The part of the blockhouse that you can see is only 10% of its surface area. Almost entirely underground, the command post of the Graf Spee battery is one of the largest bunkers in the region. 

Set over five floors and with 500 sqm of exhibitions, the one-way circuit begins beneath the reception, in the quarters of the 25 soldiers who defended the position.  In rooms restored to exactly how they were then, discover what everyday life was like on the Atlantic Wall, through captivatingly realistic decors.

The subsequent levels immerse you in the atmosphere of the war years in Brittany: blitzkrieg, Stalags, occupation, Free France, collaboration, Resistance, fighting for Brest, liberation, and so on. Numerous anecdotes make this a moving encounter with the men and women who experienced the war, right here.

Return to the daylight on the level of the observation stations and panoramic viewpoint, offering unique views of the entrance to Brest harbour, from the Presqu’île de Crozon to Ouessant.

The tour ends with a walk around the site, where visitors can see the other short-range defence blockhouses, together with a variety of impressive equipment.

Sources: ©Musée Mémoires 39-45

Tourist office: Boulevard de la Mer, Plougonvelin - Tel.: +33 (0)2 98 48 25 94

The tower was built close to Notre Dame de Rocamadour chapel, at the end of the breakwater which protects Camaret port, at the entrance to the Crozon peninsular. It was part of a complex strategy designed to defend Brest harbour from enemy invasions and pirates.

The tower was built between 1693 and 1696 under the supervision of the engineer Jean-Pierre Traverse. It has four floors (basement, ground floor and two upper floors) and is 18m high to the roof.

The basement, with trap door access, was used to store food and powder.

A spiral staircase leads to the upper floors which housed the guard room and accommodation.

The hexagonal tower features arrow slits for defensive purposes. Acute angles of attack mean that projectiles could be deflected. It is also known as the Tour Dorée (Golden Tower) because the base is finished with a coating made from crushed bricks.

The tower is flanked by a low, semi-circular battery with wide embrasures for eleven canons and a defensive guard room. A second guardroom was later built on the site of the shot furnace. A beam drawbridge provided access to the site and the footbridge to the tower.

In June 1694 the tower, as yet unfinished, suffered its first attack, from the Anglo-Dutch Augsbourg League, whose aim was to take control of Brest Harbour. The tower was armed with just nine canons and three mortars, but the effectiveness of its defensive system was clear immediately. The 1,500 coalition men who had landed on Trez Rouz beach in front of Camaret were routed in a few short hours, suffering heavy losses.

Tourist office
15, quai Kléber BP 16 29570 Camaret-sur-Mer
Tel.: +33.(0)2.98.27.87.22

Open high season (01-07 to 31-08) from 10am to 12 noon and 2pm to 6pm every day.
Low season (April - September): 2pm to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday

Entrance
Adults: €3
Reduced rate (students, job seekers, people on income support, etc.): €2
Free entry for children under 12 (except groups)

Vauban association

Major Vauban sites network

Richelieu, the founder of the Port du Ponant, launched the first work to fortify the town, which was then continued by Vauban under Louis XIV. It was during the reign of Louis XVI, during the American War of Independence (1775-1783), that the king, fearing that the English would land in Brittany, decided to construct forts and redoubts.

Constructed in various ways depending on the geography of the area to be defended, they all however possessed the means to cross their fire and respond to the intermediate batteries built on the first sign of war. These fortifications, evidence of the history of Brest and the surrounding area, were in their time considered to be state of the art French fortifications on the eve of the revolution. The Fort du Questel is in reality a "redoubt", in other words, a fortified, square-shaped construction, whose entrance or gorge is located on the least exposed side. This enormous quadrilateral with 100 metre long sides is situated between the Fort du Kéranroux (1.5 km t the right) and the Fort de Penfeld (1 km to the left).
Le Fort du Questel watches over the junction of the valleys of le Moulin du Buis, where the enemy could set up camp in order to bombard Brest. Surrounded by deep moats and accessible by a drawbridge, it consists of a stone wall (escarpe), with a walkway around the top for use by the musketeers. This walkway is itself surmounted by a rampart made of earth, which is set back and designed to support the artillery (26 canons in total, with a range of up to 4.5 km). The garrison of around 200 men there had access to various galleries, including two large underground ones linking the central courtyard with the walkways. We should also note the presence of rest areas which, during Vauban's time, was still a privilege ...
Constructed on a 6 hectare site Fort du Questel overlooks the Valley of the Allégoet, a tributary stream of the river Penfeld. Today, this site is one of a series of redeveloped natural areas leading up to the banks of the Penfeld along a circuit that passes by the foot of the Cavale Blanche hospital. On its premises, the fortress provides scenic walks through its well-sheltered ditches, basements, staircases, scarp and counterscarps, esplanade and its nearby cool undergrowth. The Fort du Questel has also become a popular place for hosting many activities.

