Arts and heritage

Portalet Fort

Adresse du bénéficiaire

64490 Etsaut
France

Office de tourisme du Haut-Béarn

Vue du fort du Portalet par le chemin de la Mâture © Laurence Chabanis - OFB

Office de tourisme du Haut-Béarn

Entrée du fort du Portalet © Laurence Chabanis - OFB

Entrée du fort du Portalet © Thomas Burel - OFB

Couloir du fort du Portalet © Thomas Burel - OFB

Pyrénées National Park

Portalet Fort

1 half day

Medium

Between Etsaut and Urdos, discover the Fort of Portalet ! Built right into the rock and a real lock of the Aspe valley, it makes this natural defile one of the most picturesque sites of the Pyrenees.

Built in 1842 under the order of Louis Philippe to guard the border of the Pyrenees. Installed against a cliff dominating the Gave d'Aspe, it faces the Chemin de la Mâture and its architectural characteristics are of a very high standard

In charge of protecting the road to the Somport pass against Spanish incursions, it was one of the locks of the valley, between Etsaut and Urdos.

It owes its fame to the political personalities who were interned there under the Vichy regime Blum, Daladier, Reynaud, Mandel, Gamelin... then, after the war Pétain.

It was classified as a historical monument in 2005.

How to go there :

3rd entrance of Etsaut (64490) direction Spain, parking Chemin de la Mâture, Pont de Cébers (UTM 30T: E698611 / N4752485), enter the parking lot and take the road for 1.4 km (authorized only to the public visit the Fort).
Parking Passette in Etsaut 64490 - Chemin de la Mâture (UTM 699076 / 4751760)
Plan a walk of approach (on 600m approximately 20 mn) to borrow the departure of the way of the Mâture, at the end of 100m, to take on the right Passerelle du Sescoué.
Passage in the forest with many stone steps.
Crossing the new footbridge of 35 m length.