Fodor's Expert Review Forte di Bard

A few minutes beyond the French-speaking village of Pont St. Martin, you pass through the narrow Gorge de Bard to reach the fortress that has stood guarding the valley entrance for more than eight centuries. It now houses five museums: Museo delle Alpi, dedicated to the history and culture of the Valle d'Aosta region; Le Prigioni, an interactive walk through the former prisons; Museo delli Fortificazioni, which looks at defense techniques (fortifications) over the centuries; Museo delle Frontiere, which examines the political, economic, and cultural meaning of borders; and a children's museum, Le Alpi dei Ragazzi.