Fort Basses Perches, Belfort, France. July 2019

[freshwateriow]

This fort was built in 1874 after the Franco-Prussian war to defend the Belfort Gap. The fort is owned by the commune of Danjoutin and it is possible to visit. We used this opportunity to get the feel of the other forts in the area that are not 'open'. It is a rectangular fort with a dry moat, the old drawbridge has been removed and filled in. There is also a Maginot Line communication bunker about 300m to the North.

Main Entrance and tunnel with guardroom and prison cell

Storeroom/barracks with internal passageway at the back

Doorways to all the barracks

View from barracks to the Citadel

Internal passageway linking all the barracks

The obligatory dunnie shot

Isolation passage around the magazine

Powder Magazine

Inside the Powder Magazine, with light niches

Gun crew cross shelter next to the firing platform

View from the top of the fort across the dry moat to the Counter Scarp gallery.

Tunnel under moat to the Counter Scarp gallery

Climb to the Counterscarp gallery

Back down the tunnel

The frontal dry moat from the Counterscarp gallery

Counterscarp gallery

Countersacrp tunnel

Counterscarp tunnel

Covered way

View to the Citadel form the parade

The dry moatat the rear of the fort, with defending bastion on the right

1940 German graffiti

 

[freshwateriow]

If anyone visits and wants the contact details for the guide let me know, really good and informative bloke.