Visiting the fortress is not possible. However, you can make use of your holiday at Laguna Lodge Residence to take a ferry or sailing boat to sail around the fortress.
From the Laguna Lodge Residence, you can go to Bourcefranc, La Tremblade, Boyardville or Saint-Denis on the island of Oléron. These are starting points for the ferries to the islands.
A bit of history…
Originally, the Fort Boyard was built to protect the roads of the island of Aix and the Royal Arsenal of Rochefort. Napoleon even decided to make it one of the most precious arsenals of the Empire.
The construction of this 19th century project started in 1804 and finished in 1857, under the reign of Louis-Philippe. By the end of the Second Empire, it served as a prison for Prussian and Austrian soldiers during the war of 1870. Just before WWI, the fortress falls into decay and becomes an easy pray to raiders. Since the General Council of the department owns the fortress, it has become alive again, thanks to the very popular television show hosting the monument in France and foreign countries.
Photos: CMT17 C. TRIBALLIER / S. DONNAT / A. SCHAEFFER
