@bastien LabritAt an altitude of almost 1,900 meters, the Fort Central de Tende (or Forte Colle Alto) dominates the Col de Tende. Built as a straddle between France and Italy, this 19th-century fort watches over the border from the ridgeline. Battery, casemate and outpost: the Fort de Tende is a true ancestor of the Maginot Line! Whether you’re a hiker or just curious, set course for this unique structure.
📍Access: via the pass road (open in season) or via hiking trails.
Casernements Du Fort Central Haute Route Du Sel Vallee De La Roya Pango VisualBuilt by the Italian army between 1881 and 1885, this stone giant guarded the Col de Tende, an ultra-strategic passage between France and Italy. Its mission? Prevent French troops from setting foot too far into Piedmont.
But he was not alone: five other forts (Marguerie, Tabourde, Pernante, Giaure and Pépin) formed a defensive line at the summit of the Alps. With its cannons, mortars, machine guns and barracks for 300 soldiers. Fort Central was ready for action!
During the two world wars, it changed hands, took a few blows, and today retains the scars of its past… Discover them during a stroll!
Open your eyes from Fort de Tende and you’ll be able to see the great crests of the Mercantour massif to the west, and the Italian Ligurian Alps to the east. On a clear day, you can even see the Mediterranean to the south!
To combine adventure, military heritage and nature, head for the loop between the Col de Tende and Castérino, via the Haute Route du Sel. Saddle up in the Mercantour Park!
📍 Distance: Approx. 16.3 km
📈 Level: Medium to difficult
🗺️ Starting point: Col de Tende
🏁 F inish: Castérino
Clinging to the side of a cliff at an altitude of over 700 metres, Fort Sainte-Agnès is one of the key elements of the Alpine Maginot Line (a large-scale defensive plan devised between the wars).
Fort Sainte-Agnès keeps a watchful eye on the French-Italian border. Did you know? The most impressive part of the fort is invisible from the outside… 55 metres underground is a veritable military town! Over 2,000 m² of galleries, firing rooms, a kitchen, a power station, a command post, and even the period artillery guns are still ready to fire!
📌 Ironically, the Sainte-Agnès structure was built by an Italian company, Spada, which still exists today!
Imagine a four-storey building dug into the heart of the mountain… Now you have an idea of what the Sainte-Agnès fortress looks like! This unusual bastion was built to protect the French-Italian border in the event of an attack.
With its 2,000 m² of underground galleries, dormitories, kitchens, command posts, cannons and even state-of-the-art equipment for the time, this bastion was entirely self-sufficient. In 1938, the fort was better equipped than the village just above it, which didn’t get tap water until 1960! That’s a lot of coffee.
The Fort de Sainte-Agnès offers a dream panoramic spot on the Côte d’Azur. The bay of Menton, the blue of the Mediterranean, the colorful villages below, the mountains of the Mercantour National Park in the background… To take in the full view, head for the bastion!
👀 On a clear day, you can even see the Italian Alps in the distance!
Put on your hiking boots and grab your backpack, you’re off to tackle the trails from the village of Sainte-Agnès! Here, it’s not just the walking that takes your breath away: the panoramas do too! The peaks of Baudon, Mont Ours, Grand Mont and Roc d’Orméa; in the distance, Mercantour giants such as Gélas, Grand Capelet and Mont Bégo… Will you recognize them all? This walk is also a great opportunity for history buffs, with views of a 12th-century castle and a Maginot Line fort. Shall we set off?
📍 Distance: approx. 9.5 kilometers (loop)
📈 Level: Easy to medium
🗺️ Starting point: Village of Sainte-Agnès
🏁 Arrival point: Pointe de Siricocca
Not corridors, but passageways. No soldiers, but a crew. At Fort Sainte-Agnès, we talk like we’re on a ship!
Fort De Sainte Agnes Pango Visual 2At an altitude of over 800 metres above Sospel, Fort du Barbonnet (or Fort Suchet, for those who know it well) is an impressive sight! Built between 1883 and 1886, it was part of the great defensive plan of the time, ready to stop any invasion from the Col de Tende. Its purpose? Protect the road to Nice.
With its moats, casemates and observation post, it resembles a military fortress. Just below it is the Maginot du Barbonnet, more discreet but just as strong!
Fort du Barbonnet was built at the end of the 19th century to block the main invasion routes from the Alps: Col de Tende, Col de Castillon, Col de Braus… Everything was under surveillance!
What makes it unique? It is the only Alpine fort equipped with two cast-iron Mougin turrets, housing four 155 mm cannons. At the time, it was a veritable jewel of armament, among the most heavily armored in France. Other formidable pieces included siege guns, 95 mm Lahitolle cannons and mortars for close defense… the road to Nice had better watch out!
The view from Fort du Barbonnet is impressive! On one side, the mighty peaks of the Authion massif; on the other, the Mediterranean stretching to the horizon. Between Alpine peaks and the blue reflections of the sea, you have the impression of flying over the Riviera… without leaving the mountains.
From Sospel, a path takes you on a bucolic escapade through the valleys suspended above the Bévéra. The route is fairly leisurely, with a few passages offering aerial views – enough to spice up the walk without complicating it! As you approach the border, the view widens: you can see Olivetta San Michele on the Italian side!
📍 Distance: approx. 7 km (round trip)
📈 Level: Easy to medium
🗺️ Starting point: Sospel (marker 101, after 1 km on the D6204 towards Breil/Tende)
🏁 Arrival: Road near the Italian border
Built between 1930 and 1933, this Maginot Line fort protected French territory from possible Italian invasion. It played a role in the fighting between the French and Italians during the Second World War. The 3 steel bells in the vegetation of Cap-Martin are the visible part of this fortress, which hides a maze of corridors buried 25 meters below ground !
Abandoned for many years, it has been renovated thanks to the passion of volunteers from AMICORF (AMI de la Commission d’Organisation des Régions Fortifiées), who patiently searched for furniture, weapons and uniforms to reconstitute this vestige of the Second World War. An immersion in the daily life of the soldiers who lived in autarky for several months.
👉Contact the Office d’Animation Touristique on 04.93.35.62.87 to book, or by e-mail otroquebrunecm@live.fr
Adult price 7 euros
Approx. 2h15
Bring warm clothing and good walking shoes (it’s only about 16°C).
