Fort de Socoa in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques is a fine example of the combination of medieval military architecture and the Vauban-style system of fortifications. The border with the empire of Charles Quint became a concern for the kings of France from the 16th century onwards. The Basque region, a natural route towards Spain, was visited by several engineers. Henri IV wanted to build a fortress to protect Saint-Jean-de-Luz and the surrounding towns from Spanish invasion. However, a conflict of interests between the communities delayed the project, which was finally carried out by Louis XIII. In 1636, the Spanish invaded the coast, carried out building work and renamed the citadel "Fort de Castille". As a result of military reversals, the region returned to French sovereignty. The fort was finished and took the name Socoa. In 1686, Vauban, on an inspection visit in the Pyrenees, visited the Basque Country. He then suggested strengthening the Fort de Socoa by using the ruins left by the Spanish following the Thirty Years War. The engineer planned to construct a security jetty to improve access to the fort.

Construction work, which began shortly afterwards, lasted until 1698. It was managed by Fleury. As far as alterations were concerned, the tower was raised in height to two floors, which he crowned with parapets and a machicolation. The site also had a barracks and a chapel. The main enclosure, which was subsequently altered, would take on its present form under the Regency (1723). Besieged once more by the Spanish in 1793, the fort was occupied by British troops in 1814 who used it as a sort of defensive support for the bay, a place for supplying the men stationed inland. Once peace was restored, Fort de Socoa was repaired between 1816 and 1817.
Municipal Tourist Information Place Royale Telephone: +33 (0) 5 59 27 27 08 Fax: + 33 (0) 5 59 27 03 21 e-mail:omt@ville-pau.fr

Castrum de Lapurdum, whose ruins can still be seen around the cathedral in Bayonne, already demonstrated its military purpose in Roman times. Over the centuries the town, a strategic crossing point towards Spain and a control point for river communications between the seafront and the inland region, was provided with significant defensive fortifications. The ramparts, as well as three fortified structures - the Château Vieux, the Château Neuf and the Citadel, all of which have for the most part been preserved - bear witness to this.

From the 15th century onwards, when Dunois' armies seized Bayonne on behalf of the King of France, Charles VII, the position of Bayonne became strategic. François 1st therefore equipped the town with a fort. Vauban modernised it from 1680 onwards. His arrival in the Pyrenees led to the redesigning of the system of defence for the Spanish border, in which Bayonne became the linchpin, supported by the citadels of Navarrenx and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. He supervised the construction and strengthening of the ramparts and gates. He also built and consolidated the buildings of the Château Vieux. The town's surrounding wall was also repaired and the old dungeon inside was demolished. Of particular note is the citadel he created on the right bank of the Adour, the Château Neuf. His accomplice, Ferry, oversaw the works. The citadel was in use in the 18th century and, in 1750, a garrison of 2,000 men was stationed there. In order to support the citadel, subsequent engineers built redoubts in the surrounding area to defend the town's Southern flanks. The Bayonne citadel saw its last military action in 1814 during confrontations between the Anglo-Hispanic-Portuguese troops led by Wellington and those of Marshal Soult. The premises are currently occupied by the 1st Marine Parachute Infantry Regiment (1er RPIMa). The citadel can be visited during open houses.
Office du tourisme Place des Basques - BP 819 64108 Bayonne cedex - France Tel. 05 59 46 09 00 E-mail : info@visitbayonne.com

The Sucy-en-Brie Fort forms part of the second fortified belt around Paris. This defensive system was created by Général Séré de Rivières to supplement the one established on the new Eastern frontier after 1871.

