The Lion of Belfort in Place Denfert-Rochereau (Paris XIVème Arrondissement) in the Parisian Exhibition Saloon of 1878, Bartholdi exhibited his final plaster model, which measures one third of his Lion of Belfort. A piece that, since a couple of years opposed him to the city of Belfort. But this controversy does not seem to affect the local council of Paris which is very attracted by the lion and which will acquire/buy it for a total amount of 20000frs. The sculpture is then entrusted to the Monduit centre - executor of the "statue of liberty" - , in order to be create a replica of hammered copper and installed in 1880 in Denfert-Rochereau.

A place that Bartholdi didn't really expect, as a correspondence written to a friend in 1879 testifies : "Je voulais vous voir ce matin pour vous annoncer la bonne nouvelle. Le conseil municipal de Paris a décidé l'acquisition du Lion de Belfort ; il sera très probablement érigé aux Buttes-Chaumont. Je crois que cela pourra offrir des horizons nouveaux et nous essaierons de faire quelque chose avec la vente de photographies (...). La décision du conseil municipal n'est pas simplement une acquisition d'oeuvre d'art intéressante ; c'est un hommage au patriotisme alsacien ; c'est indirectement un hommage au patriotisme de la population de Paris pendant le siège. C'est un souvenir du passé mis sous les yeux de la population, en vue de l'avenir... Il peut être bon d'entamer un peu l'olifant sur cette belle matière, pour moi sculpteur dans l'intérêt de l'oeuvre, pour nous Français pour y attacher le véritable sentiment patriotique que cela doit entretenir sous les yeux du public. A vous de souffler dans l'olifant là ou vous pouvez. La décision a été votée à l'unanimité du Conseil... Zing... Boum... peut-être fera-t-on un fête patriotique, et cela embêtera les bons Allemands et leurs amis les bonapartistes " (Quotation: Batholdi's letter to his friend).
The monument measuring 4 meters height and 7 meters length is very successful in the capital. The first celebration of the 14th of July takes place the same year of its installation and attracts a huge crowd of people to the Denfert square. The celebrations include parades, concerts and all kind of attractions. A success that was not contradicted in more than a century, as Agnès VARDA testifies in the following words (journal Libération on august 22nd 2003): Taking Boulevard Rapail, passing through the Cartier foundation you reach Denfert-Rochereau square. It' is the Place de l'Etoile of the XIV arrondissement, with it's green avenues. At the time of the town dues it was the barrier of hell. This Lion, installed in the centre of the square is a copy of the one sculptured by Bartholdi, paying tribute to colonel Denfert-Rochereau who defended the city (in 1870). But why this Franc-Comptois Lion in Paris? And why there? To the question "what should be done to embellish the city?" André Breton had answered this way : "give a big bone to gnaw to the Lion of Belfort and turn him towards the west." As far as turning the sculpture towards the west is concerned, it was done. For the bone, I saw it one morning when I filmed the Lion "le Lion volatil (2000 et 2003), 12 minutes" (Quotation: Movie title). A fortune-teller apprentice and a catacomb employee use place Denfert as the surrounding of their romance and the lion as a witness of their end (it is possible to visit the catacombs. You can enter from one of the town dues buildings, cerated by Ledoux). For sure my short film will be presented in the little cult cinema the Denfert. Les Guichard make a special and varied scheduling. And two years later since 2000, once a week they prolong the exclusiveness of my documentary . Hello neighbours! And hello demonstrators leaving from Denfert ! " I live in Paris XIV and not in Paris. By convenience or simply by laziness I hang around the neighbourhood near where I live. I will be buried in the same place where Jacques rests, just some steps from our house and our final residence".
In 2001 the lion, worn by time, pollution and the student's demonstrations, was the object of an important restoration. And if one day you decide to discover this piece of art, don't forget to take a visit in the cemetery of Montparnasse, where the sculptor Frédéric-Auguste BARTHOLDI rests.

Deeply affected by the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871 in which he was actively involved, notably alongside Garibaldi, and devastated by the loss of Alsace, the region in which he was born, Auguste BARTHOLDI (1834 - 1904) created many works related to this conflict. Here is a brief introduction to his creations and to the museum dedicated to one of the most important exponents of sculpture in the 19th century ... Located at 30 rue des marchands, in the sculptor's childhood home - a vast 17th century private hotel in the centre of Colmar - the Bartholdi Museum houses the largest collection of sketches, models, and sculptures but also drawings, photographs and paintings produced by the creator best known for his Statue of Liberty and Lion of Belfort.

The decision to create a museum devoted to the famous sculptor dates back to 25 June 1907, when Jeanne-Emilie Bartholdi, the artist's widow, decided to bequeath the ancestral home on rue des Marchands to the town of Colmar, on the condition that the town would make it into a museum to protect and exhibit all the "furniture, sculptures, architectural works, paintings, engravings, objects of art, the library, etc." found at the time of his death in his house at 82 rue d'Assas in Paris, the address of the sculptor's last flat and workshop.
Although Jeanne Bartholdi died on 12 October 1914, the public had to wait until 18 November 1922 for the inauguration of the new museum. Spread over three floors, it occupied the north and west wings of the building. A series of photographs that were fortunately saved bear witness to the very first layouts of the permanent exhibition halls that mainly aimed to recreate the very Parisian and opulent lifestyle led by the artist in his childhood home. Thanks to a very praiseworthy museum technique, the grand hall on the ground floor, known as the "hall of models", was allotted to the meticulous presentation of a vast collection of models of statues and monuments (in terracotta, grey clays and plaster) created by the sculptor. Unfortunately, the increasing and widespread disinterest in 19th century art shown by many intellectuals and most of the museum visitors during the 20th century in general led to the "hall of models" being allocated for temporary exhibitions of modern regional artists and Bartholdi's works being relegated to various storage areas, a decision that was not without damages and losses. The building was even temporarily closed before reopening again in 1979. Since then, the renovation and extension of the permanent exhibition halls, the restoration and acquisition of works and the organisation of themed exhibitions with associated catalogues have all contributed to the conservation of the collections and the renown of the name of Auguste Bartholdi.
Visitors enter the museum courtyard via a covered passageway. At the centre of this courtyard lies Bartholdi's bronze group statue, 'Les Grand Soutiens du Monde' (The World's Great Bases) representing Justice, Labour and the Motherland, which was exhibited at the 'Salon de Paris' in 1902. The main entrance to the museum is located to the right of the courtyard. It is a Renaissance doorway, brought to Colmar and installed in the second half of the 19th century by Bartholdi during the refurbishment of the family home with three overhanging sculptures in moulded concrete, Bartholdi's work, representing two heraldic lions flanking a human-like ram. Inside, the museum occupies 3 stories and a total surface area of 700 m². On the ground floor, the Hall of Artworks from Alsace and Colmar unites Bartholdi's work linked to his native region - 'La Borne Frontière' (the border milestone), 'la Malédiction de l'Alsace' (the curse of Alsace) or 'la Suisse secourant les douleurs de Strasbourg' (Switzerland aiding the suffering of Alsace) - as well as models and certain original elements of monuments erected in Colmar (Monument Rapp, Le Petit Vigneron, Les Grands Soutiens du Monde, etc.).
In the left wing on the first floor are Bartholdi's living quarters, which include his office, a music room and notably the very elegant dining room with a coffered ceiling encrusted with China. It is also in this room that the visitor will find a series of portraits of Bartholdi's ancestors from between the 17th and 19th centuries. On the central table and the sideboards are china dishes and ceramics signed by Théodore Deck, the director of the Sèvres china factory and Bartholdi's friend. Finally, the Napoleon III room contains a large portrait of the sculptor's mother Charlotte Bartholdi, painted in 1855 by Ary Scheffer, as well as portraits of Auguste Bartholdi and his wife, painted by Jean Benner an artist from nearby Mulhouse.
The right wing of the house leads into the library, then on to the rooms containing Orientalist artworks allotted to the works produced by the artist during and after his first trip to the Orient (Egypt-Yemen, 1855-1856). On this floor, the visitor will also find the impressive hall of models containing models of most of the statues and public monuments created by Bartholdi for French towns, with the exception of Colmar: Vauban (Avallon, 1873), Gribeauval (Paris, courtyard of the Hôtel des Invalides, 1876), the Lion of Belfort (1880), Rouget de Lisle (Lons-le-Saunier, 1882), Diderot (Langres, 1884), Gambetta (Sèvres, 1892), Monumental Fountain (Lyon, place des Terreaux, 1892). It also contains numerous rough preparatory models in terracotta and a series of bronze models: The Lion of Belfort, the Statuette Equestre de Vercingétorix, Les Sept Souabes (1855), Le Génie Dans les Griffes de la Misère (1859), Statuette of Vauban (1870) and the Statuette du Fondeur Thiébaut (1899).
Finally, the second floor is totally devoted to American artworks. The visitor will discover original models, prints and old photographs related to the fountain in the Botanic Garden (New York), the low reliefs of Battle Street Church (Boston), the monument to La Fayette and Washington (New York and Paris), not forgetting, of course 'La Liberté Eclairant le Monde' (New York), better known as the Statue of Liberty. In stark contrast to certain bland museums built nowadays, the museum dedicated to Bartholdi has a soul. Through the works on display, it plunges the visitor into 19th century history, at the heart of the Third Republic born of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871.
Guided visits for groups in French, German, English, Italian, and Japanese on appointment through the Tourist Office Museum opening hours: Daily except Tuesday from 10:00 to midday and from 14:00 to 18:00 Closed in January and February and on 1 May, 11 November and 25 December Admissions:(ticket desk closes 1 hour before museum closing time) Individuals Adults: €4.10 Students: €2.50 Groups (10 persons +) Adults: €2.60 Students: €1.50 Free for children under 12 years old Contacts: Musée Municipal Bartholdi 30, rue des Marchands 68000 Colmar, France Tel.: +33 (0)3 89 41 90 60 Fax: +33 (0)3 89 23 50 77 E-mail: musees@ville-colmar.com

