Fort Louis

Fort Louis lies south of the city of Dunkirk in the Nord department in France.

The first fortification at this site was a redoubt built in 1657 by the Army of Flanders; a Spanish force, to protect the Canal de Bergues. Already a year later it was taken by French forces during the Battle of the Dunes. The French then replaced it by a new fort, designed by the famous French military engineer Vauban, in 1672.

The fort was occupied by English forces in 1712 and destroyed 2 years later in accordance with the Peace of Utrecht that ended the War of Spanish Succession. Later that century, in 1744, it was rebuilt and modernized in 1783.

In the early 19th century, Fort Louis was transformed into a military prison, a use it kept until 1889. The military kept using it for several purposes until 1940, when it was destroyed by bombings. This ended its military purpose. The municipality of Dunkirk acquired it in 1960, after which the remnant of the fort was incorporated in a recreational area, called Bois des Forts (Wood of the Forts).

The still moated Fort Louis is now used as a municipal park and freely accessible. Not a very interesting fort because inside there is not much to be seen, but it is a nice natural area. The other fort, with which it forms the Bois des Forts, is Fort Vallières, which lies 2 km's south along the canal.

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