Between 1870 and 1871, the Germans made the village of Sucy one of the strong points of their lines of trenches. The High Command had learned lessons from the siege of Paris in 1870, and decided to build a line of eighteen structures to keep any possible assailants at a distance. For the Fort at Sucy, it was a question of having, beneath its artillery fire, lines of penetration, consisting of trunk roads from Paris to Strasbourg (N°4) and Mulhouse (N° 19). In effect, from this position, the Prussians could bombard the St-Maur peninsula. It should also prevent the opening up of the Notre-Dame woods, an extension of the Armainvilliers forest, where the enemy could position itself in case of siege.
Built between 1879 and 1881, it cost almost 20,000 Euros and is constructed in stonework and protected by mounds of earth, that should allow it to be subjected to the impact of gun powder shelling, without suffering any damage. But very quickly, picric acid came to render these defences insufficient and the forts, though barely finished, had to be reinforced with concrete; most of the forts in the east had to do this. The 1911 project allowed for 4,300 Euros of modernisation works. Three concrete rampart shelters, two machine gun turrets and some observation posts were to be established. In 1914, the fort had only 14 cannons on the ramparts and 10 in its caponiers. Because of a lack of funds, the forts in the Ile-de-France were not modernised: In October 1913, it was planned to establish 75 mm anti-aircraft cannons on a base in the fort, but at the end of 1914 a 110 cm projector was installed; two 75 mm anti-aircraft guns were however installed in 1915.
Apart from the installation of heavy D.C.A. cannons around 1935, the Fort at Sucy was little used during the two world wars. Despite the destruction of the barracks' munitions depot on the 22nd August 1944, it has been left in perfect condition with its original features: entrance building, casemates in the trench and shooting galleries etc. Originally, this fort with a central section had a front, two flanks and a gorge in two parts, separated by a two caponiers, a basic one and one with a gorge; the whole thing was surrounded by a trench 9 metres wide. The double gorge caponier had the distinctive feature of being traversed by the entrance and attached to the front of the guard-house. The entrance was closed by a moving bridge and had a strange crenulated chest in front in the counterscarp. However, as the scarp was semi-detached and 4.5 m high, it was poorly protected from enemy shelling, which could graze the top of the counterscarp at a height of just 5 m. The ramparts had 11 cross-sections with shelters. Two cross-sections served as casemates for cannon. The barracks, situated under the central section with a magazine of 67 tonnes of gunpowder, could shelter 372 men and 10 officers, a tank and various magazines. Abandoned by the army and invaded by vegetation, it was bought by the town of Sucy in 1970. Since 1996, a voluntary association has been trying to make the Fort look as it did originally and bring it back to life.
The fort at Sucy-en-Brie allée du général Séré de Rivière 94370 Sucy en Brie "Fort de Sucy" Association 11, rue Lacarrière 94370 Sucy-en-Brie Tel.: 01.45.90.26.48Sucy-en-Brie Town Hall Tel. 01 49 82 24 50 Fax 01 49 82 24 61 Tours Guided tours on the first Sunday of every month at 3 pm. For groups (more than 15 people), booking is required.

Built after the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871, the Fort at Champigny-sur-Marne was intended for the protection of the capital. It forms part of the first defensive network designed by Séré de Rivières. It was built between 1878 and 1880 and has a surface area of 4 hectares. Its position was determined by lessons learned from the war: in December 1870 the Prussians had established two batteries just to the west of this site. Listed as of secondary importance by the legislation of 1874, its role was to block the railway line towards Troyes and to occupy the position of the Prussian batteries of 1870.

This fort with a central section is made up of a front, two flanks and a gorge. The trench, which is edged by a counterscarp and a semi-detached scarp, is separated by two caponiers, a basic one and one with a gorge. The ridge of the rampart is intersected by 13 cross sections, 6 of which have shelters. One of the northern cross sections houses the powder magazine (capacity of 80 tonnes). A passage underneath one of the southern cross sections was built in such a way as to serve as a casemate against indirect fire. The trench is crossed by a wooden bridge, but the entrance hall can be closed off by a retractable bridge and an armour-plated door.
The barracks enclose a cobbled courtyard. Half of it was housed on the ground floor, with men and sub-officers on the first floor, making a total capacity of 388 men, in addition to a cistern and various magazines. The guardhouse at the entrance is attached to the western part of the barracks, where officers were housed. The vaults are built of rough stone. The floors between levels are in brick. The 1911 project allowed 4300 Euros for modernisation works. Three concrete shelters on the ramparts, two machine-gun turrets and observation points were to be established. In 1914, the fort held no more than 10 cannons on the ramparts and 10 in the caponiers.
During the First World War its batteries, armed with ten 12 to 15 cm weapons, fired across the Avron plateau. The quarries were used to shelter troops, provisions and an ambulance. From 1939 to 1940 the fort was occupied by anti-aircraft defence units. There was a fire in the barracks in July 1944. The fort was declassified in 1965 and handed over to the land administration department in 1974. It was registered by ministerial decree on the 16th May 1979 on the Secondary List of Historical Monuments. Since 1984, it has been undergoing restoration.
Fort at Champigny-sur-Marne 140 bis, rue Aristide-Briand 94430 Chennevières-sur-Marne Tel.: 01.45.94.74.74 e-mail: communication@ville-chennevières.fr Bus stop: "Fort de Champigny" Guided tours Saturdays and Sundays 3 pm to 5 pm Free entry

