Ouvrage de Schoenenbourg – A Photographic Tour

Directions – From the A4 motorway take the A/N340 to Haguenau and then the N63 to bypass the centre of town. Continue on this road over the railway line and then take the last exit off the roundabout, which is the D263 to Soultz-sous-Fôret. When you reach Hohwiller take the D28 into Soultz-sous-Fôret. When you reach the centre of town pick up the D264 to Schoenenbourg. On reaching the village continue through it - the Ouvrage de Schoenenbourg is sign-posted to the left as you climb the hill. The personnel and ammunition entrances to the fort can be seen through the trees on the right. Access for the visitor is via the ammunition entrance. If you wish to see the exterior of the forts’ combat blocks return to the D264, turn left and take the second turning on the left (the D76 to Bremmelbach). Within a few yards the cupolas and “cloches” come into view in the field ahead.

	Click and drag to move the map. Use the slider to zoom in/out.

Practical Information – Visitors should bear in mind that opening times for the Ouvrage de Schoenenbourg are fairly limited. At the time of writing in 2007, the fort is open every day from May to September but only from 2 till 4pm Monday to Saturday and Bank Holidays and 9:30-11am and 2 till 4pm on Sundays. From April to October the fort only opens on Sundays and Bank Holidays. To avoid disappointment it is strongly recommended that visitors contact the Office de Tourisme de Hunspach on +33 3 88 80 96 19 or email maison-ungerer@wanadoo.fr. There are car-parking spaces near to the entrance but you may wish to continue past the fort and park near the bar/restaurant for some refreshments before the tour starts. A final word of advice – the interior of the fort is deep underground and very cold and damp. Visitors should bring something warm to wear whilst exploring and be prepared for plenty of exercise!

General Layout – Built between 1931 and 1936, the Ouvrage de Schoenenbourg is an excellently preserved example of a Maginot Line "gros ouvrage" or large artillery fort. It can basically be divided into four main areas:

1. The entrance blocks and their associated defences
2. The barrack, stores and power-generation galleries
3. The command and control post
4. The combat blocks

Layout plan of the Ouvrage de Schoenenbourg. The entrance blocks are the two black shapes on the left with the barrack, stores and power-generation areas directly behind them. The combat blocks are the six black shapes on the right with the command and control post between them and the "dog-leg" in the main linking gallery. Photo: Mark Sluman. Click on image for full size (715 KB).