Visited back in 2017 on a Christmas trip to Metz and its lovely bunkers, forts and food!
History stolen from Wiki, mainly because I have given up on writing my own:
Ouvrage Rochonvillers is one of the largest of the Maginot Line fortifications. Located above the town of Rochonvillers in the French region of Lorraine, the gros ouvrage or large work was fully equipped and occupied in 1935 as part of the Fortified Sector of Thionville in the Moselle. It is located between the petit ouvrage d'Aumetz and the gros ouvrage Molvange, facing the border between Luxembourg and France with nine combat blocks. Rochonvillers saw little action during World War II, but due to its size it was repaired and retained in service after the war. During the Cold War it found a new use as a hardened military command center, first for NATO and then for the French Army. A subsequent fire, and pillaging, has ruined the main barracks section.
I have to say, out of all the man made bunkers I have visited this one is by fair the largest. The tunnel linking the underground barrack block and the main fighting blocks is a good 20-25 minute walk. It's long, straight and featureless. Inside everywhere else was very cool though, as the photos will show. Such a large place made it difficult to photograph everything I wanted to, and the thick black dust from the smoke absorb all of the light from my torch.
Barrack block area.
Onto the fighting blocks, these were not used after WW2.
History stolen from Wiki, mainly because I have given up on writing my own:
Ouvrage Rochonvillers is one of the largest of the Maginot Line fortifications. Located above the town of Rochonvillers in the French region of Lorraine, the gros ouvrage or large work was fully equipped and occupied in 1935 as part of the Fortified Sector of Thionville in the Moselle. It is located between the petit ouvrage d'Aumetz and the gros ouvrage Molvange, facing the border between Luxembourg and France with nine combat blocks. Rochonvillers saw little action during World War II, but due to its size it was repaired and retained in service after the war. During the Cold War it found a new use as a hardened military command center, first for NATO and then for the French Army. A subsequent fire, and pillaging, has ruined the main barracks section.
I have to say, out of all the man made bunkers I have visited this one is by fair the largest. The tunnel linking the underground barrack block and the main fighting blocks is a good 20-25 minute walk. It's long, straight and featureless. Inside everywhere else was very cool though, as the photos will show. Such a large place made it difficult to photograph everything I wanted to, and the thick black dust from the smoke absorb all of the light from my torch.
Barrack block area.
Onto the fighting blocks, these were not used after WW2.
