Fort de Souville
Fort de Souville
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
56 reviews
Excellent
22
Very good
24
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10
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0
Terrible
0
Traveler O
Washington DC, DC1,216 contributions
Jul 2023
Situated not far from the well known sites, you can access much of the ruins of the fort in the forest via trail(s). However, be mindful of the structure as it's crumbling away and with few people visiting this area you could be completely on your own if you get hurt. There's also still unexploded ordnance in the area, so best not to venture far off the trails as every year they find ordnance when it rains or just after. Be mindful of your steps. Best to rad ahead about this site as well as it was where the French stopped the German advance cold and then began pushing them back. Many brave deeds took place on this site. The famous phrase "They Shall Not Pass" is easily attributed to what the French Army accomplished on this sacred ground.
Written 25 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian W
Gosport, UK233 contributions
Jul 2017 • Friends
Easily reached off the main road, this Fort was never taken by the Germans. Take some time to go walk about in the surrounding woods and you will find more remains and photo opportunities. We even had a long encounter with a Bat who was hanging around inside one of the out buildings.
Written 11 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lynne O
St Ives, UK4 contributions
Aug 2016 • Solo
I have visited this site several times, each time finding new places and things to see.
The remains of the fort and the woods that surround it, give little feel for the position it held in the defences of Verdun, but is perhaps one of the best to appreciate the utter devastation inflicted by the battles.
Although the the interior of the fort still has standing walls, what remains are on the exterior display dramatic destruction or trauma caused by the artillery bombardments.
Anyone visiting old battlefields is hopefully aware (and prominently warned) not to handle metal objects, and usually to keep to marked or obvious paths. Fort Souville is such a vast site - and is now so naturally beautiful and intriguing - that you can forget it is a battlefield site
Any temptation to explore the standing remains should definitely be avoided. Not only are the structures very unstable, but they also contain hidden shafts, rotted props and frames, and over 100 years of accumulated debris.
The woods, to this day, are peppered with overgrown trench remains and shell pits, which often contain rusty barbed wire and posts
The remains of the fort and the woods that surround it, give little feel for the position it held in the defences of Verdun, but is perhaps one of the best to appreciate the utter devastation inflicted by the battles.
Although the the interior of the fort still has standing walls, what remains are on the exterior display dramatic destruction or trauma caused by the artillery bombardments.
Anyone visiting old battlefields is hopefully aware (and prominently warned) not to handle metal objects, and usually to keep to marked or obvious paths. Fort Souville is such a vast site - and is now so naturally beautiful and intriguing - that you can forget it is a battlefield site
Any temptation to explore the standing remains should definitely be avoided. Not only are the structures very unstable, but they also contain hidden shafts, rotted props and frames, and over 100 years of accumulated debris.
The woods, to this day, are peppered with overgrown trench remains and shell pits, which often contain rusty barbed wire and posts
Written 26 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rumirumi
Breda, The Netherlands10 contributions
Aug 2018 • Solo
This hidden fort has certain entrances, but its forbidden to enter those and very dangerous. Stay on the paths at all time and watch the ground, there is a lot of shrapnel and metal sticking out of the ground. Besides this its worth a visit.
Fort Souville was the last fort standing betweeen the German advance and Verdun and there was heavy fighting here, especially after the capture of Fort Vaux in June 1916. It was heroically held by few defenders and the fort was extended in 1917 after the battle of Verdun. The Pamard casemates and obeservation posts were added during this time, connected to the main fort with underground tunnels. That's why you will instead find bits of the fort scattered in this area during your walk. So don't expect a fort in the style of Vaux and Douamont. This one is overgrown. Would recommend to walk here for atleast an hour. There are information panels and markers along the way, but some are in a poor state. Follow your intuition when choosing a path, each will lead to parts of the fort hidden in the trees. There's also an area near the fort with parking space which is ideal for a picnic. Its also a gem due to its unique state compared to the other forts nearby and the silence and the lack of other tourists here. Interesting walk for the average tourist, must for the history enthusiast.
Fort Souville was the last fort standing betweeen the German advance and Verdun and there was heavy fighting here, especially after the capture of Fort Vaux in June 1916. It was heroically held by few defenders and the fort was extended in 1917 after the battle of Verdun. The Pamard casemates and obeservation posts were added during this time, connected to the main fort with underground tunnels. That's why you will instead find bits of the fort scattered in this area during your walk. So don't expect a fort in the style of Vaux and Douamont. This one is overgrown. Would recommend to walk here for atleast an hour. There are information panels and markers along the way, but some are in a poor state. Follow your intuition when choosing a path, each will lead to parts of the fort hidden in the trees. There's also an area near the fort with parking space which is ideal for a picnic. Its also a gem due to its unique state compared to the other forts nearby and the silence and the lack of other tourists here. Interesting walk for the average tourist, must for the history enthusiast.
