Fort de Balaguier, Military fort in La Seyne-sur-Mer, Var, France

Fort de Balaguier is a fortified coastal structure on the Mediterranean coast with thick stone walls, a central tower, and artillery platforms oriented toward Toulon harbor. The building displays the typical design of a Mediterranean defense fort with multiple levels and gun emplacements.

Fort de Balaguier was built in 1636 after Henri de Séguiran inspected the Provence coast for Cardinal Richelieu, to block access to the Toulon roadstead against the Habsburgs. Its guns crossed fire with the Tour Royale 1,350 metres away, beyond the roughly 1,000-metre range of the artillery. In 1673 the naval engineer Gombert added two open-air batteries; Vauban judged the work poorly protected from a landward attack and his improvement project was never carried out.

The fort houses a maritime museum run by the town of La Seyne-sur-Mer, which has been given use of the building by the French Navy. In 1967 Robert Dhéry filmed a scene of Le Petit Baigneur in the adjacent bay, with Louis de Funès and Michel Galabru, who plays a bugle near a military boat.

The fort is run as a maritime museum by the town of La Seyne-sur-Mer and is open every day except Tuesday. It stands at the water's edge facing the entrance to the small roadstead, with Fort de l'Éguillette on the opposite shore about 1,350 metres away.

In 1967 Robert Dhéry filmed a scene from Le Petit Baigneur in the adjacent bay, with Louis de Funès and Michel Galabru, who plays a bugle near a military boat. The fort has housed a maritime museum run by the town of La Seyne-sur-Mer since it was placed at the town's disposal by the French Navy.