the support of the national stud farm for the ministry of defence and the ministry of agriculture and fishing.

In 1763, King Louis XV entrusted the duke of Choiseul with the total reorganisation of the French cavalry. "The Most Beautiful School in the World" was thus born on the Chardonnet to welcome the commissioned and non-commissioned officers responsible for providing instruction in the French cavalry regiments.
Academic equestrianism spread in France, via schools in Versailles, Vienne, Tuileries and St Germain. It was as a result of the Italian wars that equestrianism was introduced in France. Salomon de la Broue, then Antoine de Pluvinel, received their training in Italy. At the end of the XVI century, Duplessis Mornay founded a Protestant university in Saumur with ties to an an equitation academy.
The Saumur school was founded in 1814, and consisted of a military and an academic hippodrome on which students were taught the principles of military equestrianism. The trainers at the academic claimed to be disciples of the Versailles tradition of equestrianism . In 1825, Charles X founded the Saumur Royal Cavalry School. The instructors were allocated to two hippodromes, one military and the other academic. Since the beginning of the XX century, these instructors have been commonly referred to as the Cadre Noir.
Jumpers and instructors wore the current "Lampion" ou "Bicorne" headgear. However, this type of headgear became black during the regin of Louis-Philippe, in order to differentiate them from instructors at the military equestrian school, who wore blue. Since 1830, when the Versailles school closed down, Saumur has been the sole custodian of French equestrian tradition. The National Equestrian School was founded by the ministry of youth affairs and sport by virtue of the decree of 16 May 1972 published in the Official Gazette.
Built in numerous stages since 1974, the school is located on two large plots of land with a total area of 300 hectares. The Terrefort site s the site where the buildings are located, while the Verrie site is used for training and courses. The school has around 200 people, of whom 43 are instructors, and holds 400 horses housed in individual stables.
The premises consist of 4 large, fully automated stables, 15 Olympic courses, 6 circuits (including the largest in Europe, with a capacity of up to 1500 people), a veterinary clinic, a documentation centre and a lecture theatre with numerous classrooms, an equipped amphitheatre with seating for 200 places and a cafeteria Close to 50 km of track is fitted out and contains hundreds of natural obstacles.
The school trains the upper echelons of French equestrians. The training given covers all of the discplines of equestrianism, but also general training. In coordination with the University of Angers, the French equestrian federation, professional organisations and other partners, the school offers a range of levels and more advanced training to students and competition riders from France and overseas. The school hosts and organises numerous international competitions : international vaulting competitions, full course competitions, harnessing competitions, dressage competitions, the national championships, etc. Study and research is conducted in different areas of science and education in order to improve equestrian training and performance. The PERSIVAL simulation program, for example, is the basis for numerous applications derived from the same. In response to requests from students at the school, the school distributes reference texts courtesy of its publication L'Équitation , which serves as forum for exchange and information at the service of professional equestrians and their learning
The National Equestrian Office offers every equestrian a different perspective of the world of horses in the form of visits where they can meet professionals at seminars, gala events and competitions. Individual visits and group tours are held from February 15 to November 6. The school is closed on Saturday afternoon, Sunday, Monday and holidays. Rates are available on the website of the Black Frame. Contact : Florence Dony Tél : 02-41-53-50-60 Address : Ecole Nationale d'Equitation Visits section BP 207 49411 Saumur cedex e-mail : tourisme-ene@cadrenoir.fr

The château of Balleroy, the design of which inspired the design of the palace of Versailles, was built ex nihilo in 1631 at the request of the duke of Choisy by the architect François Mansart (1598-1666).

The architect gave the structure the first spiral staircase ever seen in France. Works by other masters, such as Baudry, Delaroche, Géricault, Gros and Van Loo add to the brilliance of the place named after count Albert of Balleroy, a talented animal painter a student of Schmitz, who exhibited his works at in the hall from 1853 to 1870.

The reception hall has a series of royal portraits of Juste d'Egmont crowned by a ceiling painted in trompe-l'œil style by Charles de la Fosse.

During the course of the renovation of the interior, the dining hall is fitted with Régence panelling from a private hotel in Paris.

The library, built in English style around 1850, houses more than 3600 works.

The park is lies between romantic gardens built in 1856 and French-style panels designed according to the plans of André Le Nôtre and altered by Henri Duchêne in the 19th century.

The property was acquired in 1970 by media magnate Malcolm S. Forbes (1919-1990).

He was a world-renowned balloonist who set six hot-air ballooning world records, and was the first to successfully cross the United States, from east to west, with a single hot-air balloon. He wass also a member of the consultation committee of the Naval College.

He decided to create an international balloon museum on his new property. The wealthy, passionate individual gradually built up the collection, collecting photographs, sketches, dioramas, genuinely unusual objects and unique documents on the history of air ballooning, in particular on the role of air balloons during the sieges that took place during the war of 1870.

Château de Balleroy - Musée des Ballons

F-14490 Balleroy

Tél. : 02.31.21.60.61 - Fax : 02.31.21.51.77

E-mail : reservation@chateau-balleroy.com

Château de Balleroy

Located at the heart of the old city centre of Nancy, the Musée Lorrain lies close to the Palais Ducal and Église des Cordeliers. Work on the oldest part of the palace began under René II (1473-1508), the conqueror of Charles the Reckless, and continued under his successors until early in the XVII century.

Nowadays, the first level of the structure contains the reception and dining room used by the dukes of Lorraine, known as the "Galerie des Cerfs". On the ground floor, there is an open-vaulted gallery overlooking the garden, while a portal marks the Grande Rue entrance. Also built in Gothic style, its décor suggests that it is one of the earliest examples of work from the Renaissance period in eastern France.