Halfway between the island of Oléron and the island of Aix to which it is attached, the impressive silhouette of Fort Boyard stands proudly like a "stone warship" perched on the fortified reefs. Shortly after the construction of the naval shipyard at Rochefort, the location of the current fort was the subject of a study that concluded that it was impossible to build a defensive structure on the sand bank that ran alongside Boyard.

Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, who would later become the General Commissioner for the Kingdom's fortifications, wrote the following to King Louis XIV: "Sire, it would be easier to grasp the moon between your teeth than to undertake such work on this site". Failing to materialise for technical reasons, the idea of building a defensive fort was dropped. Fouras, la Rochelle and the islands of Aix and Oléron were strategic positions that controlled access to the Charente until the beginning of the 19th Century. However, the protection of Rochefort and its channel by all these sites proved ineffective, as they were too far away from the corridor taken by the ships leaving the naval shipyard.
Robbed of its strategic importance, it became a target for German troops carried out target practice against its walls during the Second World War. The start of its film career dates back to 1966, when its upper level was used as the setting for the final scene in Robert Enrico's film "les aventuriers" ("The Last Adventurer") with Lino Ventura and Alain Delon. In 1980, the fort was bought by an audiovisual production company and then donated to the Charente-Maritime General Council, resulting in it being used for the purpose for which it is now world famous. No longer open to the public due to its new television vocation, its surroundings can still be seen from one of the many pleasure boats offering tourists a close up view.
Its defensive purpose reduced to nothing because of advances in artillery, it was used as a detention centre from 1870 onwards: a military prison for Prussian and Austrian soldiers and then a place of detention for hundreds of communards, before being abandoned after 1913.
 

Mairie of the island of Aix

Rue Gourgaud 17123 Ile d'Aix

Tel. + 33 (0) 5 46 84 66 09

Fax + 33 (0) 5 46 84 65 79

E-mail: mairie@iledaix.fr

Since the creation of the naval shipyard at Rochefort, the pointe Sainte-Catherine, opposite Fort Boyard on the southern part of the island, has been the home of the first fortifications on the Ile d'Aix. Drawing its inspiration from plans devised by Vauban, construction of the Fort de la Sommité began in 1699 and was completed in 1703. Accessed via a drawbridge and surrounded by moats, the fort is then flanked by five bastions, of which traces remain visible today at low spring tides. In September 1757, during the Seven Year War, the English fleet commanded by Admiral Hawke arrived in the harbour of the Ile d'Aix and completely destroyed this first fort. In 1779, Montalembert, along with his deputy Choderlos de Laclos, undertook the construction on the same site of a wooden fort, which proved temporary as it was destroyed in 1783 without ever seeing any action.

The Fort de la Rade owes its current appearance and name to work carried out in Napoleonic times. Equipped with an impressive central building designed to accommodate its artillery pieces, the fort has long ramparts that allow a full tour of the fort whilst providing an unobstructed view over the islands of Madame, Oléron and Ré, the two lighthouses on the Ile d'Aix and the famous Fort Boyard. Various refurbishment work was carried out during the second half of the 19th century, including the concrete shelters dating from 1890.
Since 1986 tourist facilities have been set up in the Fort de la Rade, which is open all year round and free to visit.
Le fort de la Rade Mairie de l'île d'Aix Rue Gourgaud 17123 Ile d'Aix Tel. + 33 (0)5 46 84 66 09 Fax + 33 (0)5 46 84 65 79 E-mail:mairie@iledaix.fr

In 1808, during an inspection of the site works at Fort Boyard, Napoleon decided to complete the defensive system of Rochefort harbour by having a fort built on the highest point at Aix, at the eastern end of the island. Square in shape, this bastioned fort measuring over 90 metres wide was built in stone and was fully casemated. Four galleries lead off in different directions from the interior courtyard, serving the casemates located beneath the bastions, with each curtain wall containing four vaulted casemates for accommodating the troops. Protected by a thick earth embankment and covered with a grass slope, the fort was surmounted by an impressive circular walkway.

Square in shape, this bastioned fort measuring over 90 metres wide was built in stone and was fully casemated. Four galleries lead off in different directions from the interior courtyard serving the casemates located beneath the bastions, with each curtain wall containing four vaulted casemates for accommodating the troops. Protected by a thick earth embankment and covered with a grass slope, the fort was surmounted by an impressive circular walkway. Between the 12th and 15th of July 1815, Napoleon spent his last days on French soil at Fort Liédot, before giving himself up to the British and leaving for Saint Helena. During the Crimean War led by Napoleon III, about a thousand defeated Russian soldiers were detained inside the fort, which was later abandoned, as the use of rifled artillery considerably reduced the resistance capacity of stone fortifications. That is why firing tests were carried out on Fort Liédot from 1863: although the casemates were able to withstand it, all the walls exposed to artillery volleys were destroyed. Despite this partial destruction, the fort's role as a prison was not weakened and several hundred communards were imprisoned within its walls from 1871 to 1872 as they awaited their departure for New Caledonia.
It was used as a detention centre for German prisoners during the First World War, before fulfilling a completely different role between the wars, when it was temporarily turned into a pleasant holiday resort for summer camps. Between 1959 and 1961, Fort Liédot held its last prisoners to date: the man who was to become President of Algeria, Ahmed Ben Bella, and several of his comrades of the FLN. In 1989, the Ministry of Defence donated Fort Liédot to the coastal conservatory, with the fort now being managed by the island of Aix local authority. There are guided tours in July and August and by appointment from September to June. The fort was restored at the end of the 19th Century, most notably for the installation of guns from the naval infantry on its terraces.
Fort Liédot Mairie of l'île d'Aix Rue Gourgaud 17123 Ile d'Aix Tel. +33 (0) 5 46 84 66 09 Fax + 33 (0) 5 46 84 65 79 E-mail:mairie@iledaix.fr

Off the mouth of the Charante in the Strait of Antioche, every year the southernmost of the islands of Ponant welcomes more than 300 000 visitors, thanks to the richness of its natural and historical heritage. The island of Aix with its 132 hectares is full of deserted beaches, wild creeks, rocks ... and fortifications. Indeed, the military security of the Rochefort naval shipyard became essential following the completion of its construction in 1666 at the instigation of Colbert. Subsequently considered an excellent defensive position because of its strategic position, the île d'Aix offers visitors an insight into developments in military architecture over the ages, with a clear predominance of elements dating from the 19th century.