[align=center]Sénans who chose Free France 22 - 26 June 1940[/align] June 1940: following defeat and the signature of the armistice, not all Frenchmen gave up. Gradually, individual or collective acts of resistance developed, the most famous being the "18th June Appeal", broadcast from London by General De Gaulle, an appeal repeated several times in the days that followed. The inhabitants of Sein were among the first to respond; they were among the earliest of the "Free French". Sein is a small island off the south-west tip of Brittany, facing the Pointe du Raz, with a population of around a thousand. In June 1940, most of the men were mobilised or called to work on the mainland. A garrison of 24 men was also stationed there. The island received information from the few ships that docked or the rare wireless sets. This communication became increasingly difficult until only scraps of news arrived, rumours of an ever-deteriorating situation. Residents of the island (Sénans) learned that Rennes and Brest had fallen and saw the first soldiers pushed back by the German advance. Many ships sailed via the island, such as the Zénith which, via Ouessant and Sein, took a small troop of Chasseurs alpins to Great Britain. The threat was getting closer, with German gunfire and shelling increasing.

Warned by a keeper of the Ar-Men lighthouse that an appeal by a French General was to be broadcast that evening on the BBC, the islanders and those present on the island assembled on 22nd June around one of the radios to listen to the speech. After listening to the message the choice was quickly made. Five ships were available right away. They sailed on 24th and 26th June. The first, the Velleda, left with the garrison and the first Sénans aboard, followed by the Rouanez ar Mor, then the Corbeau des mers, the Maris Stella and the Rouanez ar Péoc'h. Some islanders followed on smaller craft. 128 Sénans finally assembled in England. Some of them would not see their island or their families again until 1944. Initially, the Sénans were assigned to the Courbet, which had the job of protecting the port of Plymouth before most of them were dispersed to serve in the Free French Navy. The Germans occupied the Ile de Sein from the beginning of July, laying mines and barbed wire. Severe restrictions were applied to movement both on the island and the surrounding seas. Physical conditions were difficult, even after the mobilised men returned. In spite of this, assistance was raised for the families of the islanders who had gone to England.

A Sénan native stands before a granite Cross of Lorraine.

A monument dedicated to the Free French Forces was erected at Men-Neï. Sculpted by Quillivic, in clear view of the lighthouse overlooking it, it bears two inscriptions: "Kentoc'h Mervel" (I’d rather die) & “Le soldat qui ne se reconnaît pas vaincu a toujours raison” (The soldier who does not recognise defeat is always right).

On 7 September 1960, General de Gaulle, President of the Republic, paid an official visit to the Île de Sein to inaugurate this monument of remembrance and gratitude. It was a solemn moment, with the huge aircraft carrier Clemenceau just off the island and a helicopter landing. The giant of a man stepped off. The Sénan people were all there to welcome “their” General. The women were wearing their Sunday best, even the Mayor, Mrs Kerloc'h, who was also wearing a jibilinenn bonnet. A chorus of Sénan singers, vibrant with contained emotion, sang “Le Libéra”. Everyone was singing and, with their voices they sang the trials and tribulations they had suffered twenty years earlier, their dedication, their loyalty, death, hunger, injuries and especially their thirst for victory.

