"We spent an afternoon early in January visting the Forteresse de Salses which is just a few miles after Perpignan. We weren't sure what to expect but, despite being out of season, the visit was well worthwhile.
Entrance was 8 Euros each but that included a guided tour ... albeit it was in French only ! However the tour guide was superb and, despite having very limited English, he took lots of time to explain things to us in very simple French. An added bonus was that because of the time of year on the tour were only us and a Catalan couple ... it was effectively a personal tour which took us through the various rooms including the soldiers garrisons, the prison quarters, the eating and banqueting areas and which highlighted the defensive qualities and strategic importance of the fortress.
The following is an overview from Wikipedia :
"The Fort de Salses (also called Forteresse de Salses) is a Catalan fortress in the commune of Salses-le-Château, situated in the French département of Pyrénées-Orientales. It is clearly visible from the A9 autoroute and it is possible to visit from the motorway rest area.
Built by the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century, the fortress guarded the former frontier between Spain and France. Its layout and architecture, innovative for the time, present a rare example of the transition between medieval castle and the fortresses of the modern period.
The fort was captured by the French in 1642, and remained French since the Treaty of the Pyrenees.
Fort de Salses is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture, and is operated by the Centre des monuments nationaux. The fortress receives 100,000 visitors a year.
During the Spanish Civil War, the fort was used as refuge."
A selection of photos that we took are below :
Entrance was 8 Euros each but that included a guided tour ... albeit it was in French only ! However the tour guide was superb and, despite having very limited English, he took lots of time to explain things to us in very simple French. An added bonus was that because of the time of year on the tour were only us and a Catalan couple ... it was effectively a personal tour which took us through the various rooms including the soldiers garrisons, the prison quarters, the eating and banqueting areas and which highlighted the defensive qualities and strategic importance of the fortress.
The following is an overview from Wikipedia :
"The Fort de Salses (also called Forteresse de Salses) is a Catalan fortress in the commune of Salses-le-Château, situated in the French département of Pyrénées-Orientales. It is clearly visible from the A9 autoroute and it is possible to visit from the motorway rest area.
Built by the Spaniards at the end of the 15th century, the fortress guarded the former frontier between Spain and France. Its layout and architecture, innovative for the time, present a rare example of the transition between medieval castle and the fortresses of the modern period.
The fort was captured by the French in 1642, and remained French since the Treaty of the Pyrenees.
Fort de Salses is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture, and is operated by the Centre des monuments nationaux. The fortress receives 100,000 visitors a year.
During the Spanish Civil War, the fort was used as refuge."
A selection of photos that we took are below :
