If you walk near the dunes, you will certainly see, not far from the bunkers, a strange structure that will attract your attention. So take a little height and discover, with surprise, the Redoubt of Merville.
A well-hidden structure
It is by going up the path of the bay towards the beach of Merville-Franceville-Plage you will make an interesting discovery. Surrounded by a wall of vegetation, the Redoubt of Merville is a small fortress in the shape of a horseshoe.
Based on the principles of Vauban's architecture, it belongs to a set of three artillery carrying works, which were built between 1779 and 1780 around the estuary to reinforce the armed defenses against England.
But who is Vauban?
Generally known only by the name of Vauban, Sébastien Le Prestre, who died on March 30, 1707 in Paris, was a French engineer, military architect, town planner, hydraulics engineer and essayist. A warrior in the service of peace, he was known for his rational military architecture. Indeed, Vauban considered that each project (fortress to be remodeled or built) required constant adaptation to the terrain but also optimization of the resources available on site.
Today, many of his works are listed as World Heritage by UNESCO.
A restored work
Over the centuries, the Redoubt of Merville has in turn been occupied, abandoned, inserted into the system of the Atlantic Wall, then abandoned and buried under the sand.
Since 1984, the horseshoe-shaped fortress has been listed in the Historic Monuments. Emerging from the sand and from oblivion, it has done the work of a restoration site led by the Association for the Defense of the Environment and Heritage of Merville and the public authorities.
La Redoute de Merville opens its doors in summer. The opportunity to visit it and discover the secrets that its walls contain.