General de Gaulle was touched by the sight and understood the message of these simple people, so strong, so natural and so spontaneous. On the rostrum set up in his honour, he thanked the men and woman standing there with their proud, handsome faces looking up at him. “Here is the sea, in perpetual motion. Here is the sky, constantly changing. And here is the granite of Brittany, which never changes. When the time came, the Île de Sein was an example for us all. The movement at the time was natural and spontaneous, because it was for the island and its children, and because over the centuries, you have been confronted with struggles and because it was a question of you and your courage. With the “Le Libéra” that you sang earlier, I understood your sacrifice back in 1940. That remains in Sein and it remains in the spirit of all of France. France has been through many misfortunes, but thanks to its efforts, thanks to yours, it has undergone rebirth. In our dreams, France is what we have always wanted it to be: great, prosperous and fraternal. I have come here in the name of France to pay tribute to the Île de Sein, to this land of courage and exemplarity, to my companion, the Île de Sein. For the rest of my life, I will carry an imperishable memory of this ceremony.”

Then, to the population’s emotional applause, President de Gaulle raised his arms in an immense V for victory. He then visited the town hall and wrote in the registry, “To the Île de Sein, my companion, I offer my best wishes, with all my heart”. General de Gaulle held the Île de Sein and its residents in high esteem. For example, in his office in rue Solferino in Paris, he always kept nearby a gift that the people of the island had given him on 12 June 1949. It was a statue of a Breton woman made of Quimper faience, a work by R. Micheau-Vemez. He had placed it on a pedestal table, in full view, and the face on the ceramic constantly reminded him of his companion, a single word representing the entire Sénan community for him.

Sein is still in the news and is linked to the memory of the illustrious general. In 2002, a copy of the Mouez Enez Sun from November 2000 was given to the Charles de Gaulle Museum, located in the house where he was born in Lille. This monthly is the local paper on the Île de Sein. This issue of the Mouez Enez Sun reported on the ceremonies organised in the General’s memory upon his death in 1970, thirty years earlier.

Site internet

http://www.mairie-iledesein.com/a_visiter.htm

The Fort of the Bull (Fort du Taureau) is a splendid citadel on an island in the Bay of Morlaix, in French Finistère. Its unusual tale spans back over four centuries. Building work began circa 1542 to protect Morlaix and its people from pillaging assailants. Back in 1522, the English had sailed up the Dossen river to the estuary by Morlaix to loot the town. They were finally expelled by the town's people, who decided to fund and build this fort on the estuary's mouth to forestall future attacks, twenty years later. Until Louix XIII's reign, fort governors were ennobled ex-officio (and Morlaix's townsmen understandably vied fiercely for the job). The wall shielding that original fort was 6.50 metres high (the one you see today is twice as high).

In 1661, however, Louis XIV decreed that the fort was to become crown property, turned it into a State prison, and set up a garrison there. However, in those belligerent days, Brittany was in a valuable strategic position (it was near England). Accordingly, Vauban, a military engineer, decided to strengthen the fort in 1680. It was completely rebuilt (except for the Tour Française) into a larger and sturdier stronghold. The building was mostly made of granite from Callot, a neighbouring island. It is practically the same shape and size as the island: it is oblong, 60 long, and 12 metres wide. The walls are 12 metres high and the buildings span 1,450 sq m. There are 11 pillboxes, each of which can house a cannon. The fort also counts soldier and officer quarters, two dungeons, a mess, a kitchen, a chapel and latrines.
However, before rebuilding work was completed - and owing to Morlaix's gradual decline in prominence - this fortress was turned into a prison in 1721. Louis Auguste Blanqui, a well-known communard, was its last inmate until his release in 1871. The fort was disarmed in 1890 and became an historical monument in 1914. The Vilmorin family spent their summer holidays there in the 1930s and it housed a sailing school from the 1960s until 1980.
The fort's state of disrepair prompted local and central-government authorities to start restoration work in 1998. The chateau was transferred to the public realm in 2004.
1542: The first fort was funded and built by the people of Morlaix. 1689: Vauban, France's foremost military engineer in his day, visited the fort for the first time. 1745: Reconstruction work ended. 1871: Communard Louis-Auguste Blanqui, the fort's last prisoner, was released. 1890: The fort was disarmed. 1914: The chateau was listed as an Historical Monument. 1930: Mélanie de Vilmorin rented the chateau for family holidays through 1937. 1982: The sailing school founded in 1960 closed down.
Tourist Offices (enquiries) Carantec: +33 (0) 298.670.043 Booking tickets +33 (0) 298.622.973 Morlaix: +33 (0) 298.621.494 e-mail: Tourisme@morlaix.cci.fr Plougasnou Saint-Jean-du-Doigt Plouezoc'h: +33 (0) 298.673.188

Built on a rocky outcrop, Brest Castle dominates the Penfeld River and the harbour. It stands on a major strategic site whose importance as such was recognised as early as the 3rd century, when the Romans set up base there to protect the province of Armorique from Frankish and Saxon pirates.