In 1850, the first hall of the Lorrain Museum opened its doors to the public. From then on, the museum expanded and now has some 4 500 m2 of exhibition areas scattered across a number of sites in the old city. These structures, with their powerful history, house rich collections assembled over more than 150 years, the most notable items of which include the tables of Georges de la Tour and the work of Jacques Callot, but also reference collections, art collections and collections of popular traditional items. Since 2000, the renovation of the Lorrain Museum has taken the form of a joint initiative involving the City of Nancy, the Historical Society of Lorraine and the Musée Lorrain, the French government and the Lorraine regional government. It is managed by the City of Nancy, which is also the project supervisor, in partnership with the French and regional governments under the terms of the contract for the 2000/2006 plan.

The aim of the project is to rebuild the museum, while at the same time preserving historical buildings and creating new areas in which to host exhibits by modern museums in line with the expectations of modern audiences. Thanks to the creation of these areas, the Lorrain Museum will become « the museum for all peoples of Lorraine», a cultural reference point not only at a regional level but also at a national and international level. A plan for for reserves common to the museums of Nancy is currently in progress. This plan is a joint initiative between the City of Nancy and the urban community of Grand Nancy. The objective of the plan is to create an area for the storage, conservation and analysis of collections, and to have a permanent community tool for the development of these facilities. The renovation of the Lorrain Museum is thus now under way. It will continue to welcome members of the public for the duration of the renovation process.

By way of an introduction, the archaeology halls highlight the characteristics of the different peoples that have inhabited this region: everyday objects, fine clothing, armaments and sculptures bear witness to the wealth of prehistoric, Gallo-Roman and Merovingian civilisations in the east of France. Collections from the Middle Ages are displayed in the vaulted gallery of the ground floor of the Palais Ducal. Religious and funeral sculptures and pieces of silverware sit next to ceramics, glasses and stained-glass windows from the Medieval period, as well as armaments from the XIV and XV centuries. Renaissance art finds its expression in particular in works by Ligier Richier (Eglise des Cordeliers) and a set of remarkable stained-glass windows and sculptures, such as Christ in the Olive Garden and the Passion of Christ series.
The Femme à la Puce painting, the famous masterpiece by Georges de La Tour, is surrounded by paintings of his surroundings. The brass works and etchings of Jacques Callot are another highlight of a visit to the Museum. Among the objects emblematic of the reign of Stanislas you will find the statue of Louis XV. A small-scale version of this statue adorned the royal palace before it was destroyed during the Revolution and replaced by a statue of Stanislas. The collection of regional earthenware from the XVIII and XIX centuries is a reference collection.

The armaments and evocation of Lorraine military chiefs recall the role of this strategic and patriotic region during the XIX and XX centuries. A hall with miniatures and another hall with Jewish play at the Museum. The everyday life of the inhabitants of Lorraine from the late XVIII century to the early XX century is illustrated by collections of popular art and ethnography housed in the convent of the Cordeliers : regional furniture, popular earthenware and domestic objects are displayed in settings reminiscent of traditional Lorraine home interiors.
The Museum's education service, an association governed in accordance with the law of 1901, has been in place at the Museum since 1961. The service offers the following all year round: Schools: from kindergarten to final-year students Teachers, children and young people from specialist education institutions MJCs, FJEPs, rural homes a wide range of activities: - free or guided visits : Musée Historique Lorrain, Musée des Arts et Traditions, Chapelle des Cordeliers, Porte de la Craffe - Pantomimes for and by children - Workshops on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and during school holidays : linocut, costumes, etching, masks, models, photography - The use of educational tools, videos, slide films - Access to cultural education service : conferences, exhibitions - Preparation and holding of cultural heritage classes and workshops. Contact : Mireille Canet Telefax: 03 83 37 25 55
 

Musée Lorrain

Palais Ducal - 64 Grande Rue - 54 000 Nancy

Tel. : 03.836.32.18.74 - Fax : 03.83.32.87.63

e-mail : museelorrain@mairie-nancy.fr

How to get there by CGFTE shuttle service. Stop: Musée Lorrain. Hours The Museum is open every day from 10h00 to 12h30 and from 14h00 to 18h00, except Tuesdays. Closed 1 January, 1 May, 14 July, 1 November and 25 December. Pricesfor permanent collections Single : ?3.10 Group (more than 10 people) ad concession rate : ?2.30 Pricesfor exhibits Single : ?5 Group (more than 10 people) and concession rate : ?3 Pricesfor combined visits (Musée Lorrain and Musée des Arts et Traditions Populaires) Single : ?4.60 Group (more than 10 people) and concession rate : ?3.10 Pricesfor combined visits and access to temporary exhibits Single : ?6 Group (more than 10 people) and concession rate : ?4

The Landing Museum, built in 1954 next to the beach of Arromanches, is located on the same site where the artificial port, traces of which can still be seen, was built, several hundred metres from the shore. "Mulberry B" is the official code name given to the artificial port of Arromanches ("Mulberry A" being the name given to the artificial American port that runs along Vierville-sur-Mer and Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer ). This port had to allow the transport of dfferent types of cargo (live and material) for the troops involved in the battle of Normandy.

- Open 1 February to 30 December : Winter : 9h30 to 12h30 and 13h30 to 17h30. Summer : 9h to 19h. Annual closure : 1 January - 31 January - Four-language reception, trilingual guided visit, visit aids - Boutiques-souvenirs - Duration of visit :1h15 - Prices : Adults : 6.00 Euros / Children, students : 5.00 Euros. Reduction if visiting several museums on the history of the battle of Normandy : 5.50 Euros - Sale to groups only (more than 20 people) of tickets that include admission to the Arromanches Museum and the Pegasus Memorial in Ranville. Adults : 6.50 Euros. School students : 5.00 Euros - Label Normandy Quality Tourism

In 1967, the French government acquired the collections of Raoul et Jean Brunon through an intermediary of the Military Museum of Paris.

The collection were transferred to Salon-de-Provence, where they were used to build a municipal museum before being moved to the château of Empéri, which dominates the city centre.

The entrance to the museum is in the ancient chapel that leads to the reception hall of the château.

The collections occupy around 30 of the rooms currently renovated.

The various pieces are displayed in 160 vitrines or hung on walls or ceilings.

The collections of the museum contain 10,000 authentic objects :

personal firearms and slashers, cannons, headgear, uniform helmets, flags and emblems, decorations, equipment, trappings, personal items, reduced-scale models, etc.

The scenography draws a distintion between seven periods: The Ancien Regime, the First Republic, Empire,

the Restoration, the African Army, the Second Empire and World War I.

The finial of the museum consists of halls from the Napoleonic period. The most impressive visual elements are the 130 mannequins, around 15 of which are on horseback.

Their faces have been crafted by Raoul Brunon using illustrations pf famous military figures.

♦ The entrance hall has an armaments and armour collection dating back to the XIV and XVII centuries, as well

as the history of the château. ♦ One hall is dedicated to the history of the Brunon collection : images of Epinal, uniforms and childrens' toys, etc. ♦ Another piece demonstrates the development of uniforms since the reign of Louis XIV. ♦ Two halls dedicated to the training of the French army from the reign of Louis XIV to the Revolution.

♦ Four halls on the army of the First Republic. ♦ There is an exhibit on the First Empire that takes in five halls: Campaigns, marshalls, the Legion of Honour, exile. ♦ The exhibit on the army of the Second Republic takes up

two halls. ♦ Six halls are dedicated to an exhibition on the Second Empire, from Magenta to Sedan, through the Crimean War. ♦ French and German armies echo in the part of the museum dedicated to World War I, from the Champagne fronts to the Chemin des Dames and Taxis de la Marne to victory. This collection was originally brought together by Jean Brunon in memory of his brother, who died at the front. ♦ Firearms and their history since Louis XIII are displayed in the display cabinets in two halls that can be accessed from the entrance hall. ♦ Two other rooms, accessible from the main hall. The first room is reserved for temporary exhibits.

The second, created using collections 14-18 and objects from the Ecole de l'Air, gives an insight into the history of military aeronautics. The collection begins with the period 1970-1980

This library is the second-largest store of military archives in France, after that of the history service of the department of defence. It has 24 000 volumes, 20 000 periodicals, 15 000 paintings, cartoons, etchings, autographs, official and personal documents, photographs, 5 000 maps, designs, letters and ship monographs.

Château de l'Empéri

Montée du Puech - 13300 Salon-de-Provence

Tel. : 04.90.56.22.36 - Fax : 04.90.56.90.84

Opening hours

October 1 to April 15: open daily except Mondays from 13h30 to 18h
From 16 April to 30 September: open every day except Mondays from 9.30am to 12pm and 14pm to 18pm.

The museum gift shop is located in the entrance hall

Association "Les Amis du Musée de l'Empéri"

Maison de la Manufacture d'Armes Blanches 2, rue de l'École 67530 Klingenthal Tel.: +33 3 88 95 93 23 e-mail : Adolf.Marc@wanadoo.fr

It is both a traditional museum of the French army and a representative collection of the past and present of the French airborne units. Guardian of the identity of all airborne troops, its goal is to present their history, traditions, spirit and current developments.

Its collections and displays comprising many lifelike scenes are accessible to all and are of interest to both the public and the troops themselves. Temporary exhibitions make it a regional centre for disseminating the spirit of defence. The museum is thus intended as a place where the memory of contemporary conflicts can be studied and passed on, with a variety of information sources available to teachers, university students and visitors.

The museum charts the history of the French paratroopers, from their origins to the present. The exhibition comprises five displays preceded by explanatory videos.

Each display consists of scenes containing mannequins in full battle dress, weaponry and vehicles, against a poster backdrop:

- The period of the pioneers, the emergence of parachute technology and the use of parachutists: First World War balloonists, the first specific equipment, German, Soviet and French parachutists. The creation of the French airborne troops dates back to 1 April 1937, when two Air Infantry Groups (GIAs) were set up: the 601st GIA in Reims and the 602nd GIA in Baraki (Algeria). Their doctrine and inspiration were Soviet, brought back by Colonel Geille from his training visit to the USSR and based on what was learned from the large-scale manoeuvres in Kiev in 1935.

- The Second World War and the creation of the major British and American units: French soldiers of the Free French Forces (FFL) in the Special Air Service (SAS) and in North Africa, equipped by the Americans. In 1940, an air infantry company was founded within the Free French Air Force, which would be incorporated in the Special Air Service as the “French Squadron”. The 3rd and 4th SAS were subsequently formed from escapees from France and the remnants of General Giraud’s army, which would go on to become the 3rd and 4th Chasseurs Parachute Regiments (RCP). They were dropped over Brittany on the eve of the D-Day landings, tasked with destroying a series of targets with the aim of stalling the enemy on the Breton peninsula. The 1st RCP, entirely equipped by the Americans, formed part of the US 82nd Airborne Division, before being deployed in the Vosges in 1944. The Shock Battalion, trained in jumping by the Americans and in combat by the British, was deployed in the liberation of Corsica and the island of Elba, then in metropolitan France. The African Commandos, the Shock Battalion’s sister regiment, specialising in amphibious operations and carrying heavier equipment, followed the 1st Army right up until the armistice. The Commandos of France, founded in 1944, joined the fighting with the 1st Army.

- The First Indochina War, a period in which the legend of the French paras was born and the major French units, variously equipped, were founded. 

- The Algerian War, urban guerrilla warfare and helicopter transport over the vast desert. The collections stress the wide variety of uniforms and equipment used.

- The contemporary world, overseas operations and peacekeeping (Bizerte, Kolwezi, etc.). The exhibition presents the technical know-how and current equipment used by the units, by means of illustrations and videos (Special Forces, frogmen, equipment drops, demining, the Gendarmerie Nationale Task Force (GIGN), etc.), and stresses the key role of the École des Troupes Aéroportées (ETAP).

