A lot of places here we’ve been told to visit are places you have to visit between April and October, because they are not open in the winter. Fort St Eynard is one such place. If you ever wonder why, imagine driving up a single-lane mountain road intended for two-way traffic, through the woods, with no guardrail. That is what keeps this high-altitude destination from welcoming visitors when there’s any chance of snow.
The fort is on the mountain across from the one where we live; it’s about as high as the lower area of the ski resort. There isn’t really much to see there as far as the fort itself goes, although it is hard to imagine how they built it so far up the mountain hundreds of years ago.
There are two real reasons to make the climb.
First: the view. It is amazing. You can look down and see the bubbles (that we rode yesterday) and see just how high up you are. But you have to be very careful. There isn’t really much between you and a very long, painful plunge down. There’s a chain link fence and some barbed wire. And a strong grip from Mom or Dad (or Uncle’s) hand.
Second: the restaurant. The menu isn’t long, but it doesn’t need to be. You just need to know two words …. gratin daphinois. Creamy potatoes au gratin. Amazing. When you scoop the potatoes out of the baking dish, there’s a pool of butter left at the bottom. I suppose if you hike around the fort you can eat them guilt-free. Guilt or not, they were darn good. Definitely worth the trip.
There is a third reason, but it’s really only a good one if you are a little kid. There’s a donkey that lives on top of the restaurant. The building is built into the hill, allowing for rooftop inhabitants.