Fort Boyard in Charente-Maritime

Fort Boyard, an architectural treasure in the middle of the ocean

Today, Fort Boyard is famous for being the location for the television game show that bears its name and is broadcast in 30 different countries. Père Fouras’s riddles, master key races and various tests.

The adventure game is a unique kind of escape game, and a real star on the small screen.

Built in the early 19th century, between the islands of Oléron and Aix, on a sandbank known as “longe de Boyard”, Fort Boyard is 68 meters long, 31 meters wide and 20 meters high. It has a total surface area of 2689 m²! It is attached to the commune of Ile d’Aix. A true feat of engineering for its time, this “stone vessel” has a rather special history.

The history of Fort Boyard

Fort Boyard was originally intended to protect the French coast from English invasion, but its chaotic construction took far too long.

It was used as a prison before being shipped off to the penal colony, and was then abandoned for many years.

The locals even nicknamed it “the Fort of Uselessness”.
In 1950, it was classified as a historic monument, and in 1962 was bought at auction for 28,000 francs by a Belgian dental surgeon!

Finally purchased in 1988 by a production company and subsequently sold to the Conseil Général de la Charente-Maritime, Fort Boyard was reborn. Renovation and refurbishment work began immediately. Today, Fort Boyard is famous for the game show that bears its name and is broadcast in no fewer than 30 different countries. In 2019, Fort Boyard celebrated its thirtieth season!

Fort Boyard can’t be visited, but thanks to Croisières Inter-îles, you’ll have the chance to get up close and personal, and maybe catch a glimpse of Père Fouras in his Vigie, or hear the roar of the Félindra wildcats! When the weather’s clear, you can catch a glimpse of Fort Boyard from the Ile de Ré, especially from the Gros Jonc beach next to the campsite! Grab your binoculars!

Visit Fort Boyard

Owned by the department of Charente-Maritime, Fort Boyard is nonetheless entirely at the service of the game show of the same name, since the production company has exclusive rights to operate it.

It is therefore not possible to visit the interior of the fort, which has been converted for filming purposes.

On the other hand, a number of companies offer cruises from the ports of Ile de Ré, Ile d’Oléron, La Rochelle, Fouras or Rochefort, to get as close as possible to the building. Aboard a small cruise ship, a sailing or motor catamaran, a sailboat or even an old sailing ship, you can discover the fort and its secrets.

These tours allow you to get close enough to admire the lookout, the fort’s architecture and the platform that provides easy access for film crews. You’ll also benefit from the commentary of your local guide, who will recount the history of the fort from its construction to the present day.

The TV game Fort Boyard

The fort, then a private property left abandoned and open to the public, made its first appearance on TV during an episode of the TV show La Chasse au Trésor, in 1981.

In 1988, the Jacques ANTOINE production company bought the fort, then negotiated the purchase of the fort by the département for the symbolic euro and the setting up of a dedicated TV game show on the site.

Work was undertaken by the Charente-Maritime General Council in 1989. In 1990, the first broadcast of this game show, now a must-see in France and familiar to all generations, was filmed. It was called “Les Clefs de Fort Boyard”, but the foundations were laid for the decades to come.

Iconic characters such as Père Fouras, Passe-Temps, Passe-Muraille and Passe-Partout, Félindra and her tigers and La Boule have brought smiles and thrills to millions of viewers. This France-télévisions entertainment show brings together groups of characters and adventurers to answer riddles and pass new tests to reach the fortress treasure room and collect as many boyars as possible.

There are even foreign versions of the show! Presenter Patrice Laffont has long been the fort’s star and emblematic host. After two years in the hands of Jean-Pierre Castaldi, the keys to the fort have been in the hands of Olivier Mine since 2003, who now represents the show for younger generations.