The museum’s collections are enriched by a permanent exhibition of works by army artists, including Brayer, Le Zachmeur, Sollier and Rosenberg. - The museum has a study room open to researchers; documents must be consulted on site.

Founded in February 2013, the Society of Friends of the Musée des Parachutistes (SAMParas) is officially recognised as the museum’s only support organisation. Since 16 July 2018, it has been a registered charity and can therefore issue tax receipts.

Its object is to contribute to the preservation, development and promotion of the historic and cultural heritage of the Musée des Parachutistes. It is in charge of collecting material and financial donations and taking museum tours.

Thanks to its volunteers, the museum is open 360 days a year and visitors have enthusiastic guides to take them round.

For further information or if you would like to make a donation, please phone SAMParas on +33 (0)5 59 40 49 19 or email them at samparas@orange.fr

The establishment is a joint effort by the Departmental Association of Deportees, Prisoners and Resistance Fighters, the Departmental Association of Patriotic Deportees, Prisoners and Resistance Fighters, and the town of Varilhes.

Decorated with the Cross of War on 11 November 1948, it was described as a "town that during the Occupation played an active part in the fight against the enemy.”

The great services provided by the population to the Resistance and the Allied cause provoked reprisals from the Occupier who carried out a huge number of deportations. Twenty-two of its sons gave their life for France. (Max Lejeune, Secretary of State for the War Armed Forces).

This tribute to history and remembrance gives an illustrated and comprehensive vision of the major steps of deportation and internment between 1933 and 1945.

Four tableau present the concentration camp system to visitors:

A first part is dedicated to the emergence of the Nazi concentration camps between 1933 and 1939.

A second part highlights the beginnings of the deportation of the Jews in France from 1940 to 1942 (the Vichy Regime, the exclusion of the Jews, the roundups and imprisonment, the repression of the opponents).

A third part explains the organisation of the Deportation between 1942 and 1944 (the turning point of 1942, the departure from France, the organisation of the concentration camps, the camp: a place of order without entitlement, omnipresent death, the final solution, the Resistance).

The last theme is the end of the camps and the period of the trials (evacuation and liberation of the camps, the homecoming to France, the trials).

Ariége Museum of Deportation and Internment

Hôtel de Ville de Varilhes

Tel: 05.61.60.73.24

Museum website

Opening times

The Museum is open Wednesdays and Saturdays (2-6 pm) 

Open to school groups on weekdays, please enquire

Tourist Information Office

3 avenue Louis-Siret - 09120 Varilhes

Tel: 05.61.60.55.54

Fax: +33 (0)5 61 60 55 54

Email: office-tourisme.varilhes@wanadoo.fr 

The château de Vincennes is an exceptional historic site: initially it served as a Capetian manor before becoming a royal residence from the 12th to 17th centuries and then being used as a State prison in the 18th century; during the 19th and 20th centuries it was transformed into a major military establishment. Its geographical location is no a coincidence: the King demanded that it be located within close proximity to the French capital, so that he and the government could be protected and maintained in times of trouble.

Here is the plan of the château de Vincennes, Click on the arrows for more information...
Today, this site represents a rare collection of monuments: the dungeon of Charles V, the Sainte-Chapelle and the King's and Queen's pavilions are proof of the castle's important role in French history. The castle is owned by the State, specifically the ministries of defence and culture. It has suffered from the passing of time and from human destruction. In 1986, the State realised the importance of restoring the site and the leadership of a study was entrusted to Jean-Philippe Lecat, a former culture minister, who would publish its findings in 1988 in a report entitled 'Vincennes, memory and creation'.
This analysis set in train a vast restoration campaign which continues today. An interministerial defence/culutre commission (CICV) was also created to coordinate restoration and to ensure that the monument is promoted appropriately along with various other partners (defence, culture - in charge of managing the project), the town of Vincennes and the city of Paris, and with different services (Bâtiments de France, Monum, etc.). Since 1988, more than ?40m has been invested in the castle by the two ministries, the main areas being the Sainte-Chapelle, the dungeon and surrounding wall. When work began these structures revealed an unexpected technical complexity both in terms of restoration and archeological excavations. The work also revealed the intellectual bases underlying the construction of the monument.
This project has been carried out in an exemplary fashion thanks to the effective long-term cooperation between the Ministry of Culture and its various departments (Management of National Heritage, National Works Department) and the Ministry of Defence which has continually provided the means required. A CNRS research team (ERCUBE) brings together researchers and professionals. This makes it one of Europe's most important restoration projects and one that is clearly of significant cultural and tourist value.
This building has been entrusted to the Ministry of Defence. France's Defence and Culture ministries signed an agreement to restore it, on 17 September 2005.
Château de Vincennes Main entrance Avenue de Paris 94300 Vincennes Tel/Fax: 33 / (0)1 48 08 31 20 ou Fax: 33 / (0)1 58 64 23 95 Open: From 1 September to 30 April From 10:00-12:00 and from 13:15-17:00 From 2 May to 31 August From 10:00-12:00 and from 13:15-18:00 Please note! The castle is closed on 1 January, 1 May, 1 November, 11 November, and 25 December. Getting there By road: By the East ringroad: exit 'Porte de Vincennes' (Route Nationale N34: avenue de Paris), or Porte Dorée From south of Val-de-Marne: motorway A86, take the East ringroad at the level of 'Porte de Bercy'. Free parking (near the Saint Louis Esplanade) From Orly airport: By car, motorway A6 and East ringroad From Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle airport: By car, motorway A1 and East ringroad By underground and RER: Line no. 1: station 'Château de Vincennes' or RER A station 'Vincennes' By bus: Château de Vincennes Bus Station: Line 46 Saint-Mandé Demi-lune --> Gare du Nord. Departures for Château de Vincennes from Monday to Friday in the afternoon during the summer, every Wednesday afternoon from 1 May to 30 September, every Saturday, Sunday and public holiday afternoon throughout the year. Line 56 --> Porte de Clignancourt Line 112 --> Joinville / La Varenne-Chennevières Line 114 --> Villemomble / Le Raincy Line 115 --> Porte des Lilas Line 118 --> Rosny-sous-Bois Line 124 --> Val de Fontenay Line 210 --> Villiers-sur-Marne Line 318 --> Romainville-les-Chantaloups Line 325 --> Bibliothèque François-Mitterrand

