Colmars-les-Alpes is a mountain village in the Alps of Haute Provence, located in the high valley of the Verdon between the Col d'Allos and Saint André les Alpes and controls the border with the Savoie river Ubaye via the Col d'Allos. Its military history bears witness to its strategic position: the village is surrounded by ramparts and guarded by two forts. At the end of the 14th Century, Colmars-les-Alpes was in fact a border town with the territory of the Duke of the Savoie, who was in alliance with the Spanish. Its situation on an outcrop in the valley forced the people and the authorities to modify and complete their defensive system. In the 17th Century Colmars-les-Alpes was provided with the system of well-developed fortifications that gives it its current appearance. The system, conceived from the recommendations of Vauban, who never went to the town, demonstrates the adaptability of the architect's plans to suit existing structures and the terrain.

The collection of fortifications comprises the town and a large walled enclosure marked by monumental gates, supported by the Fort de France and the Fort de Savoie. This plan was suggested by Niquet, who was director of fortifications for Provence. Initially, the town was enclosed by fortified towers, which Vauban considered to be too weak. He therefore suggested flanking the square with two forts. These structures were built by Richerand.
Downstream, from the side of the entrance to the town, Fort Calvaire or the Fort de France was built to a square plan.
Upstream, Fort Saint-Martin or the Fort de Savoie was built, which was trapezoid in shape. It was flanked by a tower whose lines were criticised by Vauban - his recommendations were not followed. The Fort de Savoie, perched on a hill to the north of Colmars-les-Alpes, was built from 1793 onwards. The building was a contemporary of the citadel at Entrevaux. It was supposed to contain any invasion from the Savoie. It could house up to 150 men.
Access is via the D 908 which links Saint André les Alpes to Barcelonnette The fort de Savoie is open in July and August Guided tours every day at 10 am Tourist Information Office: + 33 (0) 4.92.83.41.92 The Fort de France is not open to the public

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