🕊️ Remembrance & the Great War
Maginot Line forts and underground military sites in the Grand Est
A frontier fought over for centuries, the Grand Est was fortified in every era, and some of these defences can now be visited from the inside. You head down into tunnels dug for war: the Citadel of Bitche, besieged for 230 days in 1870–1871; Fort de Mutzig, built by the German Empire over 254 hectares; Fort Douaumont, Fort Vaux and the Verdun Underground Citadel, at the heart of the 1916 battle; and finally the Maginot Line forts, built in the 1930s, such as Hackenberg in Moselle and Schoenenbourg in northern Alsace.
To choose, first consider the period that interests you, then the type of visit. Hackenberg is explored on a guided tour, partly aboard its little underground train; Schoenenbourg can be visited on your own along some 3 km of tunnels; the Verdun Underground Citadel offers a ride in a pod, not open to children under 8. Allow between one and two and a half hours per site, and bring warm clothes and good shoes: the tunnels stay cool all year round, even at the height of summer, and some routes involve a lot of steps.
How to choose?
If you are visiting with young children
Hackenberg’s little train, where pushchairs are allowed, and the self-guided route at Schoenenbourg, free for under-6s, suit the youngest visitors.
✨ Hackenberg Fort – Maginot Line✨ Fort de Schoenenbourg – Maginot Line
If you are fascinated by the Battle of Verdun
Douaumont and Vaux can be visited in the same half-day, the Underground Citadel tells the story of soldiers’ life behind the lines, and Vauquois shows the war of mines.
🕊️ Fort Douaumont🕊️ Fort Vaux🕊️ Verdun Underground Citadel🕊️ Butte de Vauquois
If you are interested in pre-1914 military architecture
Mutzig illustrates German fortification before 1914, and Bitche a bastioned citadel marked by the siege of 1870–1871.
If you are travelling without a car
The Underground Citadel is close to Verdun station, and Fort de Mutzig can be reached on foot from Mutzig station (around 1 hour 15 minutes on a waymarked walk).
ComparisonData taken from each listing, checked against official sources
| Place or activity | When | Time needed | Who it suits | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hackenberg Fort – Maginot Line📍 Veckring · Moselle (57) | All year; daily from 1 April to 13 November; closed 25 December and 1 January | About 2 hrs to 2 hrs 30 guided tour | Families; pushchairs accepted; 80% of the route accessible to people with reduced mobility | 61 bis Grande Rue, 57920 Veckring (Moselle); GPS N 49°20'30'' E 6°21'56'' |
| Fort de Schoenenbourg – Maginot Line📍 Hunspach · Bas-Rhin (67) | All year round on a seasonal calendar; daily in July and August | About 2 hours for the full 3 km circuit | Families, history enthusiasts; walking and stairs underground | Hunspach (Bas-Rhin), rue du Commandant Reynier; follow the signs “Ligne Maginot, Fort de Schoenenbourg” |
| Verdun Underground Citadel📍 Meuse (55) | February to December; annual closure in January (5 January to 1 February in 2026) | About 1 hr 30, including 35 min in the pod; last departure 1 hr 30 before closing | Not permitted for under-8s; not recommended for people with claustrophobia, pregnant women or those with heart conditions | Avenue du Soldat-Inconnu, Verdun; free car parks at the Citadelle and Pré-l’Évêque; Verdun station |
| Fort Douaumont📍 Meuse (55) | Open daily from early February to late December; closed in January and on 24–25 December | About 1 hr 30 min, according to the Verdun Memorial | All visitors; uneven floors and low temperatures in the galleries | Car: about ten kilometres north-east of Verdun via the D913; car park in front of the fort |
| Fort de Mutzig📍 Bas-Rhin (67) | Open all year according to the online calendar; longer hours in summer | 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr for the 2 km circuit, more than half of it underground | Families and history enthusiasts; circuit not accessible to people with reduced mobility (200 steps, narrow passages) | Access road from Dinsheim-sur-Bruche, free car park; train to Mutzig then a 1 hr 15 min waymarked walk |