Nicknamed the Dragon's Cave ('Drachenhöhle') by German soldiers, this former quarry dates back to the 16th century and was operated until the 19th. In January 1915, German units began converting it into a complete underground barracks with both firing and command posts.

But the cave was much more than that; it provided the soldiers with a haven of peace, a place where they could rest and relax away from the fighting above ground. It included dormitories, a first aid post and a chapel. It was fitted with electricity and water, for basic comfort and hygiene. From mid-September to 2nd November 1917, German and French troops both lived in the cave. Walls built during the German Occupation to prevent access to the cave and defend against gas attacks separated the two sides inside the cave.

The new building overlooks the Aisne Valley, offering breathtaking views. Converted into a Remembrance Museum, the Dragon's Cave recreates the daily lives of the soldiers through modern animation methods, objects, sounds, videos and archive images. Now enlarged and brought to life by the staging design, the Cave's secrets are ours to share.

The Dragon's Cave

Chemin des Dames 02160 Oulches-la-Vallée-Foulon

Tel.: +33 (0) 3.23.25.14.18 Fax: +33 (0) 3.23.25.14.11

E-mail :caverne@cg02.fr Visiting dates and times

Caverne du Dragon

The Dragon's Cave can only be visited as part of a guided tour.

Reservations are strongly recommended for weekends and public holidays.

Opening times

February - December: 10am - 6pm

July and August (every day): 10am - 7pm

Tours begin every half-hour:

February - December: 10am - 4.30pm

July and August (every day): 10am - 5.30pm

Length of tour: 90 mins

Background

In 1988, the association of the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle was created to conserve and promote maritime heritage. It acquired, for the purpose, the meteorological frigate France 1.

The Museum was expanded in 1995, setting up in-land exhibitions in the former Halle à Marées, which had been left empty with the departure of the fishing harbour. A redevelopment project began in 2005, which allowed the museum to spread out over five hectares, based on three sections:

• A 6,000 m2 ocean section in the inland area, comprising reception areas and services (café, restaurant, bookshop, boutiques), on the one hand, and the museum areas and administrative spaces on the other.
• An on-board section on the docks and boats in the museum's flotilla.
• A restaurant and boat maintenance section.

Collections

The association of the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle mainly adds to its stock by acquiring vessels.

This consists of:

• France I (1958), the last French meteorological frigate, 76.5 metres long, a listed historical monument. The vessel carried out its missions for 27 years, until meteorological satellites came into use in 1985.

• Angoumois (1969), a stern trawler, 38 metres long, a listed historical monument.

• Duperré (1952), staff boat of the French Navy, a wooden vedette boat.

• Capitaine de Frégate Le Verger (1954), lifeboat, 15 metres long. 

• Joshua (1962), red ketch belonging to Bernard Moitessier, a listed historical monument.

• Steam-powered dredger (1906), a listed historical monument.

• Saint-Gilles, sea-going tug (1958), a listed historical monument.

The slipway.

This harbour equipment, which stands at the entrance of the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle, was built in 1942 during the Second World War by the Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO - Compulsory Work Service) under authority of the German occupying troops. It was used by the Germans during the war, and then to maintain the fishing fleet of La Rochelle. It was installed at the Musée Maritime de La Rochelle in 1996 in the Bassin des Chalutiers.  This piece of machinery is unique in France and is currently in the process of being listed as a Historical Monument.

The slipway consists of:

- a bunker housing an electric winch dating back to 1938 and requisitioned in Holland,

- a main slipway to hoist 700-tonne ships to dry docking.

Non-material heritage

The Musée Maritime de la Rochelle has undertaken work on non-material maritime heritage. Every year, as part of the Heritage Days, the team organises "Alors Raconte !", an event based on maritime memory.

These two days consist of projections of pictures, recorded interviews with witnesses, visits of boats and, for children, events based on life as a sailor. Former employees provide their accounts, take visitors round and revive life on board the ships and on the dock.

Musée Maritime

Place Bernard Moitessier

BP 3053

17031 LA Rochelle Cedex 01

Tél. : 05 46 28 03 00

Fax : 05 46 41 07 87

e-mail : contact@museemaritimelarochelle.fr

Musée maritime de la Rochelle

Late openings

24th July and 7th August 2013 from 10 am to 11 pm, non-stop.

Guided tour at 9 pm subject to booking on 05 46 45 46 57

Getting there
 

The ships of the Musée Maritime which can be visited are located:

Quai Sénac de Meilhan (Bassin des Chalutiers near the Médiathèque)

Nearby car parks: place Bernard Moitessier (free) Aquarium and Médiathèque (paying)

Bus: illico line, stop at Aquarium, bus No. 19, then cross the Bassin des Chalutiers using the footbridge.

Ferry: crossing from Vieux Port to the Médiathèque.

Fort de Leveau is part of a fortification system dating back to 1874. It is just one of the structures erected around Maubeuge to protect it.

It is a "cavalier and high battery" structure, surrounded with masonry ditches with a scarp and counterscarp. These were defended with two caponiers (covered passages), with the entrance and the gorge protected with two flanking casemates.

Before World War 1 began, a concrete gun turret for two 75mm guns was added. The fort was bombarded and evacuated on 7 September 1914. According to sources, between 80 and 120 people lost their lives and the building was seriously damaged.

