The Fortress of Bard is an imposing military structure, built in 1830 on a fortress at the entrance to the Aosta Valley.
Fort of Bard is actually not the original fortification as the original castle built by the powerful Lords of Bard and later conquered by the Savoy family, was destroyed by Napoleon in 1800.
The present Fort is a fortification commissioned by the King of Sardinia Charles Felix of Savoy and inaugurated in 1838 by Charles Albert of Savoy-Carignano.
Below is all the information for visiting the Fortress of Bard, also with children.
Visiting the Fortress of Bard with children: information and timing
The Fortress of Bard is truly majestic and it is impossible not to notice it once you enter the Aosta Valley. We decided to visit it during a rainy day.
The Fort has an area of 14,467 square meters including 2,036 square meters of internal courtyards and 3,600 square meters of exhibition areas. You certainly won’t have anything to be bored about!
Depending on the time you have and the age of the children, you can decide whether to visit the Fort alone, walking around its courtyards and the few free inner rooms, or to also include a visit to the exhibitions and museums inside.
Visiting times, therefore, can range from an hour to half a day.
The visit to the Fort is fully accessible to strollers.
Entrance ticket to the Fortress of Bard
Below are the ticket prices for admission, which can be for a visit to the Fort alone or for a visit to the Fort plus the Museums and Exhibitions inside.
Fort admission ticket including ONE museum or exhibition of your choice
Full: 8.00 €
Reduced (over 65): 7,00 €
Reduced (19-25 years old): 3.00 €
Children and youth 0-18: free of charge.
To purchase the entrance ticket to the Fortress of Bard – Click here.
Cumulative tickets
2 exhibition spaces of your choice and admission to the Fort: €15.00
All Museums and all Exhibitions: €24.00
To purchase the cumulative ticket to the Fortress of Bard – Click here.
Opening hours of the Fortress of Bard
Tuesday through Friday: 10:00 a.m. / 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 10:00 a.m. / 7:00 p.m.
From July 31 to September 3, also open on Mondays. For all info, visit the official website.
Fortress of Bard: what to see
To visit the Fortress of Bard is to step back in time and history. As mentioned, one can admire its structure without delving into it, or one can undertake a cultural visit.
The stronghold consists of three main bodies of buildings placed at three different levels: from the lowest, the Ferdinand Opera, to the middle, the Vittorio Opera, to the highest, the Carlo Alberto Opera.
Inside the Opera Ferdinando is located the Museum of Fortifications and Frontiers and there are also prisons.
Opera Vittorio, on the other hand, houses Le Alpi dei Ragazzi, a path dedicated to the youngest approach to mountaineering.
Opera Carlo Alberto features the large quadrangular courtyard of the Piazza d’Armi overlooked by spaces dedicated to temporary exhibitions, while the second floor houses the Museum of the Alps.
The exhibitions and museums make it an important cultural center in the Aosta Valley, and a full visit can really take several hours – it can be an ideal destination, therefore, for when it rains!
Where to park at the Fortress of Bard
There are many parking lots around the Fortress, which makes one understand the amount of people who visit it every year.
The only paid parking lot is the 0 Pluriplane parking lot located right next to the elevator; the others are free and are a few minutes’ walk away.
Where to park in Bard
1. Parking 0 Pluriplane at the foot of the Fortress of Bard: €3.00 daytime rate weekdays, €4.00 daytime rate Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and in August weekdays and holidays. Free rate for disabled persons with badges (to be presented at the Infopoint).
2. Parking lot 1 Liéron about 300 m from the fort along SS.26 (free)
3. Parking lot 2 San Giovanni about 200 m from the Fort along the SS.26 (free)
4. Parking 3 Viaduct about 600 m from the Fort (free)
5. Parking lot 4 Cva (free, open only during events).
Where to park in Hone
There are also some free parking lots in the town of Hône from which the Fortress of Bard can be reached with a few more minutes’ walk.
6. Parking lot 5 Station
7. Parking lot 6 Le Bois-Vuillermoz
8. Parking 7 Lou Ehquiézouc
9. Parking 8 Playground
Be aware that parking lots 0 – 1 – 2 – 3 in the Municipality of Bard, are served by shuttle bus to the Fort (Sundays and holidays). Parking lot 4 only during events.
How to get to the Fortress of Bard
The top of the Fortress of Bard can be reached on foot along a pedestrian path of about 1km that winds through the village of Bard, or by panoramic elevators (included in the ticket) that lead from the foot of the Fortress to the various levels of the fortress. In both cases it is possible to go with a stroller.
Where to sleep
Hotel Cavour Et Des Officiers – Very special location of this di Hotel which is located inside the Fortress of Bard!
The 11 rooms present, were the lodgings of the officers of the Piedmontese army.
Being able to walk through the Fort during the hours when it is closed to the public, is truly a unique experience.
Possibility of family rooms, breakfast and parking in silo 0 Pluriplane, included. Book here.
Continue reading:
