Ouvrage de Fressinéa
Small Maginot Line fort in the Tinée valley, restored by an association and visited with volunteer guides.
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About the museum
The small Frassinéa fort is an annex of the large Rimplas fort, like its twin at Valdeblore. It was meant to block the road against Italian tanks, and for this purpose it has a quick-firing 47 mm anti-tank gun. Construction began in 1935 and took four years. The fort had three combat blocks, and about twenty soldiers kept it running.
Two SMIM generators supplied light and ventilation, and the fort is built over a spring that flows continuously from the mountain. It was never used: the only Italian offensive in the region did not get beyond the Isola advanced post, further up the valley. After the armistice the Italians kept the keys to the fort without occupying it.
After the war the military engineers (génie) looked after the fort until the 1970s, when it was sold to the commune of Rimplas. In 1995 a group of Scouts de France from Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée began its renovation. The association “Les amis de l’ouvrage Maginot de la Frassinéa”, founded in 2000, continues this work and opens the fort to the public.
Highlights
- Guided tour by the association’s volunteer guides
- Machine room, workshop and ammunition store
- Barracks: dormitory, mess hall, kitchen and washrooms
- About a hundred collection pieces on the Maginot Line and the Second World War
Permanent exhibition
- Expositions thématiques sur la ligne Maginot – Throughout the guided visit, themed displays on the Maginot Line and the Second World War present around a hundred collection pieces.
- Operated by
- Association « Les amis de l’ouvrage Maginot de la Frassinéa »
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | €5 per personRate per person; visits possible all year round by appointment. |
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Free admission for individual visitors; groups pay €5 per person.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
The fort is beside the Route métropolitaine 2205, 2.5 km before the village of Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 35 min |
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| Good to know | The visit is narrated by the association’s guides. It starts at the entrance with an introduction to the historical context, then passes through the technical areas (machine room, workshop, ammunition store) and the barracks (dormitory, mess hall, kitchen, washrooms). It is 13 °C inside all year round, so bring warm clothing. Information and bookings by phone (04 93 02 00 22 or 06 32 16 30 10) or by email. |
