Fort Alban

Nice, France

Fort du Mont Alban was built by order of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, between 1557 and 1560 and is one of the most exemplary French military architectural structures dating back to the 16th century.

The purpose of its construction was to reinforce the defense line considerably debilitate as a result of the siege of Nice (in 1543). But what is striking about Fort du Mont Alban is it has survived, as said, in good condition, despite the fact it was considerably affected in World War II.

At present, Fort du Mont Alban is one of the best lookouts on the French Riviera. This feature is owed to its location on a 220 meters high hilly region from where visitors can see virtually the entire Nice at west and Baie des Anges at east.

Fort du Mont Alban stands out as an excellent daytrip idea for people who vacation in Nice.

References:

Nice Tourism

Castles and fortifications in France

Address

Chemin du Fort du Mont Alban, Nice, France

See all sites in Nice

Details

Founded: 1557-1560
Category: Castles and fortifications in France

More Information

www.seenice.com
www.nice-tourism.com

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Monte Carlo Casino (11,2 km)
Saint Nicholas Cathedral (10,3 km)
Prince's Palace of Monaco (10,2 km)
Saint-Paul-de-Vence Village (14,3 km)
Musée Picasso (19,3 km)
Antibes Cathedral (19,2 km)
Musée de la Castre (28,8 km)
Jardin Exotique de Monaco (9,7 km)
Saint-Michel Basilica (18,6 km)

User Reviews

Егор Андреев (2 years ago)
The fort looks nice. Didn't have chance to get inside, it was closed. The view from the hill is worth walking up.

Junyi Hu (2 years ago)
Cool place with a great view upon Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat below.

Nils Baumgartner (2 years ago)
Wonderful view. The doors of the ruin are closed. On a hit das there is always a nice wind to cool down.

Sander (2 years ago)
I visited this place and nothing was really wrong. There was a amazing view from the top, on One side you had “VilleFrance-sur-mer” and on the other side you had “Nice”

Laurie Nesbitt (2 years ago)
One of my favorite spots in Nice. I usually walk up but there's also parking. The views are beautiful. A nice place to bring a sandwich and look out over Villefranche and Cap Ferrat. And there are lots of walking trails.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright CONTROTONO

Historic Site of the week

Clementinum

The Clementinum is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries, the City Library also being located nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. The Technical library and the Municipal library have moved to the Prague National Technical Library at Technická 6 since 2009. It is currently in use as the National Library of the Czech Republic.

Its history dates from the existence of a chapel dedicated to Saint Clement in the 11th century. A Dominican monastery was founded in the medieval period, which was transformed in 1556 to a Jesuit college. In 1622 the Jesuits transferred the library of Charles University to the Klementinum, and the college was merged with the University in 1654. The Jesuits remained until 1773, when the Klementinum was established as an observatory, library, and university by the Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.