Fort de Dailly is an underground fortress carved into the rock above Lavey-les-Bains, with around 20 kilometres of tunnels. A guided tour takes you past the cannons, living quarters and command posts.
Fortresses & fortifications
Main highlights
- Around 20 kilometres of underground tunnels, billed as the largest fortress in Europe
- 15 cm and 10.5 cm cannons that covered the Saint-Bernard and Simplon routes
- Living quarters and kitchens designed for up to three months of self-sufficiency
Overview
Fort de Dailly lies in the Vaud Alps, above Lavey-les-Bains. With around 20 kilometres of tunnels, it is billed as the largest military fortress in Europe. It was built from 1892 onwards, then expanded before the First World War, in the 1930s and after 1940.
Together with the forts of Cindey and Scex, Dailly forms the Saint-Maurice fortress, the western bulwark of the Alpine National Redoubt. The site guarded the Rhône plain and the routes to Italy. Today the CIPAD association (Communauté d’intérêts pour l’artillerie de Dailly) runs it as a museum site.
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Things to see and do
Visits are guided. The tour follows the underground tunnels carved into the rock and shows what life was like for soldiers during the Cold War. It also highlights the technical solutions devised by Swiss military engineers.
Artillery takes centre stage. The 15 cm and 10.5 cm cannons covered both the Saint-Bernard and Simplon routes with their fire. These authentic pieces illustrate the fort’s role in national defence.
Finally, you see the living facilities. These installations allowed several hundred men to remain self-sufficient for up to three months. The tour takes in the living quarters, kitchens, command posts and ventilation systems.
Practical information
Access : a narrow mountain road with hairpin bends climbs up from Lavey-les-Bains.
Visits : guided tours only, booking required.
Visit duration : around 2 hours for the full guided tour.
On site : the temperature inside is between 12 and 16 degrees all year round. Smoking is prohibited and animals are not allowed.
Visitor tips
Bring warm clothing even in summer, non-slip walking shoes and a backup torch. The site has limitations for people with reduced mobility.
This place is part of our selection What to do in the Chablais ?
Nearby
- The Bains de Lavey offer relaxation in Switzerland’s hottest thermal water, at 62 degrees.
- The Abbey of Saint-Maurice, founded in 515, is a place of pilgrimage on the Via Francigena.
- The Grotte aux Fées, above Saint-Maurice, leads to an underground lake fed by a waterfall.
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