A visit to the fort of Queyras and Mont Dauphin on the French Alps. Trip to France

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The fort of Queyras is a historical monument, a castle of the 13th century, is part of the tourist facility in France and is positioned in an optimal position, on the very top of a rocky promontory overlooking the valley and the river Guil. Upon arrival you can 'park down in the square of the little village of here' inflatable boats depart for rafting on the river, there are points for tourist information and places for registration and information for the sport in the valley. On the banks of the river walk and then practice even Rambling on rock. Continue walking and everything is well signposted and you get to the fort in 10 minutes, from and after the wooden drawbridge, there is a meadow with the information booth and the cashier for entry, 7.50 euros per head . Are issued maps, brochures and information. Revenue free visit, everything is well explained on both informative picture placed in front of every important point, both in the brochure that we are delivered.
The visit lasts about an hour if done freely, the fort is very beautiful, sometimes naked and sometimes with depictions of scenes of ordinary life there. The tower then there is an exhibition of photographs, paintings and costumes. In the garden there are also a bar, benches, a small shop with souvenirs, a chapel and flower pots treated. It starts from the entrance and courtyard garden, the area known as Crescent to continue Porte Dauphine, and the guard tower, wooden balconies, stone towers, narrow space enclosed by high walls, ruins and interesting places. Moves to the northeast bastion and battery Casemattee North returns outside the high cylindrical tower to the bastion north with stone walls and arches. The visit continues in front of the elevator, drawbridge and moat and barracks, here 'it's all very bare, has remained mostly the same time, rude and military. Interesting area of the old bakery oven, the water reservoir, the officers' mess. The hospital which is the point of interest No 11 is quite disturbing, the rooms were reproduced scenes with mannequins, beds etc. .... and some scenes are very raw, every panel of explanation is in 3 languages: French, Italian and English. So then moves into the warehouse and the scale of the 70 steps down which runs a number of small gardens to gardens 'bass and more' large, walled, overlooking the River Guil. You arrive by proceeding, the tomb of a knight, a mannequin dressed as a Knight of the time is stretched between the crowns and crests. The minefield and then a large-ceilinged room with a semicircular design at the bottom of the wall, representing the castle on the rock in the mountains with riders and mountain pines. It comes out in a verdant garden, hence 'you have access to a courtyard with a bar, souvenir shop and a well of water, hence' the armory. In the room there are replicas of helmets and headgear used in the battles of the past, armor, spears, shields and some armor. Section 17 is the Tower, go up a narrow spiral staircase and you stop at every floor to admire the depiction of life as a kitchen, dining embroidery and costumes of the ladies of the time, the hall of the scribe and an exhibition of photographs and paintings of the castle and other places. Courtyard by artillery to the real scope, returns the entry and the tour is over. The visit is interesting, certainly Wizard is another matter but we are satisfied with the free. E 'is a place of culture of majesty, the scenery is very picturesque with a strong and souvenir shop you can buy figurines, medieval costumes, cards, trinkets, etc. .... average prices.

The fortress stands on a rocky point placed in strategic defense from attacks. To get there go up a bit 'with the car up to a kind of parking, open space between the delimited nature on one side by an embankment where the river flows down Guil. When parked, I was expecting a lot from this place, I am thrilled to have seen him before .... a fortified citadel, a strong huge .... and who knows' what enters the dolphins?
We parked at about one o'clock in the afternoon under the only tree free .... a little 'shadow we wanted, a hot Executioner ..... All 'round the void, nature, rocks, mountains, meadows .... We started walking towards the poster who said that the tours were made only between 15:00 and they cost 7.50 euros per person ..... pero '!
We walk into what seems to also enter or pass near a small "fort" or something similar, circular, surrounded by dunes and grassy ditches.
It was like being in a place forgotten by God, some dry wood fence and burned, rocks, a paved road, some fortified wall here and there and the signs indicating the entrance.
At the entrance we expected it to be closed but everything wide open, we pass over a bridge and read the sign that says that the site is nominated for World Heritage. The real entrance has a marble facade in greek-roman style, the moat below us is wide and green, came out into a square and I turn to look at the building entrance or better output with an arcade and a large clock on turret. We walk down the main street, on both sides there are houses, cottages, restaurants, shops and bars in the center of the street an old water drain at the time apparently, some fountains with flowers are placed in the open spaces, walking arrive in front of a private club. Walk, walk and we are in an area outside, built in the green trees and gravel crunch, we come to a church that has nothing special, it is small and compact, the roof recalls it as Northern is the church St. Louis, some pink in front of the churchyard, mounds of earth on the left side .... nothing behind the grass and the walls indicating the boundary of the citadel, from there, you can 'see the panorama below with the Guil and fields, roads and the valley, right near the high Alps to the church is a great Block, in pale stone, antique, approaching the door read: Arsenal, big yard, nothing else. Going southbound, a strong / castle, a fortified building with high walls of gray stone, you see? I wonder ..... maybe ..... we say that there is nothing exciting in this hyper Dauphiné ..... However, the fortress can not be visited but someone is preparing the horses for a nightly show in the courtyard. The construction is great and if only one could go by myself ..... certainly true dolphins.
We pass over a wooden door that Porte d'Embrun, a mini-drawbridge, was probably the entrance to the back of the citadel. Here are low and stone buildings, the gardens where a goat grazing and horses for the show on the night pens. We arrive in the center and change away, so 'we discover the dolphins stone representing the Dauphiné, some shops along the street, but they all closed, across town there's hardly a soul alive, very few people around. He discovered a zone to the green hill where there are stone sculptures in the shapes of animals and people, vases carved in stone, inscriptions ..... and reach the top of the hill from which I can see the fortifications and moat, a bridge some blocks. Everything is in excellent condition. When we leave we stop at the information for a souvenir, some information and I start to study a large map of the citadel.