Written 30 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lauren
Brighton, UK103 contributions
Sept 2017 • Friends
This is a very interesting location. We stopped along the side route in order to have some lunch and wondered among some of the trees to see around the Fort. You are not able to enter the Fort, but it's amazing to see and shows the real damage time and war has had on these places.
Written 25 September 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen K
Winter Park, FL5,139 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
This is a hike through the woods, but stick to the paths. This was a battle field & as the many signs remind you it is dangerous to wander off the trail. There is unexploded ordinance & land mines. It is really interesting to check out though. You can see the trenches, the fort, the machine gun turrets. It's hard to image so much death & destruction here today in such a beautiful & peaceful place.
Written 16 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WC-Travelers-75
West Chester, PA2,193 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
We were headed to Fort de Vaux when we saw the roadside signage for the Casemate Pamard Modele 1917, which was part of the Fort de Souville fortifications. Without this signage we would not have found the fort since the maps we had in a guidebook were vague and this was not a featured site.The site was curated with signage giving you an idea as to the fort's significance and strategic position. This commanded us to stop to see our first Maginot fortification. Beyond this casemate was a second one. The path lead onward into the woods and I decided to follow; my wife decided to stay with the car. I did not see any signage regarding unexploded ordinance so I pressed on staying on the path. Eventually I found a dirt road which led me to the back entrance to the fort.The back entrance was in significant disrepair and I did not enter the tunnel or adjacent sally ports...it was eerily quiet and spooky. I took a different path to the car and stumbled on the remains of other minor fortifications along the way.
I discovered shortly thereafter a dirt road off of D913 to the back entrance of the fort and much better way to arrive.
Definitely worth the diversion and the time spent but probably should not have done it alone.
I discovered shortly thereafter a dirt road off of D913 to the back entrance of the fort and much better way to arrive.
Definitely worth the diversion and the time spent but probably should not have done it alone.
Written 9 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carlo R
Milan, Italy337 contributions
Aug 2016 • Solo
This fort was part of the defense systems around Verdun. Differently from the more famous Douaumont and Vaux forts, this was somewhat arretrated, and even though theatre of fierce actions, it was never successfully taken by the Germans.
The fort can be spotted along a loop trail around the hill where it is placed. I started from a trailhead with a small car park which was very close to the memorial in Fleury, on the road leading to fort Vaux. The site CAN BE WALKED FREELY (NO TICKET). There is an explanation board at the trailhead with a map, that was enough for me to walk the area with success. The loop trail, leading also to some trenches and to a side entrance of the subterrranean fort with an ammo storage, may take about 45 minutes to complete.
Please note that going in the fort, while physically possible without problems, is prohibited. Inside you would be able to see the mechanism for firing the 155mm cannon in a turret of the fort that is still in place.
Many craters due to heavy German shelling are visible all around and make for an impressive sight.
Incredibly, although there were pretty many people around in Verdun and in the other forts, I didn't come across anybody here.
Highly recommended!
The fort can be spotted along a loop trail around the hill where it is placed. I started from a trailhead with a small car park which was very close to the memorial in Fleury, on the road leading to fort Vaux. The site CAN BE WALKED FREELY (NO TICKET). There is an explanation board at the trailhead with a map, that was enough for me to walk the area with success. The loop trail, leading also to some trenches and to a side entrance of the subterrranean fort with an ammo storage, may take about 45 minutes to complete.
Please note that going in the fort, while physically possible without problems, is prohibited. Inside you would be able to see the mechanism for firing the 155mm cannon in a turret of the fort that is still in place.
Many craters due to heavy German shelling are visible all around and make for an impressive sight.
Incredibly, although there were pretty many people around in Verdun and in the other forts, I didn't come across anybody here.
Highly recommended!
Written 25 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nnmercman
Camberley, UK14,369 contributions
Sept 2016 • Friends
The fort is a ruined heap not accessible to the public and was never taken by the Germans. On top is a Parmard Casement which housed machine guns. There are walks through the woods and a trail leads to the Lion Memorial which commemorates the defenders of Verdun and worth viewing close up.
Written 17 September 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
C15TA
Tonbridge, UK14 contributions
Aug 2016 • Couples
Take your time to explore this part of the battlefield, from the ruin of Fort de Souville to the Bussiere turret and the Pamart machine gun bunkers. This wood is full of things to see and discover from the battle.
Written 24 August 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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