Although the appearance of Aix is strongly marked by the imposing presence of its fortifications, in addition to its superb natural setting, the island is also home to several other sites worthy of a trip: there are no less than twenty buildings and listed sites to visit. A dynamic policy is now in place to highlight this rich natural and historical heritage. So, a walk has been marked out to guide visitors to those spots considered to be of interest, the island being dotted with numerous boards providing historical information next to heritage sites. What's more, a programme of cultural events is scheduled each year offering visitors activities based on the history of the île d'Aix, even out of season. Lastly, every day in July and August and by appointment from April to June and in September, the tourist office organises four themed guided walks (the Pointe Sainte Catherine and the Fort de la Rade, the streets of the village, Napoleon the First, Fort Liédot etc.) and a "heritage rally" introducing the island's most important monuments, accompanied by an illustrated booklet.
Throughout the year the following can be visited: - The church and priory of Saint-Martin, founded in 1067 by the abbey of Cluny; - The Napoleonic museum, inside the Maison de l'Empereur which was built in 1809 (open every day except Tuesday); - An African museum, established in 1933 inside the former house of the Military Engineers and displaying the zoological and ethnological collections assembled by Baron Gourgaud (open every day except Wednesday). In the summer season, horse-drawn carriage tours are available from the place d'Austerlitz, to peacefully enjoy this island, where there is almost no road traffic.
Access by sea In the summer season Several shipping companies provide crossings from La Rochelle, Rochefort, Fouras, Boyardville (Oléron), Sablanceaux (Ré) and La Tranche (Vendée). Some of these companies also offer visitors commentated crossings. Out of season Twenty minutes by boat from la Pointe de La fumée at Fouras. The île d'Aix has a marina that is open all year round.
Mairie of l'île d'Aix Rue Gourgaud 17123 Ile d'Aix Tel. + 33 (0) 5 46 84 66 09 Fax + 33 (0) 5 46 84 65 79 E-mail: mairie@iledaix.fr Heritage Events Department (open all year) Tel. + 33 (0) 5 46 83 01 82 & + 33 (0) 5 46 84 66 12 Fax + 33 (0) 5 46 84 65 79

The Fort of Guentrange is located 4 km north-west of Thionville, at the top of a wooded hill overlooking the city and the left bank of the Moselle at a height of 318 m.

The Feste (or fortified group) of Guentrange was part of the Moselle fortification programme drawn up under the Schliffen-Moltke plan, between the Luxembourg border and the strategic fortifications built around Metz. It was designed to protect the rail hub at Thionville, a crucial troop transit point between Germany and France. Festen are a group of units dispersed over a large area and connected by underground galleries. Unlike the compact fort surrounded by a polygonal ditch typical of the works inspired by Séré de Rivières, a Feste often covers several dozen hectares. The whole is defended by a large garrison, armoured artillery and a network of barbed wire and defensive grating protected by trenches surrounding the work.


Construction on the Feste Obergentringen (the fortified group of Guentrange) began in 1899 and was first completed in 1905. The fortified group then included three barracks and two armoured batteries each equipped with four rotating turrets with the Schuman system, armed with short 150-mm cannons with a range of 9,700 m. Reinforced with gratings, armoured doors, mine systems and underground galleries connecting the different concrete units, while a blockhaus in the rear controlled access to the Feste with a network of barbed wire. Starting in 1912, major consolidation work was undertaken on the slopes due to land sliding down the west glacis, then a line of flanking casemates were added to reinforce protection against attackers.


The Feste Obergentringen did not come under fire during the First World War, and it became French after the Armistice of 1918. In the 1930s, France integrated it into the Maginot Line as a second-line logistic support unit in the fortified sector of Thionville. At this time, the short 105-mm cannons were replaced with long cannons, increasing the artillery’s range to 12,700 m. In 1940, the fort was used as a munitions depot for the German army before it was taken back by the Americans in 1944.


Nowadays, several levels of the work and the central barracks are accessible. Along with an exhibition presenting the history of the fortified group, visitors can see the north battery’s fully restored artillery turret. They can also observe how the site was supplied by huge water reserves, machinery equipped with a diesel engine providing electricity to the entire group, and a complete central heating and ventilation system. The barrack rooms, kitchens and bakery, the infirmary and the operating theatre: the different spaces and equipment highlight the extraordinary comfort that the fort provided its troops with.

Like the French soldiers who took over the site in 1918, visitors will appreciate the luxury of this unit, unimaginable in France’s fortifications at the end of the 19th century.

Fort of Guentrange

Thionville Tourism Office

16 rue du Vieux Collège 57100 Thionville

Tél. 03.82.53.33.18

Fax 03.82.53.15.55

e-mail : tourisme@thionville.net

Access to the Fort of Guentrange:
24 km from the Ouvrage Hackenberg via Buding on the D 60 highway, then Stuckange on the D 918, then take the A 31 motorway toward Thionville (exit No. 40 "Linkling, zones commerciales et artisanales, hôpital Bel-Air, Cattenom"), then the D 14.
30 km from Metz on the A 31 motorway (exit No. 40 " Linkling, zones commerciales et artisanales, hôpital Bel-Air, Cattenom ), then the D 14 highway. 85 km from Nancy via Metz.
30 km from Luxembourg on the E 25 (exit No. 43 "Longwy, Algrange, Nilvange" ), then take the D 14.

Visits: the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month starting at 3.00 pm. Group visits by appointment.

Quiz : Forts and citadels

At the end of the Second World War, the radar was in its infancy; however, some models were capable of detecting movements at sea, day and night, at a distance beyond the reach of the human eye.

The occupying forces and the allies stepped up their research into and installation of these “wizard’s ears”.

In Douvres, due to its altitude, a long-range radar was installed in late 1942 as a means to notify the military staff of any attempt to land in the region. 

However, as happens each time a weapon of war is invented… a means to neutralise it quickly follows suit. The countermeasure of fog and false echoes were extremely popular during the night of the 5^th of June 1944!

The Radar Museum

The radar station remained an entrenched camp until 17 June (10 days after the liberation of Douvres itself).

Today attached to the Memorial of Caen, the radar station is the only one of its kind on the coast.

Two remarkably preserved bunkers and original displays help visitors to understand the role of radars and their technical development.

A couple of miles from the Juno landing beaches, the German radar station in Douvres, along the Route de Basly, served as an entrenched camp for several days. An advanced surgical unit was set up near a convent in La Délivrande. 

The first bodies buried here were soldiers killed on 6 June 1944.

Later, the bodies of soldiers killed between the coast and Caen were buried here.

The British cemetery

At the entrance to the town, on the road from Caen, the entrance to the cemetery is immediately identifiable.

A square pavilion with a peaked roof covered in stone is surrounded by pergolas. In line with the porch, the Cross of Sacrifice stands at the far end of the central walkway. It is erected on a small grassy mound and surrounded by low walls.

The steles are symmetrically placed either side of the central walkway bordered by trimmed yew trees. The German plot with the various stone stele and two-sloped roof stands in the right section of the site. Curiously, the grave of the only Polish soldier is set apart.

Big lime trees and magnolias mainly planted around the edges of the site separate the cemetery from neighbouring houses. The cemetery is enclosed by trimmed hedges of hornbeams or beeches.

Musée Franco-Allemand « Station Radar 44 » Route de Bény – CD83 – 14440 Douvres-la-Délivrande

Tél. : 07.57.48.77.32

Site internet : www.musee-radar.fr - Courriel : contact@musee-radar.fr

Choisissez votre mode de visite :

 en autonomie : en suivant les panneaux

 Avec Audiospot : en téléchargeant une application gratuite qui transforme son propre smartphone en Audioguide

 Visites Commentées (par un guide bénévole) réservation sur le site internet obligatoire

 Musée du Radar - Douvres-la-Délivrande. Michel.dehaye@avuedoiseau.com

Situated on the southern bank of the entrance to the Old Port of Marseille, this fort is in the form of a system with a double compound, moats and bastions.