| Bitche Citadel📍 Moselle (57) | 2026 season: weekends from 21 February, daily from 8 March to 11 October | Underground tour and upper plateau: allow half a day | Families; underground tour not recommended for under-7s | Bitche (Moselle); 300-space car park reached via rue des Tilleuls, motorhome area |
| Fort Vaux📍 Meuse (55) | February to December; closed in January, on 24 and 25 December and on 1 January | About 1 hr 15 (top and interior of the fort) | All ages; dogs not allowed; accessible except for part of the East gallery | From Verdun, follow “Champ de bataille” (Battlefield) signs (10 min); A4 exit 31; free parking; Meuse TGV station 25 km from Verdun |
| Butte de Vauquois📍 Vauquois · Meuse (55) | Surface all year; tunnels on the 1st Sunday of the month from March to October, and in summer by reservation | 2 to 3 hours on a guided tour | Good physical fitness needed for the tunnels; no babies carried in arms or slings and no animals underground | By car to the car park on the hill, the starting point for guided tours |
| Fort de la Pompelle📍 Marne (51) | All year round, Tuesday to Sunday; closed on Mondays and some public holidays | 1 hr 30 to 2 hrs including the grounds | All ages; guided family tours from age 9 | By car: RD 944, route de Châlons-en-Champagne, at Puisieulx, 8 km south-east of central Reims |
Map: Maginot Line forts and underground military sites in the Grand Est
When to go?
- JanPossible
- FebPossible
- MarPossible
- AprPossible
- MayPeak season
- JunPeak season
- JulPeak season
- AugPeak season
- SeptPeak season
- OctPossible
- NovPossible
- DecPossible
Peak season Possible Off season
📅 The forts are mainly open from February to November, with longer hours in summer; underground, the temperature stays cool whatever the season, which also makes them a good outing in rain or a heatwave.
Tips & insider advice
- Bring a jacket, even in summer
The tunnels stay cool all year round: around 8 °C stated at the Verdun Underground Citadel and 12 °C at Fort Douaumont.
- Comfortable, closed shoes
Uneven floors, damp and stairs are the norm; the route at Fort de Mutzig has around 200 steps.
- Book guided tours ahead
The Verdun Underground Citadel recommends booking 48 hours ahead at busy times, and online booking is strongly advised at Hackenberg.
- Check the minimum age
The Verdun Underground Citadel does not admit children under 8, and the underground tour at the Citadel of Bitche is not recommended for under-7s.
- Leave the dog behind
Pets are not allowed at Hackenberg, the Verdun Underground Citadel, Fort Vaux or in the Bitche tunnels.
- Watch out for January
Fort Douaumont, Fort Vaux and the Verdun Underground Citadel close in January; check the official calendars before setting off.
Frequently asked questions
Which Maginot Line fort should I visit in the Grand Est?
Two major forts are easy to visit: Hackenberg at Veckring (Moselle), on a guided tour of around 2 to 2.5 hours including a ride on a little underground train, and Schoenenbourg at Hunspach (Bas-Rhin), explored on your own along nearly 3 km of tunnels up to 30 m underground. The first suits families with a pushchair, the second visitors who like to go at their own pace.
Is the Verdun Underground Citadel suitable for children?
Children under 8 are not admitted. The visit lasts around 1 hour 30 minutes, including 35 minutes in a wire-guided pod, and is not recommended for people with claustrophobia, pregnant women or those with heart conditions. With younger children, choose Hackenberg or Schoenenbourg instead.
Can you visit the Verdun forts in winter?
Fort Douaumont, Fort Vaux and the Underground Citadel are closed in January, as well as on certain days at the end of the year, and reopen in February. Fort de la Pompelle, near Reims, is open all year round from Tuesday to Sunday. Always check opening times on the official websites.
Do you need to be physically fit to visit these underground sites?
It depends on the site: Hackenberg is 80% accessible to people with reduced mobility, whereas Fort de Mutzig is not accessible to them (200 steps, narrow passages). The tunnels of the Butte de Vauquois require a good level of fitness and do not admit children carried in arms or carriers. In all cases, expect to walk on uneven ground and in the cold.
Information checked in October 2026. Opening hours, prices and conditions may change: check the official website before you travel.