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TYandJY
Loved this tour!They do one tour a day in every language they can manage. No need to show up super early as there is nothing else to do in the area. It was pouring down rain and we arrived 2 hours early. We ended up spending the time in a nearby town having coffee. Dress warmly. Even in summer it is cold underground. As a Canadian I even wore long pants, socks, long sleeve shirt and a jacket. If you layer up, you will be fine. Our tour was 2 1/2 hours long and if you are not dressed properly, the guide does not offer to bring you back to the start.
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TraciBProserpine
Now this attraction truly deserves a 5 Circle rating! Our family, 2 adult and 2 children aged 10 and 12 had a wonderful afternoon taking part in this tour. We became aware of this attraction after visiting a tourist information centre in a town nearby and the advertisement in a brochure sparked our interest as we have visited a number of WW1 and WW2 memorials in France and enjoy the history. The tour went for about 2.5hrs and in reality it flew by. The cost is very reasonable at 10euro/adult and 5euro/child. For that you get a fully guided tour over the entire fort, there were only 10 English speaking tourists on the tour out of about 50 and we were given our own tour by a lovely young lady who spoke excellent English and was very knowledgeable on the history and kept the children interested with her stories of life in the fort. This attraction was different to other memorials in that it the displays have been preserved in full working order and they are more than happy to demonstrate how they work, for example a major turret with twin guns was turned on and the guide showed how it moved and followed this up by taking us outside the fort and she returned inside and we could see the the turret and gun barrel move as it would have when in service. Some other highlights of the tour included excellent displays of weapons and uniforms from multiple countries from the war and a 3km return electric train trip which takes you deep into the fort. This tour was excellent and we are very happy we have done it and would recommend it to other travellers. However make sure you check their website at www.maginot-hackenberg.com to make sure of the opening times outside of the summer period as opening times change during winter.
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BendigoRobin
My husband and I spent about 3 hours doing the tour here and it really was fascinating. Run by volunteers, tour leaders speak a vatiety of languages, and are very knowledgeable. The train ride, the gun turret, the museum and recreations are all incredibly worthwhile.
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JenniferR424
We made sure to be there on time to participate in the English speaking tour...do your homework to be sure this is available. It took about 2plus hours and was cold underground so bundle up. That all being said, it was absolutely amazing! Fascinating, interesting, totally absorbing. Unlike any tour anywhere! Led by devoted volunteers who know their stuff. We took our 5 year old son and our 8 year old daughter with friends who had 3 kids with them. Only the 3 year old got tired and had to be carried some of the way...no strollers allowed. Our kids LOVED this experience, but my kids love history and museums, so I cannot be sure your kids will have as much fun as ours did. The train ride inside was a highlight for them, and the ammunition was unbelievable to see. This is a tour not to be missed. We have lived in this region for five years and this is, by far, one of our highlight excursions! Be sure to use restrooms before starting tour, as there are none along the tour. Cannot recommend enough.
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NigelV_11
I spend several days with a friend touring WW1 and WW2 sites across North east France and this visit was the highlight for us both. As was as being the largest of the maginot line forts, the site was in great condition, well organised and had superb staff.Our guide was 'Frank' who spoke phenomenal English and had a great sense of humour to go with it - he knew what he was talking about and any questions that he couldn't answer he was happy to find out from colleagues.There is a fair bit of walking involved for parts of the underground area, although the original working train cuts out a large chunk of the journey to the fighting block where the working gun turret is. Then you get to go outside to see just how little of this vast fort is visible from above ground. I would highly recommend this attraction to anyone who has even the faintest of interests in history or the military. Well, well worth the entrance fee.
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brozas
We visited this fortification in the Maginot line. It is a superb 2.5 h visit. Before you go check the site and better call the phone number to ensure that it is open and a tour in your language is available. It is also cool inside so wear warm clothes (and no bathroom inside either)The site is run by volunteers and our guide (Thomas) did a fantastic job of explaining the site. The first salient impression is just the sheer expanse of the place. The entrance is on the side of the hill and immediately you are in a large tunnel that takes you to the explosives deposit. The actual firing bunkers are further away some kilometer, and stick on the side of the mountain. Inside you have a complete village form kitchen. repair shops, dormitories for 1200 people, power plant, water reserves....all connected with large tunnels. There is also a little train to take supplies, including munitions, to the firing bunkers. All the necessary facilities to be under attack for a long period of time and cutoff from the outsideThe visit to the firing bunkers is quite interesting as well. The guide described the techniques they used to fire and defend themselves. Quite elaborated. We also exited one of the firing bunkers and saw how those places looked form the outside.An impressive piece of military engineering that was rendered obsolete by other military developments, e.g. planes, and tactics (go around). A major expense and a monument to human stupidity.Go and visit
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Richard7852
As a keen amateur enthusiast i really enjoyed visiting Ouvrage Hackenberg. Our female guide whose name sadly i can't recall was excellent and extremely informative. The tour lasts over two hours and involves both a visit to an internet museum and a trip n an electric tram to a gun emplacement. It's chilly inside so wrap up warm.But don't be put off as the whole experience is first class.
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Mikesee060
The Maginot Line and the Hackenberg Fort are something that France is not really proud of as it represents a huge expenditure in the 1920's and 1930's on defence against another invasion by Germany, and it failed. The fort though remains in a relatively well preserved state and the tour is amazing. Tours start at 2pm and last two hours. The first tour is for French speaking people, and about 20 minutes later for English speaking people. The team leader is knowledgeable and fluent in English. The tunnels and underground construction are huge and extensive. Equally spectacular are the guns, the memorabilia, and the electric train ride which was used to supply ammunition to the underground bunkers. You need warm clothing as the temperature is a constant 12C (54F)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouvrage_HackenbergHere is a link to a short (45 seconds) video of the train line in the fort:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkBdL8QmVzs
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Mart75
Great tour of the real history of the Maginot Line. People have given up their time to ensure the site is working as it is, the sie is very authentic, and true to its history. The tour guides are passionate for the history they are maintaining. Very interesting for those who like history of WW2. Take a jacket as it is cool (constant temperature of +/- 12°C)
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743christopheh
We loved this visit: our guide was amazing, his grandfather having fought there. After the nazis left and made the whole thing explode, a French association rebuilt everything just the way it was: the petrol generator, the electric train used to carry the ammo (and now the tourists -- kids love it!), the kitchens, the (still working and turning) gun turret, the blast doors,... It's located in the middle of nowhere but it's definitely worth a detour, even if you're not a big history or war enthusiast.We went there with our 2-year old son. That would probably not work with any kid (would be better if older than 4 years- old) but he behaved and seemed to like it.Takes almost half a day (3h). They have one visit in English around 2pm (2:15pm?). It's best to call ahead because the group size is limited (to the number of seats in the train ;-)). Temperature inside is always around 14 degrees Celsius, so bring a warm sweater even in summer time.
