We have visited a few of these fortifications, but recently saw two more, meaning that I felt I could 'tick off' this site now.

Previously we had visited the fortifications at Villefranche-de-Conflent on a holiday to South-West France.  Although we stayed in the village and endured a ride on the Petit Tren Jaune, I cannot in all honesty remember much out the Vauban elements.  I can recall walking on the ramparts and thinking how pretty the village and its setting were, and have photos to prove it, however I certainly did not pay sufficient attention to listed elements.

Then last year we attempted to visit the incredible citadelle at Besancon.  So successful were Vauban's fortifications here that we couldn't get near and drove around for over an hour trying to find somewhere suitable to leave our motorhome so we could visit.  Impenetrable indeed!!  We did manage to get a good look at the citadelle but only from ground level.  Another near miss.

So earlier this year our route south from the UK gave us an opportunity to try to visit three more, Arras, Longwy and Neuf-Brisach.  Sadly, a rare day of snow meant we didn't dare stop at Longwy, but we have at last been successful and visited the other two.

Arras was first, and I must admit, I liked the citadelle here, and the town too, very much.  Nick-named the 'beautiful, useless one' by the residents, it might not have had a successful military history, but it is indeed very beautiful.  Walking through gates into the courtyard area is certainly a bit of a 'wow' moment.  Equally we enjoyed walking around the exterior, taking in the somber, thought-provoking Le Mur des Fusillés, a memorial to those who were executed here for their role in the French Resistance.

Unlike Arras, the town enclosed within the fortifications at Neuf-Brisach is not all that pretty or interesting.  Here the walls themselves are the main attraction, and they are very impressive.  On a rare fine day we thoroughly enjoyed our walk around the exterior of the walls, and got a good feel for how disorientating it would have been for would-be invaders to find a way through, as we believed on more than one occasion that we had reached our start point, only to discover this not to be the case!!

Hopefully, once the coronavirus threat has passed, I will get chance to visit a few more sites in the Alps and Ile de Re.