Mont-Louis

Mont-Louis
An aerial view of Mont-Louis
Coat of arms
Mont-Louis
Location within Occitanie region  Mont-Louis
Coordinates: 42°30′33″N 2°07′15″E / 42.5092°N 2.1208°E / 42.5092; 2.1208Coordinates: 42°30′33″N 2°07′15″E / 42.5092°N 2.1208°E / 42.5092; 2.1208
Country	France
Region	Occitanie
Department	Pyrénées-Orientales
Arrondissement	Prades
Canton	Mont-Louis
Government
• Mayor (2001–2008)	Christian Pecout
Area1	0.39 km2 (0.15 sq mi)
Population (2006)2	297
• Density	760/km2 (2,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
INSEE/Postal code	66117 / 66210
Elevation	1,516–1,608 m (4,974–5,276 ft) (avg. 1,600 m or 5,200 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Mont-Louis (Catalan: Montlluís or el Vilar d'Ovansa) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France.

Mont-Louis is located in the canton of Mont-Louis and in the arrondissement of Prades.

In 2008, the citadel and the city walls of Mont-Louis were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as part of the "Fortifications of Vauban" group.

The Mont-Louis Solar Furnace, is the world's first solar furnace, built in 1949, by engineer Felix Trombe. It is open to visit for practical education on solar energy uses and technologies.

The citadel has been hosting for more than half a century the Centre national d'entraînement commando () (French Army) which trains elite French troops and some foreign ones in the usage of commando techniques and for enduring heavy physical and mental stress in combat situations. Nevertheless, some places of the citadel, like the "Puits de Forçats", can also be visited, being accompanied by a local guide.