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

Stretched out over a surface of 26 hectares, southwards from the city of Lorient, the ancient submarine base Kéroman is established in the middle of the roadstead, in front of the Port-Luois citadel and the Island of Saint-Michel

From the summer of 1940 and the German victory in the west, the Kriegesmarine fits out bases in the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The Lorient arsenal is chosen by Admiral Karl Dönitz to accommodate one of the five huge bases installed on the French coasts of the Atlantic to protect the U-Boote. From June 21st 1940, the first day the city was occupied, work commenced to free the docks, in order to allow the submarines to enter the Lorient port on July 7th. In spite of the reinforcement of the site from the Kriegesmarine, the German headquarter quickly realised, that these installations are not suitable enough for the conduct of the Atlantic war and thus decides to build a concrete unit constituting a real underwater base, more suited to resist the violence of the allied shelling. Under fire from the planes of the Royal Air Force, 15 000 workers build between February 1941 and January 1943 three huge concreted blocks, with amazing dimensions: the flank measures 130m and 18.5 m high for the blocks Kéroman I (KI) znd Kéroman II (K II), with roofs measuring 3.5 m thickness; the Kéroman III (KIII) block is 170m long, 122 m large and has a roof thickness of 7,5,m. The new Kéroman underwater base can resist to the classic shells, then the most powerful of that period, and is able to shelter more the 25 submarines thanks to installations exposed directly to the sea. It has the capacity to hoist the most impressive submarines, in protected cells thanks to a slipway. The presence of this base considered indestructible is the reason that Lorient suffered massive bombardments from the allies' aviation, which transformed the city into a vast field of ruins. Since the concrete protection was never really damaged during the war, the French national navy has used the Kéroman site since 1945. They installed a fleet of submarines, an annexation of the Lorient arsenal (DCN), as well as a zone, where the submariners can live.
July 6th 1946 the Kéroman bases were baptised with this name by Jacques Stosskopf, section chief of the new constructions in the Lorient arsenal. He will later on be deported and executed by the Nazis, accusing him to have transmitted precious information about the strategic activity of the base to the resistance network, during the entire occupation period. In 1995, the ministry of defence announces, in the framework of its reorganization plan, the abandonment of the site that will become effective in February 1997, with the departure from Kéroman of the last submarine "La Sirène".
The visit of the Kéromann III block Now days only Kéroman III block is open to the public to visit. The other sectors of the base are inactive or occupied by factories. A guided path of approximately an hour and a half gives to the visitor the chance to discover the greatest buildings built in Lorient, measuring 24000 m2 . They can also climb the roof constituting a splendid view-point dominating the roadstead of Lorient and its harbours. In the south east of the base, the block contains seven cells, who's most important is 103 m long and 22,5 m large and offers two sites. In 1944 its construction remained unfinished, since the block was under continuous bombardment during the whole time of its construction. Individuals can visit the site during the school holidays, and groups may visit the site during the whole year on reservation. The opening dates are available at the tourist office of Lorient.
Flanking the walls of the base, the Davis Tower was built in 1942 for the submarines training. In 1953 the national navy restores it back into service. From 1999 it resurfaces thanks to a museographic space dedicated to the immersed inheritance of Lorient. Equipped with a decompression chamber simulating the living conditions of the crews, the museum gives to the visitor the chance to plunge back into the past and discover the wrecks of this region. Open every Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. During July and August, open every day from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Count approximately an hour of visit.
Recently purchaser of this site, having at its disposal more than 1200 m of cost line, the community of agglomeration of Lorrient, controls a conversion project of the base centred on the major topic: "The man and the sea during the XXI century". The installation of several companies in the old concrete blocks, that sheltered the submarines, contributed to the development of a strong activity in the water sports sector. In the long term, the opening of a company-village, based on the maritime, advanced technology industry is envisaged. By the year 2005 the inauguration of the Tabarly Academy will take place. This area pays tribute to the memory of the missing sailors, with a media library, by organising exhibitions and by giving information on the topics of the oceanic races. The opening to the public of the "Flora" submarine, that was in service from 1964 until its disarmament in 1989 in Kéroman is forecasted. A first phase of works is considered, in order to repair the submarine, the boat ramp which supports it and the transporter bridge between the K I block and the K II block. After the renovation is completed, footbridges will make it possible to reach a museographic space, dedicated to the submarine base of Kéroman and exhibiting the every day life on board of the submarines.
Base Submarine Peninsula Keroman 56100 Lorient Phone: 02 97 02 23 29 Rate : Full price: 6 €, reduced 3 €, free for children under 12 years Hours : [list] Outside school holidays: Every Sunday at 15 pm [list] School holidays: daily at 15 am on Saturday. [list] Closed December 25 and 31 and the entire month of January Tourist office of Lorient email :contact@lorient-tourisme.com

