La Citadelle domine la rade de Le Palais. Un musée d'art et d'histoire, une salle de la marine, des concerts et expositions, une hôtellerie permettent d'y lier culture et détenteA strategic port since forever
Le Palais is the most populated commune on the island, with nearly 2,630 inhabitants.
Its port, overlooked by the imposing Citadelle “Vauban”, is the main gateway to the maritime connections with the mainland.
It is also one of the most important marinas in Southern Brittany.
Once strategic, Le Palais has preserved a military historical heritage unique in France. Indeed, here, the fortification works have, from time immemorial, been very important. It was necessary to preserve itself from the attacks of which the port and the citadel could be the object. The first inspection by Louis XIV’s military engineer, Vauban, dates from 1683. He did not modify the layout of the work begun in the middle of the 16th century, but he installed a new escarpment that would unify the enclosure into a compact mass that brought a unique and singular character to the Ville de Palais, a fortified city.
Two historical routes will allow you to take the measure of the rich past of Palais, which until the very beginning of the twentieth century constituted the economic lung of Belle-Île.