In 1660, Marseille was placed under royal power following an attack by an army of 7,000 men commanded by the Duke of Mercoeur. Louis 14th decided to build Fort St-Nicolas both to protect the harbour at Marseille and to control a town that had been hostile to him for a long time. Work was carried out following the "star-shaped" plans of the Marshall of Camps and General Commissioner of Fortifications, Louis Nicolas de Clerville, and was completed in 1664. Vauban only altered the work of his predecessor slightly: he had some low batteries and the false bray added, which we can still see today around the lower fort. Throughout the 17th Century, the citadel housed a garrison. On the 18th May 1790, it was partially destroyed by a crowd of revolutionaries who attacked the part of the compound that faced the town. In an act dated the 28th May the National Assembly, anxious to preserve a fortification that would be useful for defending the country, ordered an end to its demolition.
On the 4th January 1794, Bonaparte, then Inspector of the Mediterranean coast, wrote to the minister for war: "Fort St-Nicolas is not capable of defending. The three structures that enclosed the town on the fort side have been demolished, making it accessible from all sides. However, it is essential to restore it so that it can at least defend against any ill wishers. In order to do this we need to rebuild one of the three keeps. I am going to install canons along the fort in order to control the town". This letter earned the would-be emperor a summons from the Assembly, as the people's representatives appealed against the danger of a "Marseille Bastille". The citadel was not restored until 1834, using dull grey stones, which stand out against the pinkish tones of those used originally. On the order of Napoleon the Third, work on the roads split the citadel into two distinct forts and opened up the boulevard to traffic: christened Boulevard de l'Empereur in 1864, it became Boulevard Victor Hugo in 1870, Boulevard du Pharo in 1871 and then Boulevard Charles Livon in 1922. In 1887, the military authorities renamed the upper Fort St-Nicolas, which became Fort Entrecasteaux, from the name of a French navigator. The lower Fort St-Nicolas took the name Fort Ganteaume, in tribute to a former Vice Admiral and maritime prefect of Toulon. On the 14th January 1969, the whole fort was classified as a historic monument.
In 1696, five protestants accused of spying on behalf of William of Orange were imprisoned at Fort St-Nicolas. In 1823, following the Spanish expedition, the fort took in 569 prisoners. Afterwards, the citadel served as a place to hold soldiers given short sentences by military tribunals. In 1939, it was host to two famous people: Jean Giono, who wrote in his novel "Noé" about the cell where he was held in solitary confinement for twenty days without light and Habib Bourguiba, who would become president of the Tunisian Republic.
Fort Saint-Nicolas Impasse Clerville 13007 Marseille Access It is possible to access one of the fort's terraces by car, which provides a superb view over the Old Port. The only guided tours available are organised by the Tourist Information Office. Links Marseille Tourist Information Office Tel. + 33 (0) 4.91.13.89.00 Fax + 33 (0) 4.91.13.89.20 e-mail: info@marseille-tourisme.com

Located on the seaside, the town of Port-de-Bouc was founded on 2 September 1866 when it was detached from Fos and Martigues. It is now in the Martigues Industrial Park, at the Lavéra oil port.

The Fort de Bouc is owned by the town of Martigues. Also known as the Caserne Suffren de Martigues and Fort Vauban, the Fort de Bouc is located on the former Bouc Islet, at the entrance to the Étang de Caronte which connects the Étang de Berre to the Mediterranean Sea. Built on the south bank of the Passe which crosses Port-de-Bouc, the fort has been connected to land since the Canal de Canevielle was filled in.

Originally, in the 12^th century, it was a simple square stone tower that watched over the natural haven of Bouc and Martigues. In 1536, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, invaded Provence and had the Genoese admiral, Andréa Doria; take possession of the islet and the fort. Valiantly defended by the residents of Martigues, it did not fall. In the 17^th century, Richelieu had many political prisoners locked up in the fort, including Laurent de Coriolis, President of the Parliament of Aix, guilty of having taken the side of Gaston d'Orléans, and he died in this State prison in 1644.

Upon the order of Louis XIV, Vauban improved the structure in 1664 by adding powerful ramparts around the tower. The citadel was now a bastioned fortification equipped with a typical defence system that eliminated blind spots and areas out of reach of fire.

The fort was handed over to the Ministry of War on 1 June 1932, before being occupied by the Lighthouses and Buoys Department. During World War II, German troops moved into the fort during the occupation.

The tower of the citadel now has a cylindrical turret with a 32-metre high lighthouse which has been electrified since 1936 and thus carries on the mission of the “farots” of the Middle Ages.

Access: 10 km west of Martigues on the N 568 highway. 45 km west of Marseille on the A 55 motorway.

Tourism Office: Rond point de l'Hôtel de Ville 13500 Martigues Tel.: +33 (0)4 42 42 31 10 Fax: +33 (0)4 42 42 31 11 E-mail : info@martigues-tourisme.com

Martigues Tourism Office website

To all the armies... When the fate of a country depends on a battle, it is important to remember to never look back; all the efforts have to be used to attack and force back the enemy. A troop that can't move forward anymore must stay put and defend his position at all costs, even if this means dieing for it, rather then moving back. At the present circumstances failure can't be tolerated. Joffre's general order of September 6th 1914

In early September 1914, neither army has achieved the objectives organised for the war that started a month earlier. The Germans hadn't seized Paris, nor surrounded and annihilated the French army. The French on their side, under Joffre's command, didn't manage to push back the enemy. The battle of borders was lost and since August 24th, the hungry, thirsty and exhausted soldiers continued to move back, pursued by the Germans. It is to these men that Joffre ordered on September 6th 1914, the most extraordinary volte-face of our military history: "to get killed on the spot, rather than move back". From September 5th to September 12th, on a front of 3000Km, from Senlis to Verdun, two million men fought against each other. The Germans had been pushed back and then pursued. These fights, which Joffre named "La Marne" proved to be a real success. During this battle, Mondement constituted a strategic location, in the device used by the commander-in-chief Joffre, facing the German invasion threatening Paris. Since, the castle dominating the "Marais de Saint-Gond", blocked the way southwards, towards the capital. During the evening of September 9th 1914, the soldiers of the 77th Infantry Regiment of Cholet and the Zouave of the Moroccan Division, in seizing the Castle of Mondement, stopped the German progression.
Thus it is in Mondement, situated in the north east of Sézanne in the Marne, that the national Memorial of the Marne Victory was established in order to commemorate the so-called Battle of Marne of September 1914. Decided by the Parliament, the Monument, whose construction was entrusted to Paul Bigot was set up. The work started in 1931 and carried on until 1938. The official inauguration, which was organised on September 1939 and which couldn't take place, because of the war declaration, took only place in September 1951. The monument is made up of a monolith, a sort of gigantic stone, measuring 35,5 m height, supported by an internal metallic reinforcement. Its concrete has a pink colour, due to its aggregates coming from Moselle. Its foundations are embedded 22m in the ground. At the food of this monolith the effigies of the different Generals, who commanded an army during the 1st Marne Battle, are sculptured. From left to right it is possible to recognize Sarrail, de Langle de Carry, Foch, Joffre, the soldier of the Marne, Franchet d'Esperey, French, Maunoury, Galliéni. Above this sculpture two texts are engraved; the first celebrates the heroism of the fighters. The second the generals order of September 6th 1914 signed by Joffre.
The first Sunday of September, the commemorative ceremony of the 1st Marne victory, with the participation of foreign delegation, the presence of defence attaché representing the belligerent countries and veterans, remembers the European dimension of the confrontation. The inhabitants of Mondement each year take part of this commemoration. On September 5th 2004, year of the 90th anniversary of the first Marne battle, the ceremony, will be of an exceptional nature.
The museum : Created in 1996 by the "Mondement association 1914", the History Museum of Mondement is set up in the former school of the village. It is devoted to the first Marne battle. This is not a military museum, but more a historical museum, which reminds the combats; and shows various objects and documents, generally donated by the descendents of the soldiers, who once fought heroically in this location. The guided tours of the site and the History Museum of Mondement are organized in groups and by reservation during the entire year. For further information contact the tourist office of Sézanne and its region on the 03.26.80.51.43. Fax : 03.26.80.54.13. The individual visits take place every Sunday from June to September, from 3:00p.m to 6:00p.m.
Contacts : Mr. Claude DOMENICHINI President of the Mondement association 1914 6, chemin des Carrouges 51120 GAYE Phone/Fax : 03.26.81.84.38 e-mail ::Mondement1914@voila.fr

