Mont-Louis is one of nine towns entirely built by France's greatest military architect, Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban.

Mont-Louis, a jewel of military architecture

In 1679, Louis XIV approved the financing of Mont-Louis, defending the passage to the Roussillon region of France. Inaugurated in 1681, Mont-Louis completed the line of defences stretching from Mediterranean Sea. Created from scratch by Vauban, it is a perfect example of 17th century fortified military architecture in which Vauban was able to express his creativity fully. Mont-Louis still has a military function today—the National Commando Training Centre — the Centre National d’Entraînement Commando – is housed in the citadel buildings.

The history of the site is recounted in several guided tours of the citadel and the Puits des Forçats area, but you are also free to wander round at your leisure. The church has lots of baroque art treasures, while walking along the pathway at the foot of the ramparts, you can appreciate the genius of Vauban and the beauty of the site.

The guided tour offered by the tourist office is nonetheless essential to get access the most interesting parts of the site.

Guided tours organised by the Tourist Office

" Assault on the Citadel "

The visit tells the story of the fortress and its construction. During the visit, you will have access to the military fortifications and the Puits des Forçats (area forbidden to the public).

  •     September to June (except Christmas holidays) at 11.30 am and 2 pm.
  •     July and August: visit at 10.30 am, 11.30 am, 2.00 pm, 3.00 pm, 4.00 pm and 5.00 pm*.
  •     *Visit at 5:00 pm on Monday and Thursday only.

"Mont-Louis through the centuries"

The visit of the village makes it possible to evoke through the streets and the various buildings (barracks, hospital, church) the urbanization of Mont-Louis from its construction until today.  This visit is complementary to the visit of the Citadel.

  •     Visit at 3:30 pm from September to June
  •     Thursday and Saturday at 11.30 am and Monday and Thursday at 3.30 pm in July and August"Storming the Citadel"

This tour tells the story of the fortress and its construction. During the visit, you will enter the military compound and the Puits des Forçats area (not accessible to the public without a tour guide).

Information and booking on +33 (0)4 68 04 21 97