Redoute Marie-Thérèse

The Redoute Marie-Thérèse holds the Avrieux side of the valley, facing the four other forts of the Esseillon barrier in Haute Maurienne Vanoise. The fortified ensemble was built by the Kingdom of Sardinia in the early 19th century to bar the road to Italy; the works carry the first names of the Savoy royal family.

Since 2007 the redoubt has housed an interpretation centre open to the public, devoted to the architectural history of fortification, with a permanent bilingual French-Italian museum space on the military site's history. Entry: €4 full price, €2 child, free under 7, family pass €10. In 2026, guided tours run Tuesdays 14:00–15:30 (6 January – 28 April) and Wednesdays 15:00–16:00 (2 July – 27 August), limited to 45 people, sign-up at the fort's reception or on 06 78 22 48 38 — the communauté de communes lists those tours at €6 adult and €4 child, while the tourist office and the Département post entry at €4/€2; both price grids stand and we give them as published.

Rare for a mountain fortress: the official listing declares the site wheelchair-accessible without assistance, covering the 3 rooms, the shop and the restaurant.

Summer is the real season: daily 10:30–18:00 from 1 July to 31 August 2026. Outside summer, only Tuesday afternoons open (1 January – 16 April).