The current Museum of the History of the Town of Saint Malo was created after the Second World War as part of the reconstruction of the historic site of Saint Malo, 80% of which was destroyed in 1944, inside the chateau's Grand-Donjon (Great Dungeon), an imposing horse-shoe shaped tower which was started in 1424 under the orders of Duke Jean V de Bretagne.

This museum's initial purpose was to commemorate the rich maritime past of the famous Breton corsair port, whilst not forgetting to mention the great intellectual figures born there, such as Chateaubriand, Lamennais and Maupertuis. 

In addition, sections specialising in ethnographic matters such as cod-fishing in Newfoundland and the memories of Captains of the Cape Horn long distance race have also been set up, the former being displayed in the tour Générale (General Tower), next to the Grand-Donjon and the latter in the Solidor Tower at Saint-Servan under the name of the International Museum of the Cape Horn long distance race.

The collections relating to cod fishing in Newfoundland are displayed on the ground floor of the tour Générale around a full-size dory with all its equipment. On the next floor, as well as some interesting models of "terre-neuvier" boats, there is a portrayal of life in the Saint-Malo area at the time of the terre-neuvas with a few pieces of furniture (a buffet, chest of drawers and a closet bed) and traditional hairstyles. On the second floor, which is curiously vaulted into a dome, there are, alongside a few older works, some paintings from the first third of the 20th century by Nozal, Signac's "Le Pardon des Terre-Neuvas", Guillaumin's "Saint-Servan" and "la tour Solidor", and works by Friesz and Frank-Will etc. Visitors must not miss the summons of Commandant Charcot (1867-1936), depicted in a portrait by R.-Y. Creston, a large canvas by E. Blandin and the gangway that helped to save the master helmsman of the famous exploration ship, the "Pourquoi-Pas?", when it was shipwrecked.

Amongst the most remarkable exhibits, we must draw attention to an impressive figurehead from the first third of the 19th century representing an unidentified 17th-18th century sailor and a tapestry on a water theme by Gromaire on the first floor. From the former chapel, recognisable from the outside by its small bell tower, the only thing to survive is the painting that adorned its alter-piece before the Revolution: The Lamentation of Christ by Jean-Baptiste Santerre (1651-1717), considered by specialists to be a major example of the artist's religious painting. Articles linked to the religious history of Saint-Malo have also been brought together in this former chapel, including the torchlight procession of the Saint-Malo gunners, said to be by Sainte-Barbe, a portrait of Monsignor Duchesne (1843-1922) by L. Lambert, a bell from 1645, and a sculpted 17th century wooden chandelier. Of note in the display cases are a sketch by the local painter Doutreleau for the large painting - destroyed in 1944 - of the funeral of Chateaubriand in 1848 on the islet of le Grand-Bé, as well as a votive offering from a corsair gunner.

The portrait of Chateaubriand by Girodet, saved in 1944, is displayed on the second floor with another portrait of the young Chateaubriand, wearing a wig, which was painted in the last quarter of the 18th century. But most of this room is devoted to coverage of the commercial war and its most famous local representative, Robert Surcouf (1773-1827) including the painting of the Capturing of the Kent by the Confiance by Garneray (1850). Also of note, a statuette of the P. Santemier, whose juicy story goes that " Surcouf in his role of a chaplain, had his own way of administering the Last Rites"... and a marble bust of Lemennais by Cougny. On the third floor the star of the show is the portrait of Duguay-Trouin (1673-1736) and a large canvas depicting the taking of Rio de Janeiro in 1711 under the orders of this great seafarer, a work by Gudin (1802-1880). We must also point out a globe by Desnos (1768) and two old scale models, one of which is a third rate ship by a Naval petty officer, a very fine polychrome megaphone, an armillary sphere by Delamarche and a portrait of Maupertuis (1698-1759) etc. This section is due to be expanded thanks to the addition of the finds from the underwater excavations. The fourth floor of the donjon, dedicated to Saint-Malo at the time of Duchess Anne and to Jacques Cartier and his voyages of discovery to North America, is currently being refurbished.
 

