Fort Boyard

The Fort Boyard is a key element of the Naval Dockyard of Rochefort which extends all along the estuary of the Charente.
Visits to the interior of the fort are not permitted.
Although the construction of a defensive system on the ‘Longe de Boyard’ was envisaged as early as the seventeenth century, the project did not become a reality until the nineteenth century. Built to protect the harbour, the mouth of the Charente, the port and above all Rochefort's large arsenal from the assaults of the English navy, it was converted into a prison just a few years after completion.
The fort is 68 metres long and 31 metres wide, with a total surface area of 2,689 m². The surrounding walls are 20 metres high. It is built on a sandbank known as ‘longe de Boyard’, which gives the fort its name.

Bought by the Charente-Maritime department in 1989, Boyard became the setting for the TV game show ‘Les clefs de Fort Boyard’. A legendary game.
Numerous cruises allow you to discover it by sea. This is an opportunity to immortalise the famous lookout at Père Fouras, named after the town from which the production teams set off by boat.
Visits inside the fort are not permitted.
A renovation campaign is currently underway. The fort will eventually be open to visitors.