Perched high above the Rhone on a remarkable natural site, the Fort l’Ecluse and its 2,000-year history offers visitors a chance for lush, fun and surprising discoveries. This stone sentinel is all that is left of several centuries of military architecture : towers, watchtowers, loop holes, compounds, bartizans, casemates, gunpowder storeroom… Visiting the Fort is an opportunity to experience the lifestyle of the 150 men who were part of the garrison, the importance and diversity of the defense and troop withdrawal systems.
A Little Bit of History
At the heart of the gorge of Gex, the Fort l'Écluse site has been a natural strategic crossing between the Jura and the Alps since Roman times. As the threshold of this natural gateway, a fortified house used to pay for goods was built all the way back in the Middle Ages. After Ain was annexed by France in 1601, Fort l’Écluse became a cornerstone for protecting the entrance to Pays de Gex. Since the 19th century, Fort l'Ecluse has been almost completely rebuilt: an underground stairway with 1,165 steps connects the lower fort to the upper fort providing access to three levels of casemate batteries that controlled the passage below. The terrace, located at the top of the Porte de France, offers an exceptional place to view the Rhone.
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Guided Visits
From mid-June to mid-September, guided visits will allow you to discover the different architectural characteristics of the lower fort (compounds and loop holes, underground casemates, gun powder storeroom, tunnels and terraces). The tour is completed with interactive terminals and animated sketches.
Visit the fort as if you had actually been. there.
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- OT Collonges :
04 50 59 40 78
>> Site
- Pôle des Musées du Pays d'Ain :
04 74 32 10 60
- CCPG (Communauté de Communes du Pays de Gex) :
04 50 42 65 57
>> Site
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Via ferrata
A via ferrata that is almost 400 meters long and features 150 meters of altitude changes links the lower fort to the upper fort. Classified as “rather difficult”, it requires the use of appropriate materials (helmets, harnesses and double braid slings) and users must observe all safety rules. An original way to discover Fort l'Ecluse gorge.
>> For more informations
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Exhibitions
Fort l’Ecluse has a partnership with the Museums of Pays de l'Ain which has been presenting exhibitions on border issues and on Pays de Gex at this site since 1994. In 2008 and in 2009, the exhibition “Luxe, forme et volupté” (Luxury, shape and voluptuousness) will be presented… avant-garde artists will display a collection of pottery items around the Bonifas workshop made by the Town of Ferney-Voltaire through the General Council of l’Ain. Each year, the site also hosts other exhibitions, particularly on the Haute Chaine du Jura Nature Reserve.
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Hiking
Marked routes allow you to walk around the Fort l’Ecluse site, particularly along the Rhone River below the fort, or by coming back to the upper fort from Collonges via the surprising smaller forts trail.
Renseignements auprès de l'OT de Collonges et sa région.
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