Fort de Tournoux, Military fortress in Ubaye Valley, France.
Fort de Tournoux is an Alpine fortification spreading across multiple stacked levels on a rocky mountain slope. The structure connects these defense lines through a steep staircase system of approximately 1000 steps that runs through different elevations.
Construction of this mountain fortress began in 1843 and continued until 1865, built in response to French concerns about potential Italian attacks. In the 1880s, the installation was equipped with modern cannons to strengthen its defensive capabilities.
The fortress stands as evidence of 19th-century French military engineering, with its stone structures deeply integrated into the rocky ridge. Visitors can see how the different fortified levels were organized to house soldiers and equipment across the mountainside.
Climbing requires good physical fitness because of the many stairs and the mountain setting in the Ubaye valley. After safety improvements in 2016, a section of the fortress is now accessible to visitors, particularly the lower battery section.
This mountain installation once served as a crucial relay point in an optical communication chain that stretched from Briançon to Toulon. Soldiers used a network of visual signals to transmit military information rapidly across vast distances.
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