Mutzig Fort - Feste Kaiser Wilhelm II — Attraction in Molsheim

A unique and fascinating experience, visiting an underground fort dating back 130 years and representing the peak of technology over the period its construction. The self-guided tour is clearly presented and comprehensive, covering the history, construction, technologies and the lives of the 7,000 soldiers stationed there. The entire fort was vast and the part covered by the tour takes a good 1.5 to 2 hours to fully appreciate all the details. The route starts at ground level before diving deep underground to chambers protected by 2.5 metre thick concrete walls and connected by tunnels running up to 150 metres long. The tour includes the bunk rooms, hospital, kitchen, bakery (with 300kg bread maker!), water well and storage tanks, the underground electric power generators and their massive diesel storage tank, and last but not least, the latrines, which posed their own technological challenges to the fort's designers! Outside, the restored trenches, concealed observation positions and impressive armoured artillery battery conclude a fascinating tour of late 19th century / early 20th century engineering. Unfortunately the forests have grown up around and in front of the fort so that you will have to use your imagination to visualise the commanding position that this fort held over an army advancing from the west. (Indeed in 1914 it did repel such an advance using the weight of its artillery firepower.) Many thanks to the wonderful and enthusiastic guides stationed at the entrance/ticket office and at various points along the tour to help answer questions, including Juliette at the power generator for her knowledgeable explanations about the the 4 generators and how they were restored to working condition, and the young Scotsman for his explanation of the artillery technology. Highly recommended to anyone in the vicinity...

There wasn't an English speaking tour guide available, but they did offer a very good tour aid written in English, and we managed to join a French Tour that had only just started. The areas for exhibit are in remarkable good condition.

BEWARE: the very first steep tunnel you need to take can be VERY SLIPPERY! The tour guide told us this, but without my husband to translate, I would have bowled over the rest of our group behind me. There are plain bricks to either side of the smooth pavers in the middle of the path (this makes sense when you see it), WALK ON THE PLAIN BRICKS! Future slanted tunnels were far less likely to be so treacherous, but it's sound advice for the whole thing as the tunnels often have water leaking in, and we went on a dry, sunny day.

TAKE A SWEATER! It can be quite cold in the tunnels, you'll be going on a subterranean tour! Only a sweater, though, as there is plenty of walking, and as you make your way back towards the exit, you begin to feel quite warm.

DO NOT WANDER OFF! Only 10% of the tunnels have been converted to a public exhibit. The remaining 90% belongs to the ACTIVE MILITARY INSTALLATION on the site! I didn't test those boundaries, but it probably doesn't end well should you find your way to someone working there.

Overall, it's an amazing view of turn of the century innovation. No bunkers had been built like this, and these were the first to employ electricity allowing many capabilities never before dreamed of...

Our trip to this fortress was a real surprise for the entire family. On beforehand we had no real expectations but the visit was well worth it.

Parking space was plentiful and staff behind the counter was friendly and helpful. We did the full round trip in the part of the fortress that is open for the public. It took indeed around 1.5 hours as the lady at the desk already told us. Also a good tip from here was to take a sweater or jacket with you inside the fortress because it can be very cold inside. We received a printed guide in English because all written information in the fortress is in french.

We really liked to see the living accommodations of the soldiers and the working scale models of the big guns defending the fortress. The kids were also impressed by the old guns they could touch. All in all well...