It was refurbished in the 1930s and observation posts were constructed. The fort fell on 19 May 1940. During the Liberation, it was the backdrop of combats between the French Forces of the Interior (FFI) and German troops.

Today, the fort belongs to the town of Feignies and is preserved as a place for reflection and strolling, steeped in history. Since 1993, the Association de Sauvegarde du Fort de Leveau has been looking after the site.

The main living quarters and defences of the fort can be visited: barracks, caponiers, concrete structure, central tunnel, trenches. Inside, a museum is dedicated to the two world wars. All objects and documents concerning the fort or Maubeuge are displayed in the gunpowder room, while the artillery store and the central corridor display uniforms, documents and apparatus from the Great War. Visitors can also discover a room decorated with furniture of the time. Lastly, the museum has a room dedicated to the Second World War.

Exhumations were carried out at the request of families of soldiers who died on 7 September 1914. In 1998, after two years of painstaking work, the bodies of nine buried soldiers were exhumed. They were able to be identified thanks to their identification tags and thus emerged from an 84-year oblivion. Nearly all of the families were found and invited to the funerals of their grandfather or great-grandfather. A moving ceremony took place at the fort and a commemorative plaque was unveiled, followed by another ceremony at the Assevent cemetery to bury the bodies.

Fort de Leveau

Association de sauvegarde du fort de Leveau

BP 68 59750 Feignies

Tel./Fax: +33 (0)3 27 62 37 07

Quizz : Forts and citadels

In the Middle Age , Ypres was with, Bruges and Gand, one of the most important commercial cities of Flandres. The Sheet Hall in the big Market Place, the market hall is the storage place of the textiles of Ypres, this is an example of the enormous richness of this town in the XIII century. During the First World war Ypres was the center of the salient of Ypres and one of the bloodiest zones of the west front. Between October 1914 and October 1918 on five battlefields 500 000 victims were counted. The Germans never besieged the old medieval town, except for one day only. It was completely devastated by the different fights.

After the war the city was completely rebuilt and became one of the biggest centers of Memory of the war. In the new Sheet Hall, the Flandres Field Museum was constructed on 1998. Here the history of the 1914 - 1918 War is proposed to the 21st century public, with the use of a current technology. Take notice of: - The Ypres Centre with the Sheet Halls and the Saint Martin church - The Flandres Field Museum on the first floor of the Sheet Hall - The town of Ypres received the Military Cross from Mister Poincaré on January 28th 1920.
The front line towards Ypres has a half circular form encircling Ypres. Northwards you can find the flooded plane of Yser and the Belgian sector. Southwards, the line follows Wijtschate and Messines to come back down towards the Lys valley and the French border. On this soil five bloody battles took place. During the first Ypres battle (October 17th - November 22nd 1914), the French and British try to fight against the German breakthrough towards the channel harbours. The second battle of Ypres ( April 22nd - May 24th 1915), started with the first toxic gas attack in history. Another time, the French and English broke the German offensive, but this time the front line was far too small.
Two years later, in 1917 the great British attack took place and ended 100 days after in Passendale. This third Ypres battle (July 31st - November 10th 1917) was the bloodiest among the five. During the German offensive in springtime (April - May 1918) the terrain conquered by the allies was lost and in Kemmel the front was pierced. Thus the positions remained until the end of August. At the end of September 1918 the allied liberation offensive broke through the salient of Ypres for good. Today more then 140 cemeteries and three big Memorials point out the great presence of the Commonwealth troops. The French presence was also very important and sometimes even crucial. One of the biggest German necropolises is situated near Langemark.
- The Menin Gate in Ypres counting nearly 55 000 names of missing soldiers of the Commonwealth. Every evening at 8:00 p.m. the Last Post is played in memory of the victims. - The Tyne Cot Cemetery in Passendale, is with more then 12 000 graves and 35 000 names of missing soldiers the biggest military cemetery of the Commonwealth. - The necropolis of Langemark preserves the Memory of 44 500 identified German soldiers and of 11 800 unknown soldiers.
The Flandres Field Museum is open every day from April to September, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and from October to March from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday included. The Museum is closed during the three weeks of the end year festivities. Phone number : 00 32 57 22 85 84 Website : flandersfields@ieper.be, www.inflandersfields.be Streekbezoekerscentrum Ieper - 0032 57 22 85 84 email : toerinsme@ieper.be Website : http://www.ieper.be

Built during the reign of Louis XV, la chapelle St-Louis de l'Ecole Militaire is original evidence of the architectural heritage of the 18th century.

