Top 9 Castles around Rochefort

The citadel of Château-d'Oléron is a military fortress

A must-see for anyone visiting the island of Oléron. Richelieu ordered its construction, which began in 1630 on the remains of the old medieval castle. The work was led by the engineer Pierre d'Argencourt, who ordered the first bastion, and Louis Nicolas de Clerville later modified and enlarged the structure. The citadel and the town were completed in 1700 under the orders of Vauban. During this final phase of construction, part of the old village was razed to make way for a new fortified town, built on a grid pattern around the parade ground. A fortress with a defensive function, the citadel also housed disciplinary bodies, civilian and religious inmates during the Reign of Terror, and political prisoners in 1870. On April 17, 1945, an aerial bombardment destroyed many parts of the citadel. From 1959 to 1970, an initial restoration began. The stronghold was restored from 1988.

Admission is subject to a fee. The fee is used to preserve the fort. A historical monument with a worthwhile website: https://www.fortliedot.com/

Rather than a castle, it's a building called the park's salons. Located behind the casino, it's used primarily for shows, weddings, etc.

fortified village, former port of departure for the Americas, today it is located approximately 1.5km from the shore...

Although a region of the langue d'oïl, like the whole of Saintonge, Breuillet has place names ending in ac; they attest to an Occitan origin. In the Gallo-Roman era, most of the names of the regions and their towns originated from the name of the (Gallo-Roman) people who occupied them. To simplify, the suffix ac would mean Chez le nom du peuple. The Taupignac district is located in the southern part of the commune of Breuillet, near the Beaulieu roundabout (Vaux-sur-Mer/Saint-Palais-sur-Mer) and the Royan ring road. Built on one of the hills overlooking the Saint-Augustin marsh, it is bordered to the north by an oak grove and by the Pérat (or Peyrat) stream. Several sources explain the presence of numerous wells on either side of the houses. Agriculture was predominant there until the 1970s, before gradually declining to make way for tourism (which explains the predominance of old buildings in the center of the village and even a campsite with bungalows as well as new houses and an equestrian center on the outskirts. Like many hamlets on the Arvert peninsula, Taupignac was inhabited mainly by Protestants, which explains the presence of many private graves. During the Renaissance, the village was home to a seigneury, as evidenced by the dwelling, remodeled over the centuries. Also called Taupignac castle, the current dwelling consists of a building dating from the 16th or 17th century. An inventory was carried out there in 1697 and presents the building as follows: "buildings organized around a pavilion covered with slate, roof covered with flat tiles with a top of a small bell tower". The dwelling consists of a small modern building extended by 2 low wings framed by wings of higher outbuildings. A seigneury probably present since the Middle Ages, it depends on the barony of Mornac. All that remains of the initial dwelling is a largely remodeled dovecote. Near the Taupignac dwelling, on the other side of the departmental road, the Saintonge Country Club had created, in 1924, an 18-hole golf course, a meeting place for Royan high society. After serving as a set for several films directed by É. Couzinet (Le Brigand gentilhomme, in particular), it was closed during the Occupation. The site, which was well known to Royan youth for housing a complex combining a bar/restaurant/nightclub, no longer hosts any activity.

nice walk to do in and around the fort

Animated projections (atmosphere, life and seabed) on the walls of some rooms of the fort. Visit of a part of the patrol path and the casemates. History of Fort Lierot and Fort Boyard.