In the middle of the 1980's the General Council of Somme began thinking of a project, which would lead, thanks to European, national, regional (Picardie) and departmental funds, to the creation of an international museum of the Great War (and not only dedicated to the battle of Somme). It was decided that it would be constructed in Péronne, which once was the frontline eastwards of the department. It is an amazing white building, closely related to the medieval site of Peronne (designed by the architecture Ciriani); here the very famous "meeting" between Louis XI, king of France and Charles Téméraire, duke of Bourgogne, took place in 1468.

When it opened on August 1st 1992, the Historial of the Great War uncovered a unique collection of original objects of the every day life of that time. The weapons and military gear, ordered chronologically, are displayed in the centre of the rooms, while in the glass cases along the walls, objects of the civil life and of the families (these objects evoke the cultural, artistic, educative, economic or financial aspects of society at that time) are displayed. These objects come from the three different belligerent empires and this makes the Historial, a museum of international scale.

Quite as contemporary as the architecture, the imagination of the museum stimulates the comprehension and emotions of the war: the uniforms, for example are laid out horizontally in "pits". Thus, without having recourse to the dangerous spirit of reconstitution, this proximity to the object also becomes a proximity to the event.
Like St Quentin, this city also faced German occupation from August 28th 1914. The battle of Marne and of Somme lead to the coming and going of the occupying forces. Bombarded in 1916 and 1918, the city is no more then a ruin, which was released on September 1918 by the Australian 2nd division. The Flag of this division streams in the town hall and the Australian Memorial of Mont St Quentin on the major road 17, seams to protect the hill. The ancient village constituted a strategic observation point. It was also very difficult to reach, because of the trenches and barbed wire network. A moving memorial paying tribute to the victims of the town is situated at the end of the rampart road: it portrays a woman kneeling over a body of a dying resistance fighter (a poilu), holding up her fist evocating anger and rage. This piece is the work of Paul Auban.
 

In brief... The Historial of the Great War in Péronne is a trilingual museum of international renown, housed in a modern building, which is an extension of the medieval chateau. Its purpose is to enlighten visitors on the historical, sociological and ethnological aspects of the First World War. It illustrates everyday life during the war through the experiences of those who lived through it and brings an interactive dimension to the conflict. 56 films from the period are shown along with the collections of objects, works of art, documents, letters and postcards. Uniforms of the various servicemen are displayed amongst weaponry and personal objects, as well as a collection of 50 etchings by the great German expressionist painter, Otto Dix. Documentation centre, educational department, international research centre, shop and cafeteria. "Tourism for the disabled" approved.

Open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (except Mondays between the 1st of November and the 31st of March).

Closed from mid-December until mid-January.

Historial of the Great War

Château de Péronne BP 63 - 80201 Péronne cedex

Phonenumber : 03 22 83 14 18 - Fax : 03 22 83 54 18

E-mail : doc@historial.org

By reservation it is possible to take guided tours of the Historial and the main sites of the Somme battle.

Open every day (except from Monday), from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Closed every year from mid-December to mid-January.

The Documentation Centre provides more then 2,300 works and 70 hours of visual material; the international Research Centre aims to promote university research on the First World War.

The Historial also has at its disposal an important Educational Outreach Department composed of a multidisciplinary team of educators.

The Bookstore presents and sells the principal publications of the Great War.

Comité du tourisme de la Somme

Site de L'historial de Péronne

La Somme 14-18

Somme remembrance association

In the middle of the 16th Century, Nice was one of the vital points in the defence system of the States of the Savoie against Turkish invaders who had been allied to the French since 1543. Because of its depth and sheltered position, the harbour at Villefranche-sur-mer was the region's principal commercial port until the port at Nice was opened in the 17th Century. It had also been the wartime port for the Savoie for four centuries.

In 1557, on the orders of Emmanuel Philibert, the Duke of the Savoie, the Fort du Mont-Alban was constructed by André Provana de Leyni, from plans by the architect and military engineer Domenico Ponsello.
This solid fortification was designed to complement the fortresses of Nice and Villefranche-sur-Mer, and to control access between them: to the north of Mont Boron, the Fort du Mont-Alban flanks the Saint-Elme citadel and the Villefranche-sur-mer harbour basin, which were built at the same time and protects the west of the city.
Built at the summit of a hill at an altitude of 220 metres, it offers a superb panoramic view over the surrounding area: the harbour at Villefranche-sur-Mer and the Italian borders on one side and the bay of Nice and Estérel range on the other. Polygonal in shape, the Fort du Mont-Alban has sides measuring about forty metres long and is especially adapted to the great unevenness of the terrain.
On the 21st March 1661, it surrendered to the troops of the Duke of la Ferté without a struggle. Later, it was taken several times by French troops, including once by the Prince of Conti in 1744. In 1792, it was once again occupied by the French. The fort served as a prison from the end of the 17th Century, before Nice became part of France again in 1860. In 1944, it was bombed during the battles for the Liberation. The walled enclosure and the surviving moats along the north, west and south sides were classified as historical monuments in 1913. Despite the numerous attacks to which it was subjected, and because of the absence of any major alterations since its construction, it remains a valuable example of a perfectly preserved 16th Century fortification.

Only the outside of the fort is accessible, as the inside is not open to the public. Links Nice Tourist Information and Congress Office 5, Promenade des anglais 06000 Nice Tel.: + 33 (0) 892 707 407 Fax: + 33 (0) 4 92 14 46 49 e-mail : info@nicetourism.com

Clinging to a rocky outcrop above Condamine-Chatelard and towering over the right bank of the Ubaye, the most impressive fort in the Ubaye valley extends over more than 77 metres of uneven ground. In 1709, the French installed an entrenched camp on the rocks around Tournoux, which was designed to defend against the Savoyards and Piedmontese. Construction of the fort was agreed in 1837 by General Haxo, the director of fortifications under the reign of Juillet. Work started in 1843, to be completed in 1866 and required the participation of some 1,500 workmen.

At the end of the 19th century, General Séré de Rivières ordered the strengthening of the defence system using higher forts culminating at an altitude of over 1,800 metres: particular examples are the construction of the batteries of Vyraisse, Mallemort and le Cuguret and the redoubt of Roche-la-Croix. Liaison tunnels were dug into the rock between the high parts of the fortress and a cable car - which has since disappeared - linked the high battery and the middle fort with the valley below. During the First World War, the fort accommodated Serb volunteers, who underwent military training before going into action and it later served as a place of imprisonment for German soldiers. In June 1940, the fort housed the command posts of the units that defended the Ubaye valley. It had a baptism of fire, as its artillery fire accompanied that of the more modern forts in order to stop the Italian troops.
In April 1945, the fort was the French base for the troops who seized back the forts of Saint-Ours and Roche-la-Croix from the Germans. The fort was used as an ammunition store until 1987. Designed like a staircase along a ridge, the fort de Tournoux is composed of an upper fort and a middle fort, linked by a winding road. The upper fort is a square-shaped building and has a tunnel leading to a double caponnier. The scarp has vaulted casemates.
Access to the middle fort is through a fortified entrance with a wooden bridge. It comprises an officers' wing and barracks on the earth platform above the bastions, and is remarkable for its barrack rooms accessed by long external walkways attached to the rock. Troglodyte premises used for logistical purposes were built inside the excavated caves. The middle fort was completed with a casemated battery in 1934. Nicknamed the "19th Century Military Versailles" and often compared to a miniature Wall of China or to a Tibetan monastery, this majestic construction clinging to a steep slope has been the nucleus of the strategic system of the Ubaye valley since the middle of the 19th century.
The fort de Tournoux and the principal forts of the Ubaye valley are open to the public. Guided tours are regularly organised in season. Access to Barcelonnette, the heart of the Ubaye 85 km from Digne-les-Bains, via the D 900. 100 km from Briançon via the N 94, and then the D 954 (via Savines-le-Lac) and the D 900. Links Tourist centre of the community of towns of the Ubaye. 4, avenue des trois frères Arnaud 04400 Barcelonnette Tel. + 33 (0) 4 92 81 03 68 Fax + 33 (0) 4 92 81 51 67 e-mail: info@ubaye.com

“The festivities for the inauguration of the statue of Vauban in Avallon were a solemn occasion. The previous day’s rains had stopped, the morning clouds were moving off, and warm autumn sunbeams illuminated the scene, reddening the enchanted surrounding landscapes, when the features of the great man whose memory was being honoured appeared.

