The Trail of the Builders

Depart from the town of Aussois, latitude 45.2222200 (N 45° 13’ 20”), longitude 6.7425800 (E 6° 44’ 33”)

• Departure of the builders' trail

• The trail starts at Fort Charles-Albert at the trail identification sign. You can park in the car park to the left of the football field.

• Stone quarry

• Reading table n ° 1: from this quarry were extracted the stones that were used for the construction of the forts.

• Sardinian Cemetery

• Reading table n ° 2: there are buried the dead people at Esseillon: soldiers, prisoners, inhabitants of the hamlet.

• Esseillon glacial lock

• Reading table n ° 3: what a building site, what kind!

• Hamlet of Esseillon

• Reading table n ° 4: the hamlet of Esseillon housed villagers but also the messes of officers and non-commissioned officers.

• Lime kilns

• Reading table n ° 5: the lime was used to build the stone walls of the forts. Concrete did not exist at the time!

• Slate quarry

• Reading table n ° 6: the lauzes are large and heavy slates used for the roofing of the forts. They are based on thick wood frames (larch).

• Old Devil's Bridge

• Reading table n ° 7: the Devil's Bridge connected the two banks of the Arc and allowed the passage of men, animals and materials.

• Fort Victor Emmanuel

• Reading table n ° 8: Fort Victor-Emmanuel is the largest of all forts. It is composed of eight buildings including the prison, the powder magazine, the hospital, the chapel... It could accommodate up to 1,500 men in garrison.

• Fort Charles-Felix

• Reading table n ° 9: Fort Charles-Félix underwent cannon fire when the destruction of the forts was ordered. The order was canceled soon after and the forts remained abandoned. It is not allowed to enter this fort for security reasons.

• Col de l'Esseillon

• Reading table n ° 10: the Esseillon pass opens onto the valley (Avrieux, Modane) and was a very strategic place.

• Fort Marie-Christine

• Reading table n ° 11: Fort Marie-Christine is the highest fort on the Esseillon barrier and thus protected the other forts located below. Its architecture is exceptional and really worth a visit.

• Arrival of the Trail of the Builders

• The loop is complete, you are now unbeatable on the history of the forts of Esseillon, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia and Savoy!
• You can also take this circuit by parking in the parking lot of La Redoute Marie-Thérèse, side D 1006, cross the bridge of the Devil and join the parking lot of Fort Victor Emmanuel.