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Fort de Salses

Visit Fort de Salses (Languedoc-Roussillon, France)

Fort de Salses is a castle located about 20 km north from Perpignan (along the A9 autoroute), at the town called Salses-le-Chateau. An impressive Catalan (Spanish) stronghold dating from the 15th century, the fort was once on the border between Catalonia and France, and was constructed on the site of an earlier castle that had been destroyed.

The original fort was subsequently enhanced further by Vauban, the renowned military engineer, and is now an unusual combination of medieval fortress and more recent defensive structure - this is called the transition style.

Even before it was finished the fort saw its first military siege in 1504, and was then sieged a further three times during the Thirty Years War, to be taken by the French in 1642. The need for a fortress ended when the Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed in 1659.

The Fort de Salses and its interior buildings and fortifications are therefore an interesting example of military architecture, with several improvements on the earlier style of medieval castle - there are numerous enhancements that enabled both the exterior of the castle and the interior parts to be better defended during an attack. Up to 1500 men lived in the castle and could survive a siege of several months duration.

The castle walls are more than 10 metres thick and built from a mix of stone and red brick to follow a simple rectangular layout with a large tower in each corner and the keep in the middle of one side. The whole structure is set into the earth a few metres lower than the surrounding landscape, the idea being to give  smaller area of wall open to attack.

The fort is surrounded by a deep moat (now empty) that was originally reached by two drawbridges, one before and one after a separate building that stands in the moat and the heart of the castle contains a large open courtyard. Originally the keep was much taller than today, but Vauban ordered that its height be signicantly reduced.

The Salses Fort has been a listed Historic National Monument for more than 100 years.

Photos taken within 10 km

Address: Salses-le-Château, Rivesaltes, Perpignan, Pyrenees-Orientales, Languedoc-Roussillon, 66600 || GPS: latitude 42.839, longitude 2.9183

Map of Fort de Salses & places nearby



 

Highlights close by

More suggestions: Saint Cyprien - Pyrenees Orientales 26km; Elne 27km; Castelnou 30km; Ille sur Tet 31km; Fontfroide Abbey 32km; Gruissan 33km; Argeles-sur-Mer 34km; Lagrasse 37km; Collioure 37km; Port Vendres 39km; Narbonne 39km;

See lots more places to visit nearby and a more detailed map at places near Fort de Salses.
See Languedoc-Roussillon and Pyrenees-Orientales (the region and department for Fort de Salses) for more travel ideas...

Suggested tourist attractions to visit near Fort de Salses, France

• Perpignan - town of art and history (16km)
• Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges (Cabestany) - religious monument (18km)
• African reserve of Sigean - zoo or wildlife park (26km)
• Castelnou - most beautiful village (30km)
• Orgued d'Ille-sur-Tet - site of natural beauty (31km)
• Chapelle de Casenoves (Ille-sur-tet) - religious monument (31km)
• Eglise de Trinité d'Aregno (Aregno) - religious monument (31km)
• Abbaye de Fontfroide (Narbonne) - religious monument (31km)
• Eglise de Saint Michel (Saint-Genis-des-fontaines) - religious monument (33km)
• Gorges de Galamus - site of natural beauty (36km)

The French version of this page is at Fort de Salses (Francais)