Blockhaus de la Platte, Military fortification in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, France
Blockhaus de la Platte is a military fortification perched at 2,000 meters in the Alps near Bourg-Saint-Maurice. The structure contains four bastions, a guardhouse, and multiple firing platforms distributed across three levels connected by interior passages.
This fortification was constructed between 1891 and 1894 as part of a defense system created to protect the Alpine region following Italian military movements. The fort served as a strategic outpost during that era of European military concerns.
The structure represents a significant example of late 19th-century French military architecture, designed by engineer Séré de Rivières.
The site remains closed to visitors due to private use and is not currently available as a public attraction. Hikers in the region can view it from a distance along mountain trails that pass nearby.
The former artillery platforms have been repurposed as vegetable gardens at this extreme altitude, showing how the fortification found a second life beyond its military purpose. This conversion reflects the practical needs of mountain communities in the region.
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