Romantic and expansive views over the water and Port Vauban in Antibes. This fort is located about a 20 min walk NE from the main train station, nearly 40 minutes by foot from the Picasso museum. It's also possible to take a cab though the last part of the journey to reach the fort is a 10 minute walk along a gravel/dirt trail up a slight slope so you can't escape at least some walking.
The fort entry is only €3, which can be purchased at the small entry ticket office. Access to the top of the fort is only available when accompanied by staff, and they shared that there was a tour starting in 20 minutes in both French and English so I decided to join. There are several rooms with exhibits on the history of the fort which are available for perusal. The take you thru the various stages of building and the various uses it's served.
Appreciation to the staff member who led the tour--she had a lot of energy and passion for sharing information about Fort Carre and Port Vauban to a small group of about a dozen people in both French and English, keeping the atmosphere light by cracking a few jokes. She took us around the main areas in the fort along the top of the walls and back down--an enjoyable 30 minutes! Afterwards it's optional to walk around outside on the grounds, which I did for a bit before heading back towards Antibes.
Unfortunately not wheelchair accessible given the distance from main road and the stone stairs and narrow walkways in parts of the castle. Also no bathrooms are available at the fort so take that into account when planning your trip. read more