Meurthe-et-Moselle and its neighboring Lorraine departments were the epicenter of the battles of 1914 and international conflicts. Our military heritage—forts, cemeteries, and forests—still echoes with the battles of centuries past.
Longwy It is one of the nine cities built from scratch by Vauban, and retains impressive fortificationsIt has been listed as a World Heritage Site since July 7, 2008, as part of the network of major Vauban sites.
Toul and its rampartsThese structures, which were later redesigned by Seré de Rivières, are listed as historical monuments. This fortified enclosure undeniably makes Toul one of the major strongholds of eastern France.
After 1870, new military constructions were undertaken to protect the border resulting from the annexation of Alsace and part of the Moselle. Today, le Old Canton Fort in Villey Saint Etienne, the Villey le Sec fort, the Eperon battery at Frouard, or, le Manonviller Fort are open to visitors.
If in the Bois-le-Prêtre forest or the family Chapelotte Pass, Nature has reclaimed its rights, these spaces are witnesses to the violence of the conflicts of the First World War. Since 2023, new funeral and memorial sites in Meurthe-et-Moselle have been included in the world heritage ofUNESCO. Among them le Saint Mihiel American Military Cemetery and Memorial in Thiaucourt, the Pierrepont memorial sector or the French square of the civilian victims of Gerbéviller.
Last meeting with History in the forts of the Maginot Line built at the dawn of the Second World War. Explore the underground passages of the works A5 Four Woods in Villers la Montagne, or Fermont Fort and relive the daily life of soldiers in 1940.
