citadelle de port-louis

As a background to this review, I should say that I stayed in an apartment in Port Louis for a fortnight and fell in love with the town. It seems to have the best of both worlds in that it is quiet, tranquil and decidedly Breton but has enough charm and interest to attract a few visitors and has, therefore, plenty of restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and other facilities.In such a low-key, pleasant little port town, it is perhaps a little surprising to find something as imposing as The Citadel. The reason it is here is the excellent defensive position. Port Louis is at the end of a narrow peninsula, jutting into the inlet that leads to the considerable port of Lorient, so a fort at the very tip of that peninsula is wonderfully positioned to defend an important sea passage.The citadel itself is impressive and picturesque with its massive stone walls, look-out towers, bridges and vast courtyards. Views from the numerous walls and turrets are expensive and throng with seagoing activity as well as the skylines of the various port towns surrounding the inlet.Within the complex there are also two museums. Firstly a museum of the sea which concentrates on seagoing vessels and their workers. Well presented, though not especially of interest to me personally. However, the museum of the French East India Company was much more my cup of tea. It is, again, very well presented and includes many beautifully crafted models of galleons, trading ports and the like as well as artefacts from Asia and Africa.Even though it is impressive and well thought out and I enjoyed it, I have only given an average score because, unless you have a special interest in sea defences or maritime trading history, this may not be worth making a specific trip for. However, if you are staying close to Port Louis or visiting this charming little town, it is certainly well worth an hour or so and, in that situation, I would up the rating by at least one notch.

The site itself, perched on a cliff overlooking the entrance to Lorient harbor, is magnificent. The museums (Rescue at Sea, Indies Trade, etc) are just the right size, informative without being too detailed or too large.

A walk around the town is good enough, but coupled with the beach, the citadel, the museums in the citadel and the wonderful resistance memorial, this place is a must to go and see! 45 minutes from Au coin de bertrand

Learning about the history of the East India Company and the French Sea Rescue Service in the historic Fort, with views across to L'Orient.

The fort is imposing, but the real treasure is inside: the trio of museums, especially the one on the East India trade. Great artifacts w minimal English translations.

First came across the Citadel when it was closed.... Had to go back! The size and unique design is incredible.... They need to offer flights over it to get a better impression. Good value for money too as you get 3 museums inside as well - sea rescue, treasures of the ocean, and the history of sea trade with the East. I found the armoury and the big hall next to it the most interesting. But I would have gone just to get a feel of the place and to imagine being on those ramparts with a man-of-war trying to gain access to the port.....

An old fortified town, surrounded by boats (that suits us). Found the harbou rmasters office very helpful and loved the feel of the place. Didn't think there was a great choice of eating out within the old town but then we weren't looking. Just thought it was a very charming place and the locals that we came across seemed friendly. Worth a stop but not for too long (depending on what you want of course).

A great sopt very charismatic and containing 3 excellent museums, the East India museum, rescue museum and marine archeology. A great afternoon out is a very interesting spot. Quirky little town well worth a visit.

The citadel itself is moderately interesting and worth 3 stars. The museum is worth 5 stars for its graphic portrayal of the history of commerce. Even for those who do not read French, it is easy to understand the cross shipment of numerous products, passengers and slaves that made up commerce in the age of sail. We took 2 hours in the museum and could easily have spent 1-2 more hours. In addition there is an interesting section on rescue at sea.

J'ai personnellement visité 2 fois ce musée, car à la première visite je n'ai pas eu le temps de faire le tour.Compter deux bonnes heures de visite.Je propose à mes locataires de notre gîte cette visite et aucun n'as été déçu. Je vous conseille de faire le tour des remparts après votre visite et d'aller faire un tour sur le petit port de Locmalo belle photo garantie.

Pour être honnête, je n'ai pas visité la citadelle mais le point de vue et la promenade le long des remparts est superbe

Excellent. Nous n'avons vu que la partie Compagnie des Indes.ça vaut le coup de faire la visite avec un guide en chair et en os mais il y a des guide audio. Intéressant d'un point de vue historique et belles pièces (porcelaines, textiles, objets de marine) .

Un site trés intéressant avec le musée de la compagnie des Indes le musée posséde de superbes expositions qui raconte l'histoire des 350 ans de la création de la compagnie des Indes Française Superbe maquettes de bateaux

Une belle visite, intéressante, trois musées, environ 1h30 au sein de la citadelle pour un prix très abordable 8€ pour un adulte.Je vous la conseille!

Un très bel endroit chargé d'histoire.J'y viens plusieurs fois par an pour faire découvrir ces grands morceaux d'histoire à mes amis (histoire de la compagnie des Indes et de la marine),à ma famille. Les collections y sont d'une rare qualité.Je fais découvrir ce musée aux enfants à partir de 8 ans. Ne pas hésiter à acheter du thé vendu à l'entrée, c'est là que je me fournis, ma préférence va au thé à la figue, en rupture de stock ces derniers temps.