Fort de Salses

The Fort de Salses (also called Forteresse de Salses) is a Catalan fortress in the commune of Salses-le-Château, situated in the French département of Pyrénées-Orientales. It is clearly visible from the A9 autoroute and it is possible to visit from the motorway rest area.

Moat and ramparts

Inner courtyard

Built by the Catalans at the end of the 15th century, the fortress guarded the former frontier between Principality of Catalonia and France. Its layout and architecture, innovative for the time, present a rare example of the transition between medieval castle and the fortresses of the modern period.
The fort was captured by the French in 1642, and remained French since the Treaty of the Pyrenees.

Fort de Salses is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture, and is operated by the Centre des monuments nationaux. The fortress receives 100,000 visitors a year.

During the Spanish Civil War, the fort was used as a refuge.