Museum of the History of the Town and the Pays Malouin

Château - 35400 Saint-Malo

Tel. +33 (0) 2 99 40 71 57

e-mail: musee@ville-saint-malo.fr

Open :

(from the 1st April to 30th September) Every day except the 1st May 10 am - 12.30 pm / 2 pm - 6 pm Low season. Every day except Monday and Bank Holidays 10 am - 12 pm / 2 pm - 6 pm

Rates Single ticket

Adults: 5.40 € Groups of more than 10 adults: 4.50 € Groups holding a "passeport vacances": 4.50 € Groups of more than 100 people (from 15/09 to 30/04): 2.70 € Schoolchildren and students: 2.70 € School groups from the Saint-Malo district: Free Military personnel: Free Group leaders, those registered with the ANPE, or receiving the RMI: Free

Combined ticket

(3 museums - Museums of the Chateau, the Solidor and the 39/45 Memorial) Adults: 12.70 € Groups of more than 10 adults: 9.50 € Groups holding a "passeport vacances": 9,50 € Groups of more than 100 people (from 15/09 to 30/04): 6,30 € Schoolchildren and students: 6,30 € School groups from the Saint-Malo district: Free Military personnel: Free Group leaders, those registered with the ANPE, or receiving the RMI: Free

This heavily-fortified rectangular Citadel is a flagship example of military architecture, and has an extraordinary view of the harbour. The Port-Louis Citadel is now home to the National Maritime Museum, where you will find an excellent collection of model ships, weapons and other historic models. You can also visit the museum dedicated to the history of the Indies Company. In the Arsenal Room, there are displays of superb vintage models, as well as paintings and sculptures depicting French naval history from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries. The Powder Keg Room houses a large collection of weapons.

The construction of the Citadel began under the orders of the Spanish engineer Cristobal de Rojas in 1590 at the time of the war of the Catholic Holy League. The Citadel, which was completed during the reign of the French king Louis XIII, is strategically positioned on the southeastern point of the peninsula of Lorient harbour. Apart from serving a defensive role, the Citadel was also inhabited and used for receptions, as well as serving as a refuge or prison (it was a shelter for refractory priests during the French Revolution, refractory conscripts under the Empire, Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in 1836, Communards, members of the Resistance and many others).
June 2002 saw the inauguration of various new exhibition rooms dedicated to underwater archaeology, the discovery of new artefacts, and the restoration of these artefacts. The archaeologist Franck Goddio donated over 160 artefacts to the National Maritime Museum, all related to the period of West-East trade between the eleventh and the seventeenth centuries and found in the wrecks of three junks, a galleon and a naval vessel. These artefacts are on display at Port-Louis, along with the remains of the cargo of the Mauritius, a Dutch ship that sank in 1609 (discovered during excavation by the Department of Underwater and Undersea Archaeological Research in 1986) offered by Elf-Gabon and the Gabonese government to the National Maritime Museum. The new 'Ocean Treasures' exhibition was created by the National Maritime Museum in association with the Regional Council of Brittany, the Morbihan Departmental Committee for Tourism and the Pays de Lorient Urban Community.
Tourist Information: 47, grande Rue, 56290 Port-Louis. Telephone: (+33) 2 97 82 52 93 Museum: Telephone: (+33) 2 97 12 10 37/Fax: (+33) 2 97 82 17 28 Closed: the 1st of December - the 1st of January (inclusive). Museum open from the 1st of April to the 30th of September, from 10h-18.30h (except on Tuesdays in April and May, and the 1st of May). From the 1st of October to the 31st of March: From 13.30h-18h (except on Tuesdays).

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]

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

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

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

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

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

Town Hall

102 Place Saint Jean 06500 Sainte Agnès

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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