Starting on Saturday, the town was full of visitors braving the inclement weather. On Sunday, around noon, a convoy arrived from Auxerre that was big enough to form a crowd all by itself. It brought public officials, members of Parliament from the Yonne department, mayors, general councillors, and everyone who felt it was their duty to take part in this sort of departmental federation.

The population of Avallon came out to greet them, with an official welcome given by the head of the municipality, Mr Mathé, whose dignified, simple, modest attitude was so worthy of a magistrate of the Republic. At around two o’clock, a procession left the town hall for the sub-prefecture to gather the government representatives. The inauguration ceremony began with a speech by Mr Raudot, President of the commission for erecting the statue (...) But it was the role of the plebeian mayor of the town of Avallon to highlight what is perhaps the greatest glory of Vauban, and Mr Mathé did just that with a most elevated mindset. In the name of the people and as a man of the people, he returned to Vauban his purest and highest glory, that of having studied social evils, to have bemoaned them in his own grandeur and to have sought remedies for them. Mr Mathé’s speech was greeted with repeated, heartfelt cries of “Vive la République!”

“Les Fêtes d'Avallon”, text signed EM. G, taken from the L'Yonne newspaper dated 28 October 1873. In. Almanach Historique et Statistique de l'Yonne - 1874 edition.

On 14 July 1866, the Vauban monument committee met with Bartholdi in Avallon and immediately adopted the initial project for the memorial designed by the sculptor and presented as follows to the mayor of the town: “the architecture is in harmony with the man’s character. The lines of fortification called the Vauban front are used. The general layout fits in with the decoration of your promenade, with the slopes of the square, without disturbing the monument’s symmetrical aspect.” But this unanimity came up against criticism from the Council of Civilian Buildings for which Félix Duban served as one of the representatives: “the details with which the author seeks to express Vauban’s genius give off, if we may say so, something rather childish, forced. This should be banished from a monument erected in memory of a man such as Vauban. Strength and simplicity would seem necessary here to characterise the merits and qualities of the personality being presented.” In January 1867, he advised the elected officials of the municipality of Avallon “not to give their approval to the project submitted to them, to invite its author seek a simpler combination for the general layout and the location and, for the statue’s pedestal, shapes that are more sober and firm”.

Bartholdi gave in to the demands of this representative of the administration and in the end presented a statue full of commendable austerity, which was approved. It was cast by Barbedienne in 1872 and the monument was inaugurated, along with a section of railroad, on 26 October 1873.

The bronze statue was placed at the end of the Place d’Armes, which had become the Promenade des Terreaux in 1723. The Maréchal is still there today, with his left hand on his hip, the right holding a commander’s staff with one end resting on the attributes of the fortifications. The statue is three metres high and stands on a base of equal height in grey granite from Saint-Léger-Vauban, simply bearing the name of King Louis XIV’s famous Engineer.

Between the initial project presented in 1866 and the official inauguration in 1873, seven years had gone by. The disagreement with Félix Duban cannot alone explain this long delay; the Franco-Prussian conflict of 1870 changed the course of Bartholdi’s life. When the mayor of Avallon expressed is surprise at this delay, he gave this explanation: “After the war, weary with everything and finding my homeland Prussified, I decided to take a trip to the United States, where I had a longstanding invitation to come for art-related work...”.

Bartholdi nonetheless filled the order for the Burgundy town. He then took up another project, which was to be one of the most personal and most exciting of his life: the Lion of Belfort. On 5 December 1871, the city of Belfort announced a competition to erect a monument as “a testimonial in recognition of the victims of the siege of 1870-71” during which Denfert-Rochereau, atop the citadel designed by Vauban, valiantly distinguished himself.

Interestingly, for the record, Denfert-Rochereau was present at Avallon for the inauguration of the Maréchal’s statue, as reported in the l'Yonne newspaper of 28 October 1873: “The guest who was celebrated the most by all was Colonel Denfert, the heroic defender of Belfort, whose presence at this solemn occasion must have been saluted by the shadow of Vauban. The dead hero had been honoured; Denfert brought him back to life with a toast to the instruction of the people, who will produce the Vaubans of the future (...). The banquet ended with a speech by M. Lepère, whose role as President of the Departmental Council was to sum up all the fine words that had been pronounced, making a connection between Vauban’s work and the Revolution of 1789 in a summary of the mood of this lovely day.

Statue of the Maréchal de Vauban

Place Vauban Rue Mathe 89200 Avallon

Website of the Bartholdi Museum in Colmar

Bartholdi 2004

“Concerning my destination this winter, the King could not make me happier than by allowing me to spend two months’ time with my poor family, all the more so in that I have only been there twice in the past three years; and I had to leave a fortnight later, without ever having the time to do more than five sols worth of business. I beg you to be so kind as to arrange leave for me to do so, the season is not very welcoming for a visit to such a lowly land as my own, but I would much rather be there in the heart of the harshest of winters than not to go there at all.” Letter from Vauban to Louvois, from Mannheim, 6 November 1688. In. Anne Blanchard, Vauban, chap. XVIII: “Chez moi”, p. 458, Paris, Fayard, 1996.

Ten kilometres from Vézelay, on the site of the ancient Roman road running from Sens to Autun, stands the Château de Bazoches, the former family residence of the Maréchal de Vauban, now a private property classified as a historical monument in 1994 and open to the public since 1997.

Built in the 12^th century (around 1180) by Jean de Bazoches, the trapezoidal-shaped feudal castle comprises three round towers and a rectangular keep to which a larger tower with a wall-walk and machicolation was added in the 14^th century.

Successively owned by the Seigneurs of Bazoches, Chastellux, Montmorillon and La Perrière, Bazoches was acquired by Vauban in 1675 thanks to an 80,000-pound gratification granted to him by King Louis XIV following the victorious siege of Maastricht (1673). The château had formerly been the property of Jacques Ier Le Prestre, the Maréchal’s grandfather, following his second marriage to Françoise de la Perrière, the Count de Bazoches’ illegitimate daughter whom he had recognised. After a confusing succession, Vauban’s father, Albin or Urbain Le Prestre, son of this second marriage, went broke and had to abandon the château to live in Saint-Léger-Foucheret.

When he moved into the château, Vauban made many changes and transformed it into a military barracks. In the recently restored Grand Gallery, Vauban, the father of military engineering, carried out studies and drew up plans for over three hundred constructions and fortresses and developed methods for attacking and defending fortifications, making him the unquestioned master of siege strategy and military architecture.

With a little imagination, it is easy to picture the frenetic activity that went on in this part of the château, from where Vauban’s instructions were sent out after completing his studies. Dispatch riders were constantly ready to head out for every corner of the country with the Maréchal’s plans and orders in metal cylinders. This required building vast stables that could house some fifty horses. It was also here that he thought out and wrote the twelve illustrated volumes of what he called, not without humour, his “idlenesses”, his reflections on a multitude of subjects such as agriculture, forests, coinage, sciences, etc.

