The largest single Maginot Line bastion in the Metz area was the 1000-man Fort du Hackenberg , 30km northeast of Metz, whose 10km of galleries were designed to be self-sufficient for three months and, in battle, to fire four tonnes of shells a minute. An electric trolley takes visitors along 4km of tunnels – always at 12°C – past subterranean installations. Tours last two hours.
Readers have been enthusiastic about the tours (www.maginot-line.com) of Fort du Hackenberg, other Maginot Line sites and Verdun led by Jean-Pascal Speck, an avid amateur historian. If he’s unavailable, he can put you in touch with other English-speaking guides.
