The Fort de Pré-Giroud is an underground military installation built between 1937 and 1941 in the hills above Vallorbe, near the French border. You can explore it on a guided tour through its tunnels, casemates and reconstructed rooms.
Fortresses & fortifications
Main highlights
- Preserved underground fort from 1937-1941, with over 600 m of tunnels carved into the rock
- Artillery casemates, periscope observation post and original power station
- Reconstructed rooms with dormitories, kitchen, infirmary and mannequins in period uniforms
Overview
The Fort de Pré-Giroud, also known as the Fort de Vallorbe, sits at an altitude of 1,125 m, close to the French border. It was built between 1937 and 1941 to strengthen national defence in the face of rising Nazism. Its mission was to control the route linking France and Switzerland via the Col de Jougne.
The fort has more than 600 m of tunnels and could house 130 soldiers. Designed to hold out for several months under siege, it had its own power station, ventilation, supplies, infirmary and dormitories. Decommissioned by the army in 1988, it became a museum in 1992. It is maintained by the Association Fort de Pré-Giroud 39-45.
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What to see and do
The guided tour takes you through the military installations. You will see the artillery casemates with their guns aimed at the border, the observation post with its periscopes, the telephone exchange that connected the different parts of the fort, the power station with its original generators, and the ventilation system.
The reconstructions show the daily life of the garrison : dormitories with the soldiers’ personal equipment, a fully equipped military kitchen, the officers’ mess and command post, and the infirmary with its medical equipment. Mannequins in period uniforms fill the rooms.
A collection of weapons, uniforms and military objects completes the tour and documents how the Swiss army was organised during the Second World War.
Practical information
Access : signposted mountain road from Vallorbe, about 5 km, with parking nearby. On foot, allow about 1 hr 30 min for the climb.
Visit duration : guided tours only, about 1 hr 15 min, in French, German or English depending on the guides.
Suitable for : children aged 6 and over. Many stairs and narrow passages; not accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Groups : booking recommended.
Visitor tips
The temperature inside stays at around 12 °C all year round, so bring warm clothing, even in summer. Wear comfortable shoes for the tunnels.
The underground atmosphere may be intimidating for very young children. Groups are advised to book ahead.
Nearby attractions
- The Iron and Railway Museum is housed in the Grandes Forges de Vallorbe, an industrial site dating back to 1495.
- The Vallorbe Caves form an underground network of stalactites and stalagmites carved out by the Orbe river.
- Juraparc, a wildlife park at 1,100 m altitude, is home to bears, bison and wolves.
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