Fort Frère

Renovated by a volunteer association and open to the public since 2000, this fort is the most remarkable intact example of a Biehler-type fort in Europe.

Built between 1872 and 1875 after the annexation of Alsace by Germany, it is part of the fortified belt surrounding Strasbourg to protect the city from artillery fire of the time. Designed by engineer Von Biehler, this vast 10-hectare structure could house over 900 soldiers and was equipped with 42 artillery pieces, playing a key role in the region's defense, especially against threats from the northwest towards Paris.

On September 28, 1872, it was the site of the official inauguration of the new Strasbourg fortifications. Renamed Fort Pétain in 1918 and then Fort Frère in 1945 in honor of General Aubert Frère, a resistance fighter who died at the Struthof camp, this site holds a unique place in local military history. The visit route allows discovery of the gorge parade ground, barracks, artillery rooms, ramparts and their armaments, moats with defenses, as well as the glacis and its surroundings.