In the twelfth century, the counts of Léon restored the old bases left by the Romans and a small town surrounding a chapel was established within its walls, a town that grew into the Brest we know today! During the Hundred Years' War, the castle was occupied by the English and besieged by Duguesclin. Anne of Brittany also stayed there in 1505 during a pilgrimage. In the seventeenth century, under pressure from Richelieu and Colbert for Brest to become the French Royal Navy's major arsenal on the Atlantic coast, it was decided that the castle's defences needed to be improved. The architect Vauban then transformed it into a veritable citadel, and the town grew below it. In a town that had to be almost entirely rebuilt after the fierce raids of 1944, the castle is the last remaining testimony to centuries past.
The Castle has been constantly adapted to changes in siege tactics and weaponry. It needed to be able to resist two types of attack: those from the sea, but mostly those from the land. Consequently, its architecture is complex and additions were frequently made to it over time. Parts of the Roman walls are still visible, and the Paradis Towers have preserved their medieval character (pepper-box roofs and machicolation). But in its current state, the castle remains characteristic of the defensive fortification architecture developed by Vauban, in particular to respond to the use of siege artillery. For seventeen centuries, from Roman encampment to its role as a naval base, the destiny of the Castle has been linked to the sea, the history of a town, a province and an entire country.
There has been a small museum in the arsenal since the beginning of the nineteenth century: a room devoted to models is home to many sculptures and historic model ships. Fortunately, these collections were stowed away during World War II and thus spared. They now form part of the National Maritime Museum network in Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort, Toulon and Paris. In 1958, a new museum was established in the castle, the museum that is today visited by the public. Not to be missed are the masterpieces of maritime heritage and culture, the naval history of Brest, the castle's historic rooms and the exceptional views of the harbour and the Penfeld River.
The dungeon houses permanent collections devoted to the golden era of naval construction, as well as the penal system, weapons and scientific instruments. The temporary exhibitions (photos, paintings, case studies) are presented in the Paradis Towers, while the Madeleine Tower displays more modern naval history. Visitors can also see the S622 submarine, an example of a Seehund pocket submarine, and a boat-people vessel.
The Museum offers a series of themed tours for children at the entrance. For its temporary exhibitions, the Museum proposes a discovery tour for children. Booklets on a certain theme and questionnaires designed for children aged 8 and over are available for visitors not part of an organised tour ("Tonnerre de Brest!" a visit questionnaire based on the collections on display at Brest Castle; "Au vent de Suroît" a visit questionnaire based on the history of Brest Castle Museum) For youngsters and adults: - Guided tours all year round for groups on appointment. During the summer months, individual visitors can also follow a guided commentary at fixed times. - Greeting and training for teachers Entry is free for any teachers wishing to prepare a class trip to the Museum.
Musée National de la Marine Château de Brest 29200 Brest Tél. : 02.98.22.12.39 Fax: 02.98.43.30.54 E-Mail: [email = brest@musee-marine.fr] brest@musee-marine.fr [/ email]

This museum, in Camaret near Brest, has been installed in the bunkers of the Kerbonn battery in Pointe de Penhir. These old bunkers on the Atlantic Wall were built on the ruins of a Third Republic-style fort, itself constructed on fortifications built by Vauban. Geographically this place was made for fortresses!

The superb site overlooks the sea from atop a vertiginous cliff.

Nearby off the coast, a large granite riprap, the Lion of Toulinguet, faces Pointe Saint-Mathieu and marks the north entrance of the Brest bottleneck. To the far west of Point de Penhir was erected, on the request of General De Gaulle, a Cross of Lorraine-shaped monument that commemorates the Breton sailors, the first men to join the France Libre resistance organisation.

The museum is the only one in continental Europe dedicated to the Battle of the Atlantic. If it had been won by the Germany navy, the United Kingdom could not have been used as a base that served to help liberate western Europe. It also pays tribute to all the sailors, whose average age was 20, lost at sea.

Maps allow visitors to track the losses incurred by the merchant navy and German submarines geographically and chronologically.

