Simserhof

Simserhof is the site of a well-preserved bunker, one of many built along the border as part of the Maginot Line, to protect France from a German invasion after World War I. Everything was considered: defensibility, survivability and livability. It was a feat of engineering that almost broke the bank of France in the interwar period.

In World War II, of course, the German invasion detoured through Belgium, rendering the Maginot Line ineffective. Setting that aside, Simserhof is an engineering marvel to behold. 

Start the tour by taking an electric tram through the bowels of the complex, where museum curators have created quite the spectacle with films, lights, and effects to show what it was like to live in the bunker during its short fight at the beginning of World War II.  After this, a tour guide will take you to the upper part of the bunker, built at the top of a hill, where you will be shown all the measures built to keep invaders out: moats, drawbridges, and hidden gun ports. Spend the next few hours touring the long hallways, galleries, functional rooms, and all the systems to keep the facility livable. 

The preservation of history is on full display at Simserhof with the work and funds put into the facility over the years clearly evident. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and is more than happy to oblige any questions about the facility and its history.