Staying at the Fortress of Louisbourg

In August 2022, Adrien and his mom had the privilege of staying overnight at the Fortress of Louisbourg. It felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

They got to spend the night in Lartigue House, an 18th century stone house located within the walls of the fortress. Then, they wandered around in the empty fortress after the gates were closed to the public.

Lartigue House

The house of Joseph Lartigue, Jeanne Dihars, their twelve children, their servants and an enslaved person named Pompée is made of timber and rubblestone and is small to today’s standards because it was rebuilt with the features of colonial times.

It is furnished with 3 double beds, including one in an alcove, large chairs and a coffee table.

The kitchen was rebuilt to modern standards with a table and 3 chairs, a microwave oven, a small fridge, a sink and a coffee machine.

The washrooms are also modern with a sink and a toilet.

The 3 fireplaces are only for decoration. You can’t have a fire or even cook inside the house. However, there is a gas stove and a fire pit to use in the backyard.

Bring your camping gear, including sleeping bags, because there are no blankets nor pillows.

There was no light in the main room except for a few electric candles, so Adrien and his mom ended up playing a board game in the kitchen. A game of Carcassonne, of course.

Walking around an empty fortress

After the gates closed at 5 pm, Adrien and his mom were able to walk around the fortress by themselves until sunset.

18th century houses — The fortress of Louisbourg in the evening fog.

It was definitely relaxing to take the time to explore every corner of the fortress.

The fog gave the whole experience a sense of calm and isolation.

a field — A field in the fortress of Louisbourg.

In the morning

The next day, at 6 am, Adrien and his mom were woken up by an alarm. The constant beep came from a room that was locked so Adrien had to call the security guard who was able to disable the alarm. Apparently, high humidity sets off alarms in the fortress sometimes.

Adrien and his mom then had a quick breakfast and packed because they had to be out of Lartigue House by 9.15 am. Indeed, Lartigue House is closed to the public during the day, even to overnight guests.

The food

Although they had brought a picnic for their stay at the fortress, Adrien and his mom were looking forward to tasting the local bread that is made every morning by the baker of the fortress. However, they had to be patient, as the bread was not ready until noon, which is very late by French standards.

In the meantime, they went for a guided tour in French with an Acadian park agent.

For lunch, they waited in line for about 20 minutes at the Restaurant de la Marine. They were provided with a tablespoon and a large napkin and were told that this was how people ate in the 18th century.

She ordered a piece of chicken pie and he ordered a seafood chowder with a small glass of local beer.

a chowder and a pie — At the Restaurant de la Marine.

After a tour of the exhibition rooms, it was time to go.

How to make a reservation

Adrien booked the night at Lartigue House more than 4 months in advance. He called the Fortress in April and gave his credit card number over the phone. It was $128 for one night.

Once in Louisbourg, Adrien and his mom proceeded to the visitor center for check-in. They were provided with a pass to be allowed to park within the fortress.

The car had to be parked in the staff parking lot, except for loading and unloading at Lartigue House, which had to take place outside of opening hours. Technically, it meant that they only occupied the house after 5 pm and until around 9 am.