Citadelle de Blaye

Blaye

A stone lock commanding the river, halfway between chivalric legend and the military engineering of the Sun King.

Dominating the Gironde estuary from a rocky spur 35 metres high, the citadel of Blaye was built between 1685 and 1689 by the engineer François Ferry under the direction of Vauban. With Fort Médoc and Fort Pâté it forms a unique triangular defensive system, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. The 25-hectare enclosure contains four bastions and three demi-lunes, as well as the remains of the former basilica of Saint-Romain, where tradition places the tomb of Roland, nephew of Charlemagne. It was from this castle that the troubadour Jaufré Rudel is said to have set out on crusade in the 12th century.

Getting there : Listed as a historic monument in 2009; inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008 as part of the "Fortifications of Vauban" (the lock on the estuary, together with Fort Médoc and Fort Pâté); open to visitors all year round.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound