This strategic point has been inhabited since the Neolithic period as archaeologists have found several large engraved stones around the area.

The Dora Baltea is also crossed by a Medieval stone bridge Fort Bard, which protects the pass, is built on the site of many earlier fortifications.

At this point, the Dora Baltea makes a sharp turn around the large rock promontory on which Fort Bard is located.

The steep valley sides mean the village is full of small streets that are bordered by historic stone buildings.

Bard has been a setting for numerous works of fiction and movies, including films, such as Avengers: Age of Ultron.