In 1751, Louis XV decided to build a royal military school on the plain of Grenelle. The project was entrusted to his favourite architect, Ange-Jacques Gabriel. Work on the school began in 1753 and lasted more than thirty years, during the course of which financial problems disrupted the initial project. The original plans provided for the construction of a majestic chapel in the middle of the enclosure. In 1768, Gabriel proposed a second project, in which the chapel was to form part of the interior of the main building. Louis XV laid the foundation stone of the chapel on 5 July 1769. Upon its completion in 1773, the chapel was dedicated to Saint Louis, the patron saint of the army. Until 1788, it was open for worship and welcomed students and staff from the military school. Bonaparte received his confirmation there in 1785. Devastated during the Revolution, the chapel was turned into a canteen and then a feed and weapons depot. Its furnishings were dispersed. During the funeral of Marshal Joffre in 1931, the chapel was definitively cleared of all the items kept there. Its furnishings were recovered during the course of the 1930s and it was restored as a Catholic place of worship in 1951.
The chapel is 35 metres long and 13 metres wide. It consists of a unique rectangular nave divided into eight equal spans, the last of which forms the chancel. The spans are separated by Corinthian columns that support a lowered arch-shaped vault. The windows of the ground floor have been blinded and now hold paintings representing the life of Saint Louis. These nine works illustrate the main events in the life of the king. The chapel also has one of the panes of a triptych from the Renaissance period. Above the main entrance and along the full width of the chapel there is a gallery supported by four ionic columns on which a modern organ has been placed.
The back wall, which is located behind the chancel, is decorated with two Corinthian columns similar to those of the nave. The altar includes a tomb made of white marble, decorated with a gilded bronze wreath. Two low reliefs attributed to the sculptor Pajou are detaching themselves from the walls above the tribune and behind the altar. The reliefs depict child angels lifting a cross in the clouds and the scene of the Apocalypse of Saint John. On either side of the chancel are two doors that provide access to the sacristy. Above these doors, two walled-up openings indicate the site of the galleries where important hosts previously sat to listen to mass. Nowadays, flags representing the colours of the French army since the reign of Louis XV and have been installed there.
The current throne is decorated with raised patterns gilded with gold leaf and a medallion representing an eagle with outstretched wings. Under the chapel there is a crypt in which contains the bodies of the first governor of the school and of Pâris Duverney, an adviser to Louis XV. The chapel is open on rare occasions only, for religious ceremonies or concerts organised by the ministry of defence.
The restoration of this unique monument, for which the Department of Defence is responsible, was included in a Culture and Defence protocol signed on the 17th September 2005.
La Chapelle Saint-Louis de l'Ecole militaire 1 place J'offre Paris 7° Metro station: Ecole militaire

The building, built between 1883 and 1890, sits on a rocky outcropping overlooking the confluence of the Tinée and the Var, north of Nice.

The treaty of 1860 brought Nice and Savoy under French control and forced the French army to redefine its plans for defending the southeast border with Italy. The young Italian State, unified by the Piedmont royal family, sought to make its mark by controlling its territory with fortifications on the Col de Tende and through a trade and customs war. A policy of systematic opposition to France led Italy to join the Triple Alliance in 1882.

Séré de Rivières, in charge of establishing a line of defence along the northeast border, expanded his system to the Italian border, as he was well aware of the threat: “Since, through a series of annexations made possible by French policy, the King of Piedmont has become the King of all of Italy and rather than having neighbours who are incapable of causing us any umbrage, we are in contact with a first-class power, the Alpine border has taken on great importance.”

The first step consisted in controlling all the approaches to Nice, transforming the city into a resistance position. Nice played the role of the core surrounded by a line of defence made up of forts set up on natural outcroppings, within shooting distance of each other. It quickly became necessary to push the line of defence closer to the border.

A second fortified line was set up, rounding out the system of strategic roads started in 1877. It should be pointed out that his predecessor, Engineering General Frossard, had already planned in 1862 to defend Nice and to control the gorges of the Var and the Tinée with a system of two “chuise” and four forts.

The “explosive shell crisis” made the “first generation” of the Séré de Rivières forts partially useless.

The Fort du Pic Charvet, or Picciarvet, is a typical construction in the system. It is part of a vast defensive system comprising 158 forts and 254 artillery batteries in charge of safeguarding the border.

The Fort du Pic Charvet is a protective fort. The building is surrounded by a ditch that protects the west side, which is more vulnerable. It is defended by caponiers. No large façades are visible. Only a few walls and a cannon ramp can be seen. The heavy machinery includes four 120-mm cannons, heavy weapons to ensure the fort’s role.

With the law of 22 December 1889, General Baron Berge created the “Alpine batteries” each of which was to be paired off with the Chasseurs Alpins battalion at the nearest fort. These batteries are equipped with the 80-mm De Bange cannon, called the “mountain gun”, a rifled cannon that could be broken down into three loads of approximately one hundred kilos which can be transported by mules using a packsaddle: the carriage, the pointer extension with the wheels. This cannon has a range of 4,100 metres. The 65-mm mountain gun replaced it in the end. This is a fast-firing gun with an articulated carriage. It weighs 400 kilos. It is made up of four loads for mule transport: the gun, the brake, the pointer, and the wheels. Its maximum range is 5,500 metres and its firing speed can reach 10 to 15 shots a minute. The fort was occupied until World War II by the 18^th battalion of Chasseurs Alpins.

Syndicat d'initiative de Villars sur Var

Tel.: +33 (0)4.93.05.32.32

Tournefort Town Hall

Tel.: +33 (0)4.93.02.90.56

Access: on foot, take the path from the village of Tournefort

Association Montagne et Traditions

Gateway to the sites and museums preserving the memory of the last three wars in the Ardennes department, the Museum of War and Peace in the Ardennes is located at Novion-Porcien.

Built by Agence Trois Arches at the initiative of the Ardennes Departmental Council, this site was inaugurated in July 2003.

Occupying four thousand square metres in two complementary spaces on the ground floor and on the first floor or mezzanine, national and local military aspects of the wars of 1870, 1914-1918 and 1939-1945 are presented.

The visitor reaches the museum from the East through an enclosed, semi-underground space.

The ground floor lets you experience the main events of the conflicts through ten large scenes, each accompanied by an explanatory video. The tone is set with the charge of Prussian infantry, the best trained and best equipped army of the day when Napoleon III declared war on Bismarck and Wilhelm I’s Germany after the Ems Dispatch. Then comes the fighting at the house of the last cartridge in Bazeilles, a village 8 km from Sedan where commander Lambert’s group of seventy men stood up to 2,300 Germans in September 1870.

World War I is depicted through the life of German and French troops in the trenches. The soldiers had left home with "flowers in their gun barrels", but found themselves in a war of positions in which men on both sides dug underground to protect themselves, giving rise to the figure of the French “Poilu” who suffered the rigors of the seasons, shortages and bloody attacks, which in the end led to mutiny.

