The Gros Ouvrage of Soetrich is located 8km to the North of the centre of Thionville, Entrances are 1.3km NE of the village of Soetrich The combat blocks are in an angle formed by the N33 and D57 roads. The Ouvrage has the standard entrances. The access to the main gallery is by a lift in the Munitions entrance and by staircase and lift in the men's entrance. The Fort has  6 blocks - 4 artillery and 2 infantry blocks . Commanded by Commandant Henger, with a compliment of 605 men and 20 officers.

 This fort is totally abandoned and open, even so the fort is still well worth a visit as lots of features still remain . The entrance blocks of the fort were covered over by the army in 1997. This has not stopped people visiting the fort. We found a totally open lift shaft, with a 30m drop, in the men's entrance when we visited the fort. Be Careful!

Update Jan 2006 - The fort has been re-covered over with earth and is now completely sealed

A Layout plan of the Fort from the book "Il était une fois La Ligne Maginot" By Jean Bernard Wahl.	The Main Magazine in remarkably good condition	The bottom of the lift shafts of the Munitions entrance	The lift motor room adjacent to the lift shafts
Looking into the fort from the bottom of the lifts	The main blast door just past the M1 magazine	Looking into the fort from the bottom of the lifts	One of the airlocks in the passage from one of the blocks to the main gallery
Block 5 and its 75mm turrret	Block 5 and its 75mm turrret at the lower level	Block 5 and its 75mm turrret showing the counter weight	The entrance to the Usine
The generator room complete with generators	The generator room complete with generators	The generator room complete with generators	The generator room complete with generators
One of the smaller lifts up to the fighting blocks	The telephone exchange with its junction box still on the wall	One of the smaller lifts up to the fighting blocks	The M2 magazine at the bottom of one of the blocks
The overhead mono rail system for moving ammunition	The Kitchen with its cooker still in place	The men's entrance to the Gros Ouvrage of Soetrich	This is the drop you would come across if you stumbled into the fort without a light
	The covered over munitions entrance to the fort, still accessible over the top of the earth bank.

Copyright - Dan McKenzie 2007