Le Fort Boyard, a historic coastal fortress near La Rochelle in the Charente-Maritime region, has been awarded 500,000 euros from the Heritage Lottery to support its restoration. The lottery, held on September 19, saw two major winners, Félindra and Passe-Muraille, who received symbolic checks. The funding will be used to help preserve and renovate the site, which is a key landmark popularized by a famous French television show. Fort Boyard was selected as one of 18 sites for the 9th edition of the Heritage Mission, led by TV presenter Stéphane Bern. It has also been named the emblematic site of 2026 for the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region by the Heritage in Peril Mission. The restoration project, launched in 2025, aims to protect the fort from erosion and the damaging effects of the ocean. Key structures such as the landing harbor, a small port used for docking, and the breakwater, a structure designed to reduce the force of waves, will need to be rebuilt. The heavily damaged protective embankment surrounding the fortress will also undergo restoration. The total cost of the project is estimated at 44 million euros, with the majority of the funding provided by the departmental council of Charente-Maritime. To supplement this, a donation campaign was launched, and so far, over 687,000 euros has been raised. The major restoration work is expected to be completed by 2028, after which the fortress will open to the general public. For the first time, Fort Boyard opened its doors to around fifty people selected by lottery as part of the Heritage Days event. Sylvie Marcilly, president of the departmental council of Charente-Maritime, celebrated this milestone on Facebook, expressing her joy at allowing the public to experience the site. This broader public access, planned for early 2028, marks a significant change for Fort Boyard, which has long been a symbol of the Charentais coastline. The departmental council has not yet provided further details about the future of the site or the specific plans for public access. However, the restoration project represents a major step toward preserving this historic monument for future generations and enhancing its role as a cultural and tourist attraction in the region.