We should also mention his many studies on the fiscal, economic and political issues of the times. His writings on the region and the “geographical description of the Election of Vézelay” (1696) bring together a great deal of information on the population and resources of the 55 parishes in the area.

With 14 proposals aimed at reducing the problem of poverty in this region of the Kingdom, the description provides important testimony on the French population and the mentality of the nobility at the beginning of the 18^th century. It announces “the project for a Royal tithe” in which Vauban, observing the Kingdom’s extreme poverty and the inefficiency of the tax system of the day, proposes to raise a single tax and to unify the collection of the gabelle (salt tax). This novel text was published without legal authorisation in 1707, causing him to fall into semi-disgrace with the King.

The Maréchal actually spent very little time at Bazoches. He only came when he could take an exceptional leave of absence, notably in 1687, 1690, 1696, 1701 and 1704. He came to be with his wife and his two daughters, Jeanne, the younger, born on 28 October 1678, and Charlotte, the elder.

Vauban died at his family residence on 30 March 1707. He was buried on the following 16 April at the church in Bazoches, in Saint Sébastien chapel, which had been built upon his orders.

Today, the current owners, descendants of Charlotte de Vauban, carefully preserve many souvenirs of their illustrious ancestor among the rich furnishings, such as the Maréchal’s armour, considered a relic by Military Engineering Officers. Along with the 150-m² gallery which can now be booked to organise lunches or dinners, visitors can notably see Vauban’s antechamber and bedroom as well as his office, the yellow salon and the inner courtyard whose 17^th-century decorations were recently restored.

Château de Bazoches

58190 BAZOCHES

Tel.: +33 (0)3.86.22.10.22

Fax: +33 (0)3.86.22.12.37

E-mail: chateau.bazoches@wanadoo.fr

You can visit on your own (guided tours are available for groups, upon written request). The visit takes about 1½ hours. The text of the tour is available in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Japanese. The Château is fully furnished and heated

Opening hours and admission: see the Château de Bazoche website

Official website of the Château de Bazoches

November 11th 1918 at 5:15 a.m. the German plenipotentiaries accepted the armistice conditions of Marshal Foch. Some hours later at 11:00 a.m., the ceasefire announced the end of four years of horrible war. Fit out, in 1922 by the architect Mages in collaboration with M. Binet Valmer, president of the league of the Veterans, the Armistice Glade will become a symbol of victory and peace. Decorated by a monument for the inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine ( piece of Edgar Brandt), it is pierced by an alley measuring 250 meters, leading to a sort of roundabout of 100 meters of diameter. It commemorates the end of the war, under the constant glance of Marshal Foch's statue.

Used for the signature of the armistice in 1918, the carriage n° 2419D was fit out in an office for Marshal Foch, by the Company "Wagons-Lits". Installed in 1927 on the glade, this symbolic wagon will be used by Hitler for the armistice of 1940 before being confiscated and burned in Germany in April 1945. Today the museum exhibits another carriage of the same series of 1913.
(...) When Marshal Foch had to determine the place, where he would call together the congressmen in charge for the armistice demand, he had many solutions. Would it be a more or less important locality? Would it be better to chose a place in the rear or a recently released region? Wasn't the Headquarter of the Commander-in-chief meant to be the place, where those who implored the suspension of hostilities had to be meet? (...) he will chose the forest of Compiègne, near the train station of Rethondes. Many times, during the war he established his Headquarter in his train. The congressmen will visit him at his headquarter. The loneliness of that place will ensure the tranquillity, the silence, the isolation and the respect of the adversary (...) Maxime Waygand, November 11th, 1932.
November 12th 1918, Marshal Foch addresses to his armies the following message: "Officers, Warrant Officers and Soldiers of the allied armies; after having resolutely stopped the enemy, during several month, you have attacked him without rest and tireless faith and energy. You just won the biggest battle of history and saved the a holy cause : the world's freedom. Be proud of an immortally glory, you have defended your national flags and the posterity will be forever thankful."
The Glade of the Armistice - 60200 Compiègne Phone number / Fax : 03 44 85 14 18 Opening : Opening From April to August 10h 18h last admission 5:30 p.m. daily September to March last admission 5:30 p.m. 10h 17h closed on Tuesday except school holidays price Adult : 5 euros Child rates 7-13 years : 3 euros

August 1944 in Provence.Creation of a second front after the landing June 6th 1944. August 15th 1944 the operation "Dragoon" on the coasts of Provence will take place. It aims to create a second front on the French territory. 2000 war pieces and as many planes will take part in it. The 7th American army of General Patch, including the French forces of the B army of General de Lattre de Tassagny, arrives in the night between August 14th and 15th on the French coasts. In Provence the resistance fighters are informed by Radio-London. Little after midnight, while the American Rangers reach the islands of Levant (region of the Eastern Mediterranean), the first French commandos take Cap Nègre and conquer a strategically vital localisation around Le Lavandou. During the night more then 5000 parachutists are released above the valley of Argens in order to block the access of the landing zones. Here they will get the support of the "Forces Françaises de l'intérieur".

At daybreak, an air and naval raid crushes the German batteries. At 8 a.m. the 3rd, 36th and 45th American infantry division (A.I.D.) reaches the coastal beaches between Cavalaire and Saint-Raphaël. The 16th the French forces start to land. While the American forces march up towards Durance and the valley of the Rhone, the B army must take Toulon and Marseille. These harbours are vital for the the allied strategy. August 20th Toulon starts to be surrounded. The Commandos and the Strike forces seize the batteries of the enemy, "Français Libres", Algerians, "Marsouins" of the Colonian Army and Senegalese try to take the city. The 9th Division of the Colonial Infantry (D.C.I.) will release Toulon from the occupying forces. On August 28th, the German garrison will surrender. At the same time de Lattre launches its troupes towards Marseille. The Moroccans take Aubagne. The 3rd Algerian Infantry Division (A.I.D.) of General Monsabert takes position at the suburbs of Marseille where the insurrection broke out. The 23rd of August, riflemen and cuirassiers join the resistant fighters. Five violent days of combats will be necessary to weaken the German defences. The two harbours were conquered one month in advance. From now on the French Armies will march towards the Rhone valley to contribute to push back the enemy.

The Mount Faron, dominates Toulon with its imposing silhouette. Therefore the town is also known as "The harbour of the Mountain". From the top of this 530m high mountain you can discover a vast maritime panorama, which extends from the islands of Hyères to the Bec d'Aigle de La Ciotat. Thus the visit of the memorial offers a beautiful touristic walk. The "Faron" can be reached either by cable car or by foot. The departure station of the cable car is located near the Hotzl "Altéa la Tour Blanche". It connects the public transports to the centre of the city. This overhead trip is prolonged on approximately 1 500m. From here you can discover the entire coast. This trip is a one-way street: from the west you reach the top of the hill and from the east you descend. Among the interesting tourist attractions, it is necessary to mention the zoo and the "chapelle Notre-Dame-du-Faron".

With the installation of a memorial, President Charles de Gaulle wanted to pay tribute to the soldiers of the B army (which became thereafter the first French Army) and commemorate the landing of the allies of 1944 in which the French troops took part. To locate this memorial, the Minister of "Veterans" proposes Toulon, since its seizure had a vital importance for the release of the Provence. Even if the location of the "Mount Faron" is isolated, it seduces anyone with its prestigious panorama. It's also a location of memory. Many combats took place here, in particular the fight of the battalion of the Strike Forces, August 21st and 22nd 1944. On the mount, which faces the great Basin viewing the sea, a little fort, intended to observe the Beaumont tower was once situated there. The architect Pascalet used its premises and added several buildings in order to create the memorial. This architectural piece was unveiled August 15th 1964 by General de Gaulle. During this ceremony an attack against the President of the Republic was fomented; the bomb, placed in a jar didn't explode.