In its small space, the museum presents photos, maps and models to show a complete overview of everything the Battle of the Atlantic represented. Although this museum is the work of passionate patriots, the historical balance between the two sides has been thoughtfully respected. The museum celebrates, amongst other subjects, the memory of the Free French Navy Forces whose flag is on display. The majority of the men fighting for the Free French Navy Forces came from Brittany. The memory of the sea fishermen from the Ile de Sein who collectively rallied to the support of France Libre is kept alive today.

Special attention is given to the crews working on the merchant ships. These men are the great forgotten participants in the victory. If their ship was torpedoed, they had a fifty percent chance of survival. This probability was reduced to almost zero for crews on oil tankers, vessels carrying munitions or Arctic convoys.

Memorial Museum to the Battle of the Atlantic in Camaret

Fort de Kerbornn B.P. 44 29570 Camaret

Tel: +33 (0)2 98 27 92 58

Opening dates and times: 

Every day during school holidays from 10 am to 7 pm.

By appointment for groups.

Parking for around 50 cars.

Getting there:

From Crozon follow the signs for Camaret then Pointe de Penhir.

Admission:

Adults: 3 €

Children: 2 €

Family ticket for two adults and two children or more

Free for war veterans, military, school, holiday camps and students.

Tourist Information Office

15, Quai Kleber B.P. 16 29570 Camaret-sur-Mer

Tel: +33 (0)2 98 27 93 60

Fax: +33 (0)2 98 27 87 22

Email: ot.camaret@wanadoo.fr

Quiz: Fortifications

Source: MINDEF/SGA/DMPA

It was from Brest that squadrons departed to support the Americans in the War of Independence.

Louis XVI, who wanted to turn the port into an impenetrable fortress, decided to complete Vauban's fortifications with the construction of a line of defence to the west of the town. It consisted of five independent forts.

The largest, Fort Montbarey, was designed to withstand a siege lasting three weeks with 500 to 600 soldiers. Its construction lasted from 1777 until 1784.

Completed after the American War of Independence, it only ever had a role as a deterrent.

The French Navy made it available to the Memorial Association in 1984 in order that it could be used to tell the history of Finistère during the Second World War.

The museum occupies some of the 3 hectares and consist of:

5 main rooms: Cell I : Accommodation for 100 soldiers. Screening room for the video "Brest at war during the Second World War". Cell II : Artillery workshop also used as accommodation for 50 soldiers in the garret. The exhibition "Old boats in the turmoil" recounts the departure of boats to Great Britain following the appeal of 18th June 1940. Cell III: Hall of honour: Maps tracing the development of the conflict of 1933 to 1945. Finistère's decorations and towns awarded medals. Model of the Fort as it was designed. Churchill's tank. Map tracing the American advance on Brest. Crypt of Remembrance. Gallery for the people of Finistère who "died for France" and the Allies who died in battle. Cell IV : Artillery workshop with accommodation for 50 soldiers. Here we find models and vehicles, as well as the "Brest at war" exhibition Cell V: Accommodation for 100 soldiers. Exhibition: the 1st French army and the Provence landings.

Northern Quarter - Pharmacy which also served as accommodation for the surgeons and the chaplain. Along with the infirmary, it houses a 1940 exhibition. - Infirmary. It was the first time that a place for confining the sick and wounded had been incorporated into the design of a fort - Room of the Résistance. - Room of the Deportation. It is important that this is seen by the younger generation, but it is not advised to bring very young children.
Southern Quarter: - Flour store with accommodation for the quartermaster in the garret. During the Second World war it was used as the mess for German officers. It was they who drew the eagle and horses' heads and carved the mottos. Bottom right "Fidelity is the essence of honour". It is a quote from Bismark. On the right as you enter "The struggle leads us to victory". On the left "Germany will live on if we must die". An exhibition covers the involvement of aviators from Finistère in the Free French Forces (FAFL).

- Bake house : the oven designed to bake 300 loaves a day is still in working order. The hook was used to hang the sacks of flour so they could be emptied onto the table. In the wall, a pipe brought the water required for baking.

Exhibitions: "The American War of Independence". "Overseas theatres of operations" (Free French). - Quartermaster's stores. On the right as you enter is the wood store. On the left is the back of the oven. At the end there was a small well from which the water was drawn to feed the waterspout that comes out in the bake house. - Wine store.

