Another week and more walks. A week ago I joined the Tuesday group to walk to the
old fort in Buoux. The little village of Buoux is probably one of my favorite spots to go
in this area. You go down into a valley, surrounded by monstrous cliffs of stone. The
area is a very popular for rock climbing and horseback riding.
With its cliffs, Fort Buoux existed until the sixteenth century, as a key defense for the
region. It became a refuge for Huguenots during the religious wars. The complex was
dismantled on the orders of Louis XIV in 1660. Three defensive walls remain, with a
Romanesque church, rock habitats, buried silos carved into the rock, and a private
staircase.
I’d heard a lot about this private staircase and was soon to have my own initiation into
what it must have been like to try to come and go secretly, without falling to your certain
death over the unprotected sides of the steps.
All of the literature tells you flat out that visiting the fort is dangerous. The French are
not great fans of guardrails and you walk many areas at your own peril. The lure is there,
however, to poke around and explore this historical spot.
It was a very cold day, but the sky was clear and the sun was shinning. The combination
of sun and the effort of climbing up the path to the fort got the blood circulating and I
was not cold!
It’s difficult to explain the feeling you have when you stand where people lived and
struggled, so many centuries ago. In typical French fashion, the site is currently being
restored in order to preserve it for years to come.
If you’d really like to see and learn more, I invite you to do a Google search on the fort at
Buoux. There are some fantastic panoramic views on various websites.
At the top we visited the various parts of the ruins. We sat and had coffee overlooking
the valley. When it came time to go back, I allowed myself to be convinced that taking
the secret staircase was worthwhile. So armed with my courage and listening to friend
Mary’s admonitions, “Just don’t look down, Jo Anne,” we made our way. Like many
things in life, I’m glad to say I’ve done it, but am unsure if I’m eager to repeat the
experience anytime soon.