This visit through five tableaux gives an idea of the military aspects of the last war. Everyday life on the Maginot Line during the Phoney War between September 1939 and May 1940, a fortified underground system desired by the French Army staff headquarters who were convinced that the Ardennes could not be crossed. Then "Case Yellow" is presented, the plan for invading France following the principle of the Blitzkrieg, a joint attack by armoured units and aviation that led to the Allied rout at Dunkirk and the establishment of the Vichy government after the armistice was signed on 22 June 1940.

Everyday life: STO (Service du Travail Obligatoire – Compulsory Work Service), deportation and resistance fill the next scene dedicated to the Allied landing in June 1944. The ups and downs and the importance of the logistical resources deployed to win the Battle of Normandy and the re-conquest of Europe form the narrative framework for the display of Anglo-American equipment such as jeeps, Sherman tanks, amphibious trucks and movable bridges.

Upstairs, the mezzanine lets you contemplate the scenes on the ground floor from a distance, but especially provides an initiation to the evolutions in warfare throughout history and the main progress made in weaponry. As before, information kiosks provide the scientific and technical explanations necessary for understanding each exhibit. The windows dedicated to changes in soldiers’ lives presents them in their uniforms, which trended toward keeping them invisible for the enemy, from red trousers to khaki outfits, not to mention the German feldgrau and the French bleu horizon, from the Pickelhaube (spiked helmet) and ceremonial uniforms to the Adrian helmet and the American M1 helmet, but also show their everyday life – packs and supplies, entertainment – and the progress made in health and hygiene – collective showers, toothpaste, shaving cream, etc.

The visit finishes with a look at the changes made in warfare through progress made in military techniques. Each main type is presented. You can take your time to delve into the revolution of rifled arms, cartridges, smokeless powder, shells, automatic arms and the machine gun (Maxim, Chauchat, M1 Garand), but also the continuity of ancestral battle techniques: knives, sabres, bayonets, and the headaches of cleaning out the trenches during World War I.

Museum of War and Peace in the Ardennes

Route Sery - 08270 Novion Porcien

Tel.: +33 (0)3.24.72.69.50

Fax: +33 (0)3.24.72.97.30

Motorway access, A4 to A34. Route de Sery.

Ardennes Departmental Council / General Directorate of Departmental Services /

Departmental Directorate of Tourism and Leisure Centres

Hôtel du Département

08011 Charleville-Mézières Cédex

Tel.: +33 (0)3.24.59.60.60

Fax: +33 (0)3.24.37.76.76 / +33 (0)3.24.52.48.02

Opening hours

The museum is open every day from June to September from 10 am to 7 pm

From 10 am to 12 pm and from 2 pm to 6 pm from October to May, every day except Tuesdays

Annual closing: 15 to 31 January, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December

Admission

Adults: €5 Under 18, military personnel, job seekers, veterans: €3 Families (2 adults and up to 3 children): €14 Groups (at least 20 people) Adults: €3.50 Schools: €2 Children under 6: free

Audioguide services available in French, English, German and Dutch.

Guided tours by reservation. The Museum is fully accessible to the disabled

Other resources – A temporary exhibition room is used to expand upon and round out the permanent exhibit – An auditorium can hold 70 people for conferences and projections – A leisure area

Ardennes Departmental Council

The fort has several notable features, the most impressive of which is the covered interior road, bordered on either side by the facades of the barracks and a room which is completely reinforced.

At 497m, the top of the fort offers superb views of the Pays de Montbéliard (orientation table).

A fortification must meet a defensive need and make use of the human resources and materials available, and is bound by geographic and strategic constraints. Using the example of Mont-Bart Fort, we will analyse these points for the fortifications constructed after the Franco-Prussian war.

At the end of the 19th century, France's army was inferior in terms of numerical strength to that of its powerful neighbour.

France therefore adopted a defensive system designed by General Séré de Rivière to guard against another invasion.

Fortifications were constructed to compensate for inferior human resources.

Given the loss of a part of Alsace and Moselle, the defensive system had to be redesigned in the Vosges rather than being based along the Rhine. The major subjects under consideration were controlling channels of communications and preventing supplies from reaching the enemy army. The answer found was a network of forts which all protected each other. This curtain of forts was supported by fortified camps, which acted as stoppers to block the major roads, as at Belfort.

Experiences in 1870 had taught Séré de Rivière the importance of keeping the enemy at a distance. It was essential to build numerous forts, some of which would only be occupied in the event of a conflict. The network needed to be dense for the system to be effective.

Mont-Bart Fort lies at the southern extremity of the Belfort fortified camp, behind the confluence of the Allan and the Doubs. It overlooks Pays de Montbéliard, with the exception of the Ecot plateau.

Its defence was linked to Mont-Vaudois, Lachaux and Le Lomont forts, and the Roches battery. The gateway to Alsace was closed off by the forts. The roads, railways and waterways were controlled by the forts.

Should an army succeed in sneaking between the forts, it would rapidly be blocked because supplies would not be able to get through. Forts were constructed to resist the weapons which existed at the time.

However, weapons developed very quickly between the late 19th century and the early 20th century. Forts were modernised to keep up with these developments until the First World War.

Mont-Bart Fort
Rue du Mont-Bart - 25420 Bart

Tel: +33 (0)3 81 97 51 71 - Fax: +33 (0)3 81 96 23 85

Email: fort.mont-bart@wanadoo.fr

(Guided visits by appointment)

This limestone pre-alp range reaches heights of 600 to 800 metres. Its north-south orientation makes it a natural obstacle to invasions from the west and a travel route between Nice and the Vésubie Valley. These dry-stone fortifications were set up by French troops who invaded the County of Nice in 1747. It runs from Mont Férion to the sea, passing through Mont Macaron and the Terrier Plateau. The system includes a double line used as a shooting bench, equipped with redoubts. The most interesting vestiges are located on the Terrier plateau.

Trom the D 19

Montagne et Traditions Association

Quizz : Forts and citadelles