Two main parts make up the memorial: the first is dedicated to the historical evocation. In many showrooms, pictures, models, arms and military uniforms recall the course of the different episodes of the landings. In an audiovisual room a 15 m large animated Diorama illustrates the coast of the Provence, from Anthéor to Marseille. Here it is possible to admire the most important operations, since the night of August 14th and 15th 1944 until the release of Marseille. A film concerning the landing is shown on a movie screen. The second part focuses more on the memory. The visitor has the possibility to remember all people who participated to the release: chiefs of government, allied soldiers, and resistance fighters... Many personal objects give an emotional touch to this exhibition. An anti-tank device, an anti-aircraft canon as well as a Sherman tank are symbolically positioned outside the building. On the low wall, which follows the hill towards the memorial, several commemorative plaques have been placed in memory to the combatants. Further, towards Croix-Faron a stele has been placed to commemorate the commanding officer of the Croix-Faron battery, who was killed during the combat of May 1940.

Memorial of the landings in the Provence Mont Faron

83200 TOULON

Tél. : 04 94 88 08 09 - Fax : 04.94.88.10.47

Le mémorial est ouvert tous les jours sauf le lundi

• Du 1er octobre au 30 avril ouverture du mardi au dimanche

de 10 heures à 13 heures et de 14 heures à 17 heures 30

• Du 1er mai au 30 juin ouverture du mardi au dimanche

de 10 heures à 13 heures et de 14 heures à 18 heures 30

• Du 1er juillet au 31 août ouverture 7 jours sur 7

de 10 heures à 13 heures et de 14 heures à 18 heures 30

• Du 1er au 30 septembre ouverture du mardi au dimanche

de 10 heures à 13 heures et de 14 heures à 18 heures 30

Toute l'année la caisse est fermée une heure avant les heures de fermeture.

visitvar

Natura 2000

Covering 300,000 ha, the Morvan regional nature reserve, which was created in 1970, currently includes 117 communes 5 cities partners for a population of more than 74,000. The Morvan relief is situated in medium mountains and rests primarily on a granite base and, on the outskirts, on calcareous soil. The landscape consists mainly of farmland criss-crossed by hedges and prairies, forests with broad-leaved trees and conifers, a permanent presence of water (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams), of granite and of the buildings constructed out of the latter. If the scenery is the mark of man, buildings tell a lot about his history. The Eduens (a Gallic tribe) and the Gallo-Romans considered the Morvan to be an important area as testified by Bibracte - today the largest archaeological site in Europe dedicated to the Celtic civilisation - and Autun. Roman art is well represented thanks to the treasures discovered in Vézelay, Saulieu and Autun. The roads of Morvan are surrounded by castles, churches, chapels, places of worship and stones of legend, as well as a multitude of smaller heritage sites.

Dedicated to the theme of exchanges and migration, the eco-museum of Morvan, with its 5 sites each focusing on a specific theme, will take you on a journey of discovery through the history and soul of the MORVAN. One of these sites, located in Saint-Léger-Vauban, is devoted entirely to Vauban. He was born in the region and spent his formative years there, forging his personality to become not only the Marshal that we know about but also a great humanist as proved by his writings, the most famous of which is 'the project for a royal tithe'. In this work, he notes the poverty of the kingdom and the ineffectiveness of its tax system, and proposes the introduction of a single tax. This work, which appeared in 1707, was condemned by Louis XIV and left its author in disgrace. A museum founded in 1983, located at the Saint-Brisson site, is also dedicated to the Resistance in Morvan. The hills, forests, twisting ancient paths and the spirit of the locals, the morvandiaux, made the Morvan a perfect place for members of the Resistance to take refuge. In 1944, there were more than twenty maquis in the Morvan, spread over an area of 150 km². With its well preserved landscape, specific historical riches and diverse heritage, the Morvan is and always will be a place of sanctuary.
The Saint-Brisson site is located on a property covering 40 ha, with buildings that date back to the beginning of the 19th century. It contains the 'Maison du Parc', which serves as the administrative centre of the Morvan regional nature reserve, the 'Maison des hommes et des paysages' (the name of the Morvan eco-museum) and the Resistance Museum. Contact: Parc naturel régional du Morvan Maison du Parc 58230 SAINT-BRISSON Tel.: 33/ (0)3 86 78 79 57 Fax: 33/ (0)3 86 78 74 22 E-mail:parcmorvan.ot@wanadoo.fr

Despite the many restoration projects, the former Château of the Counts Deux-Ponts was in ruins when Louis XIV took Bitche in 1680. Aware of the strategic importance of the rocky crag overlooking the city and the region, Louis XIV decided to have a first citadel built, entrusting the work to Vauban, who completed it in 1683.

The citadel was razed by French troops in 1697, when the Treaty of Ryswick handed Lorraine over to Leopold I, Duke of Lorraine. Louis XV took possession of Lorraine on 21 March 1737 and ordered the reconstruction of the citadel using plans by the engineer Cormontaigne based on Vauban’s construction. The end of the work was marked by the installation of a marble plaque above the main entrance that we can still see today: “Louis XV, Roy de France, auguste, victorieux et pacifique, en réédifiant cette forteresse de fond en comble, a voulu qu'elle fermât les Vosges et la Lorraine à ses ennemis, qu'elle défendit la frontière de l'Alsace et qu'au pied de ses murs les camps des armées françaises trouvassent une puissante protection. Année 1754” (Louis XV, King of France, august, victorious and pacific, by fully rebuilding this fortress, desired that it should close off the Vosges and Lorraine from their enemies, that is should defend the Alsace border and that at the foot of its walls the French army camps might find powerful protection. Year 1754). From 1846 to 1852, the citadel was reinforced with the construction of a fortified perimeter wall, defended to the north by Fort St Sébastien.


During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, German troops laid siege to Bitche and carried out deadly bombardments targeting first the citadel, and then the city. The Bitche garrison resisted gloriously for six long months before opening the doors of the fortress on 27 March 1871, not before receiving Battle Honours. Now German, the citadel was once again refurbished to house a garrison: the perimeter walls were destroyed, the chapel was used to house troops and two barracks were built. When Alsace and Lorraine were returned to France, the city received the Legion of Honour from the hands of President Poincaré in testimonial to the suffering endured during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.
During the Second World War, Bitche was the theatre of fighting starting in the winter of 1944, during which the population took refuge in the underground galleries of the citadel. Liberated by American troops, the city received the War Cross in 1949, and was commended in the Army Order.


The citadel still bears the scars of its close ties to the history of France. Some buildings of the bastioned central plateau central have miraculously escaped the many bombardments that have tried to conquer the legendarily invulnerable fortress. The chapel can still be admired – it is only vestige of the château built under Vauban – as well as the former bakery and the arsenal. Visitors to the site can notably admire the two bastions placed at the ends of the citadel, protecting the long south curtain wall, the “Grosse Tête” and “Petite Tête” walls, which defend the short curtain walls, and the wealth of the fortress’s underground network built by Louis XV’s engineers. A first museum is located on two levels in the chapel and presents a collection of weapons as well as a relief map of the citadel in the 18th century. In the former bakery, the second permanent exhibition houses a museographical area dedicated to Bitche during the Second Empire.

Visitors to the citadel can enjoy a unique feature: infrared transmitters placed along the itinerary provide commentaries in several languages through audio headphones, while olfactory effects give visitors a realistic perception of life at the citadel over the centuries.


Citadel of Bitche
Tel.: +33 (0)3 87 96 18 82
Fax: +33 (0)3 87 06 11 78

Opens the last Saturday of the month of March and closes the first Sunday of November. Every day from 10 am to 5 pm. Sundays, bank holidays and the months of July and August: 10 am – 6 pm.

Visits take 2 hours. Group visits by appointment

Access: From Strasbourg (65 km): Take the A4 motorway in the Strasbourg-Paris direction, and take the Haguenau Nord exit. Before reaching Haguenau, take the Sarreguemines exit and continue on toward Bitche. From Metz (110 km): Take the A4 motorway in the Paris-Strasbourg direction, take the Sarreguemines exit and continue on toward Bitche.

http://www.siegebitche.com

Website of the Pays de Bitche Tourism Office

Quizz : Forts and citadels