Deportation wagon : It was in wagons like this that deportees were taken to the camps; the journey lasted about a fortnight with 100 to 120 or even 150 people inside. It is dedicated to the wartime railwaymen and to Finisterian deportees.

Blockhouse: Constructed in 1953 by the French navy, it housed a Radar command post during the cold war. Room 1: The presence of the Kriegsmarine in Brest, most notably the Scharnhorst, the Gnelsnau and the submarine base.

Room 2 : Ammunition found in the area.

Well : Fed by a spring, it contained 4,000 litres of water. Between the 12th and 16th September 1944, it served as an improvised command post to the soldiers of a battalion of the 2nd Parachute Infantry Regiment who were entrenched in the fort. To liberate the fort, the Americans had to call upon the British who were armed with Churchill Crocodile flamethrower tanks, of which an example from the period can be seen at the entrance to the courtyard.

Vehicles: They are all original. With the exception of the tank they are all in working order. Most of them served during the Normandy landings (a painted star on the vehicle). They are on show at the fort as a tribute to the action of the allies that allowed the liberation of France.

Musée Mémorial des Finistériens

Fort de Montbarey – Allée Bir-Hakeim

BP 53111 - 29231 Brest cedex 3

Tél. : 02 98 05 39 46        @mail : fort.montbarey@free.fr

Visites :

Le mardi, mercredi, jeudi et vendredi de 14h à 17h (jusqu’à 18h en été)

Le dimanche de 14h à 17h (jusqu’à 18h en été)

Groupes (≥ 10 pers.) : visites guidées sur rendez-vous ; autres jours/horaires possibles.

Boutiques (livres, documents sur la Seconde Guerre mondiale).

Parking à l'intérieur du fort pour environ 40 voitures

Tarifs :

Adulte : 5 €

Anciens Combattants (1) : 3 €

Enfants de 9 ans et plus, étudiants (1) : 3 €

Enfants de moins de 9 ans : gratuit

Gratuité pour les personnes adhérant à l’association Mémorial (25 €/an)

Forfait scolaire : 25 € par classe

Tarif pour groupe supérieur à 10 visiteurs avec visite guidée

(1) sur présentation de la carte correspondante

Accès : Rocade Ouest de Brest Prendre la Direction Le Conquet,

dans un grand rond-point, le musée est clairement signalé.

Quizz : Forts et citadelles

This 38 metre high islet with its natural beauty, battered by wind and tide, overlooks the entrance to the Brest Narrows. Protected by the sea but accessible at low tide, it has been used as a refuge since prehistoric times. Its position made it highly coveted, and the Dukes of Brittany set Le Perzel Château on it in the 5th century. However, its moment of glory came during the 17th century, when the King's engineer proposed that the island be fortified by building on the existing ruins. Vauban established a battery which was involved in driving back the English.

At the end of the 19th century, the islet was abandoned and a more powerful battery was created on land, behind it. The last time it was armed was by the Germans, who sited 75mm and 20mm canons on it, and hid machine guns around the fort. Under heavy bombardment, it surrendered to American troops in September 1944.

Bertheaume lay abandoned for 45 years until it was reborn out of its turbulent history in 1992. After Herculean restoration work (when workmen physically carried materials to the site) it was opened to the public once again.

Today, the accurately restored site invites you to discover its past through numerous exhibitions and events.

Bertheaume Fort

Tel: +33.(0)2.98.48.26.41

Group visits can be arranged on request. Evening visit entitled "Tales of Bertheaume": every Wednesday in summer

Open April to November: 5 April to 4 May 2pm to 6.30pm every day. 5 May to 27 June and 6 to 28 September, 2pm to 6.30pm Tuesday to Sunday. 28 June to 31 August: 10am to 7pm.
October: 2pm to 6pm on Wednesdays and Sundays, 25 October to 2 November 2pm to 6.30pm every day. Open 2pm to 6pm on 5, 8, 9, 10 and 11 November.

Ticket office closes 1 hour before the site.
 

Entrance: Adults: €3.80 Preferential rate: €2.90 Reduced tariff (young people aged 12-18, students and job seekers): €2.10 Children aged 6-11: €0.80
 

Plougonvelin village official website